Tribute to the Great Ages in Advertising: The Stoney Seventies
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| Escaping the horrors of war into a bubble of peace love joy. |
Note: I will edit out the 60s and 80s material for followup posts.
We'll engage ChatGPT in a Q&A fashion to be our guide, and use Leonardo AI to generate the illustrations.
Me:
Hello ChatGPT, please help me write an article on the key trends in advertising design and how they reflect the lifestyles, clothes, fads, music, hopes and dreams of society during the 60s, 70s and 80s. For each era please provide a catchy subhead, for example, 1960s era: the golden age advertising when advertisers pushed “hip” and ditched “square” to win the young. Please write in some detail, in a incisive and friendly tone with a dose of satire, puns and humour where appropriate to keep readers engaged. Directed at the general audience, the story will evoke nostalgia for those who lived through those times, while Gen Z would be struck with awe at the rich fabric of life they missed.
ChatGPT 4o:
Here’s a structured start to your article on the evolution of advertising design across the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, with engaging subheads and an approachable tone.
[ Editor: Comments on the 60s and 80s will be hidden from this point on.]
1970s: “Sellin’ Soul, Disco, and a Whole Lotta Polyester Dreams”
The 1970s brought on disco, bell-bottoms, and a hangover from the free love of the ’60s. Ads in this era became bolder, funkier, and let’s be real—a bit gaudy. Yet they somehow tapped into the glitzy, anything-goes vibe of the time. You didn’t just buy a car; you were buying freedom, a tan, and maybe a shag carpet for the back seat. From cars to cologne, it was all about “Me Decade” indulgence and instant gratification.
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| Bell-bottoms sweep the runways all over the planet. |
You saw it everywhere—sparkling models lounging in hot tubs for perfume ads, gleaming muscle cars promising “power,” and far too much brown and orange. Ads for lifestyle products promised to make you “somebody,” tapping into society’s desire for identity, even if that identity came with shiny platforms and sideburns. In television, the growing popularity of color TVs opened new creative avenues—every hue seemed to shout, “Look at me!” And, of course, music remained central, with jingles that had people singing along, even if no one was quite sure what “A Coke and a Smile” really meant.
The culture reflected in these ads was one of excess, escapism, and style-over-substance. Gone were the high-minded ideals of the ’60s; now, it was all about getting what you wanted. For all its superficiality, the advertising of the ’70s perfectly captured the materialistic, freewheeling spirit of the era.
This article could continue with deeper dives into specific ad campaigns or additional analysis on how each era’s advertising reflected shifting social dynamics. Let me know if you’d like any expansions or further wit added in!
Me:
Thank you for this overview which is quite meaty. OK, please go on and expand. In addition, how and when did the antiwar movement, the era of psychedelic art, affect the creative process. Around the transition to the birth of the personal computer, late 70s to early 80s, how did admen harness its power in their workflow?
ChatGPT 4o:
The Antiwar Movement & Psychedelic Art Influence
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| Music calms the beast of conflict in the antiwar movement. |
The antiwar movement, with its impassioned protests and iconography, introduced a strong dose of realism and grit to advertising design. Ads began to subtly (and sometimes overtly) criticize materialism and militarism, even if they were ultimately still selling products. Meanwhile, the psychedelic art movement—with its kaleidoscopic colors, surreal imagery, and mind-bending typography—turned ad design into a visual journey. Designers drew from this aesthetic to appeal to young consumers who were exploring new horizons, both culturally and chemically. This was particularly visible in ads for records, fashion, and cars, where vibrant visuals gave audiences a taste of liberation from convention.
Psychedelic art transformed advertising into something less about “telling” and more about “showing”—and ideally, hypnotizing. This style didn’t just sell products; it sold a mindset. VW’s “Think Small” and “Lemon” campaigns were more than car ads; they cheekily mocked the American obsession with size and power, echoing the subtle anti-establishment tones of the time.
1970s: “Sellin’ Soul, Disco, and a Whole Lotta Polyester Dreams”
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| Heavy metal that rings in your ears and sets the cash registers ringing. |
As the nation emerged from the idealism of the ’60s, the advertising industry had to adapt to a culture that was increasingly disillusioned. While the music played on and bell-bottoms got wider, many people were in search of comfort and style over political ideals. The “Me Decade” saw a shift in ads toward hedonism and materialism, and creativity took on a bold, brash attitude.
Advertising with Attitude: From Glamour to Grit
With the rise of disco and TV shows in full color, ads transformed into mini-fashion shows with bold color schemes and louder slogans. Ads for everything from appliances to cars promised a life of convenience, flash, and funk. Advertising was also less guarded in its appeal to pure desire. In some of the most notable ads of the decade, sexuality was no longer just implied—it was front and center. From iconic cigarette and alcohol ads to perfume and shampoo commercials, designers used seductive images and suggestive copy to tap into society’s growing appetite for instant gratification.
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| Portrait of a lady of substance. |
Disco music influenced jingles and slogans, and ads on the radio became almost indistinguishable from pop songs. Creative teams weren’t just selling products; they were creating lifestyles on demand, marketing a world where a product could fulfill every need—even those you didn’t know you had.
Personal Computing Comes to Madison Avenue
With the arrival of personal computers, advertising agencies had a new tool to amplify their creative processes. By the late 1970s, early adopters began experimenting with digital typography and layout,
which would quickly streamline workflows that were traditionally labor-intensive. As the technology improved, agencies embraced desktop publishing programs and early digital imaging, which allowed for easier manipulation of text, color, and images.
This technology opened up avenues for bold, highly polished print designs and stunning visuals that would have been near-impossible to achieve just a few years earlier. The ’80s also saw a shift toward computer-generated graphics and animations in TV commercials.
The iconic 1984 Apple ad by Ridley Scott, introducing the Macintosh,
was a groundbreaking example of how computers could push creative boundaries. This was not just a commercial; it was a full-blown cinematic experience that captivated audiences and effectively positioned Apple as a brand for the brave and free-thinking. As personal computers grew in power and affordability, agencies adopted them for everything from digital typesetting to graphic design, fundamentally reshaping the creative workflow and output quality.
Selling Dreams in Day-Glo and Synth Beats
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| Poster inspired by an iconic vehicle whose advertising rewrote all the rules, then broke them all! |
As MTV came onto the scene, music videos became as influential as commercials themselves, often with production values rivaling those of feature films. This era wasn’t just about selling products; it was about convincing consumers that these items—those high-waisted acid-wash jeans, that brand of cola—were essential accessories to an exciting, youthful life. Ads felt like mini soap operas with star-studded casts, and the message was clear: the good life was all about spending big and looking good doing it.
Me:
Thank you, I’m getting a clearer picture of the life and times of people in the 70s. Would you say that ad creatives in this period constantly latch onto current and emerging trends to stay topical, to occupy top-of-mind?
ChatGPT 4o:
You're welcome! I’m glad the picture is coming together.
Absolutely! Staying topical was, and still is, essential for ad creatives, as they strive to keep brands top-of-mind by latching onto current and emerging trends. Advertising thrives on relevance, and each era brought unique social currents that ad creatives tapped into, often with remarkable precision and speed.
As the 1960s pivot towards questioning authority and exploring self-expression took a turn to lifestyle and identity-based advertising in the 70s, and society embracing individuality and escapism, brands rushed to attach themselves to the era’s biggest trends. From disco culture to self-indulgent luxury, ads mirrored—and amplified—the “Me Decade.” Coca-Cola’s iconic “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” campaign was emblematic of the era’s spirit of global harmony, while luxury brands tapped into the rising demand for personal pampering and status symbols.
In every era, staying topical wasn’t just a tactic—it was a survival strategy. By aligning with current trends, creatives kept brands culturally relevant, capturing consumer interest by reflecting the world as it was (or how people wished it could be). This is still true today, with trends and social currents shaping ad strategies as they did in the past.
Me:
Thank you so much for this chat. My head is swimming with so rich a pool of knowledge you provided. See you next time. Signing out.
ChatGPT 4o:
You're very welcome! I'm so glad I could provide useful insights and help bring this advertising era to life. It sounds like you've got an exciting project on your hands, and I’d be thrilled to help out anytime you need more input. Good luck, and feel free to pop back in whenever inspiration (or a few more questions) strikes.
Take care, and see you next time!
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| Pop group in Afro look. |
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| Artist's studio interpreted in psychedelic style. |
Credits:
Script - ChatGPT 4o
Editor - Tan Choon Hong
Images - Leonardo AI
Image Edit on Adobe Photoshop
All brands are the IP of their respective owners.
© 2024 Tan Choon Hong. All rights reserved.
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