All-American Ads of the 70s Review

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(More customer reviews)All-American Ads of the Seventies adds another 702 pages to the 3418 pages in the first four books and only the Ads of the Twenties remains to be published. This latest book is really the weakest of the set though. As editor Jim Heimann explains in his intro, the Seventies print media lacked creative sparkle because television had captured most ad dollars. He also mentions the important point that in the Sixties ad art directors copied a lot of the really great creative stuff shown in the editorial pages of magazines and into the Seventies so much of this input had become everyday. Although he doesn't mention it I think another reason so many of these ads look bland is because they are just not old enough, they have not quite gained a nostalgic or curiosity value.
Still there are some fascinating pages to enjoy, I liked the chapter on Consumer Products with ads for Sony Betamax, Electrophonic turntables, Advent VideoBeam television, Pioneer tape decks, Polaroid Sonar camera, Honeywell slide projector and an IBM Electronic 75 typewriter. All gone to that electronic dustbin in the sky. I thought the classiest ads were in the Business & Industry chapter, some really creative photography and design.
If you lived through the decade you'll find some memory joggers here. As with the four previous books the production is excellent, all the ads have been carefully copied from the originals and no screen clash.

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Both eclipsed and influenced by television, American print ads of the 1970s departed from the bold, graphic forms and subtle messages that were typical of their sixties counterparts. More literal, more in-your-face, 70s ads sought to capture the attention of a public accustomed to blaring, to-the-point TV commercials (even VW ads, known for their witty, ironic statements and minimalist designs, lost some of their punch in the 1970s). All was not lost, though; as ads are a sign of the times, racial and ecological awareness crept into everything from cigarette to car advertisements, reminding Americans that everyday products were hip to the modern age. A fascinating study of mass culture dissemination in a post-hippie, television-obsessed nation, this weighty volume delivers an exhaustive and nostalgic overview of 70s advertising.

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