60s Advertisements

Thursday, August 06, 2015

60s Advertisements

It's the conclusion of SIXTIES WEEK in A Pop Culture Addict's Guide To Life, and I hope you all enjoyed the trip through time. It's fun to reminisce about the fads, fashions, music, and happenings of a time gone by. When I get settled into my new home (which will be very soon), I will have to remind myself to try a 70s week, or 80s week. I think it's a good idea for future entries.

For now, I think I have come up with a fitting conclusion for 60s week, and it is sort of linked to a television show that recently wrapped up its seven season run.

Have you ever watched the television series "Mad Men"? I have to admit that I just began watching the show on Netflix and have already made it through the first couple of seasons. I can see why so many people were so addicted to the show. Great characterization, excellent plots, and a real feel of what the corporate world was like fifty years in the past. And as many of us have come to realize, very little has changed in that regard.

Now, for those of us who have seen "Mad Men", we all know that the show is centered around an advertising agency, and that while the ad campaigns that the executives aren't the focal point of the series, it is interesting to see what the process was in greenlighting ad campaigns for various products.

So, it gave me a bit of an idea...what if I made this blog topic all about the different ads that came out of the 1960s? After all, some of the ads are works of art in themselves...

...and, well...some of them are...shocking. And not in the good way either.

I found at least fifteen different examples of 1960s advertising, and I'll offer up my own commentary along the way. And let's start things off with my favourite of the bunch.

1. Now, I have to say that the 1960s were a time of posters and ads and products that were extremely creative and unique, and nothing can be more unique than a Campbell's soup tote bag. You can use it for storing your swimsuit, beach towel, and even your transistor radio!

And you know what? I want one!

2. Remember when McDonald's was touted as a fine dining establishment where you'd get all dressed up to the nines to dine on Big Macs and French Fries? Yeah, me neither. But I will say this about the ad. It is a beautiful piece of vintage 60s art...even if the slogan "Let's eat out" now has a bunch of different meanings as time passed.

3. These days, peanut butter is now banned in most elementary schools for allergy concerns. But back in the 1960s, not only was it allowed, but it was touted as a nutritious lunch when paired with marshmallow fluff. I guess Type 2 diabetes wasn't a huge concern in the 60s.

4. I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that only 4 out of 5 doctors approved of this ad. And I'm going to hazard a guess that the 1 out of 5 that didn't were the only doctors who lived long enough to see the seventies.

5. Even though this ad is in French, I'm guessing that if you breastfeed your child and drink beer at the same time, that child becomes a happy drunk by osmosis.

6. This person must have some very interesting dreams, don't you think? And speaking of underwear...

7. Isn't it nice to know that if your house is burning down, your Jockey Y-fronts will still look clean and springtime fresh?

8. Mother's Day is May 14th. So, why not spend the day feeding your husband chocolates on the couch?!? Honestly, is there an ad that could be any more sexist?

9. Oh, I stand corrected. Thanks for being such a "wifesaver", Colonel Sanders!

10. This ad is groovy baby, yeah! From the mod font to the fact that the car is spitting out rainbows and flowers, the only way this could be any more 60s is if Dusty Springfield were the one driving the car!

11. Well, to be fair, this ad was released BEFORE Jenny McCarthy was born...

12. "Blow in her face and she'll follow you anywhere"? Not if she's passed out on the pavement from smoke inhalation, dummy!

(And, don't think I didn't notice the blatant sexual innuendo in that ad either.)