Friday, August 8, 2008

friday flashback: this 1979 ad could run today


For Prius.  It was art directed and illustrated by Helmut Krone, legendary art director and Real Life Mad Man at Doyle Dane Bernbach (NY) who was one of the greatest designers ever to wield an exacto. He knew how to use image to define corporate personality long before "brand" was used as a verb--an etymological development Ad Contrarian blames for our industry being in such a muddle. (Read the book.)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the flashback. I came to advertising through broadcasting way the hell back when they still used phonograph needles and teletype machines for the AP feed. (It was huge, I tell you. I want to find that old clanking bastard so I can rig it up to print out my email. Wouldn't that be something?) I'm now engaged to McCann-Erickson in Seattle, WA. I write a blog to keep my head from exploding and taking five of my podmates out with me.

Anonymous said...

AB:

Actually, it couldn't run today. Some group would write a letter claiming it was advocating suicide and the client would pull it.

Thanks so much for the plug!

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

@thaddeus Thanks for dropping in. Broadcast Department--I remember! Obviously, we blog for the same reason.

@bob Ah, yes. Drivers Against Offing Oneself Using Gas Pumps.

Anonymous said...

Who says History does not repeat itself?

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

@jane What I'm really afraid of is that 80s fashions will come back.

Joker said...

Legins with skirts atop.

Teasing.

Large obnoxious purses.

80's have return egads...

as for the flashback, morality media would have a fiesta with this while people like me would simply nod in approval.

Imagine this though. That ad ran in 1979 when gas was "staggeringly high". For today the guy would need to be weeping.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

joker--leggings with skirts! Hate to confess-this was what I was wearing when I met Mr. Ad Broad. (1982) As for price of gas in 1979--twould make today's drivers weep--94 cents on 8/12/79

Joker said...

Then maybe it's time to break them out again, put on a Tiffany track and have a 9 1/2 weeks scene without the jalapeño peppers.

And 94 cents...... damn. I know it's inflation and adjusted prices, but just seeing that makes you weep. I actually passed by a run down gas station the other day that had the prices from 7 years back... rings a bit more true to what we've gone through in less than a decade regarding escalating prices.