ALL AMERICAN ADS of the 70's

From Frank Frazetta paintings to psychedelic imagery, Playboy style nudes to beautiful couples in the latest cars and fashions, here is a wide-ranging snapshot of top-tier advertisements for the decade that was the '70s. As television and other media began to compete for advertising dollars, new ideas were incorporated into a post-hippie world where disco clashed with punk, and social consciousness, health and environmental awareness went head-to-head with the Me Generation. 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 '60s 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. 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. In an attempt to discover how best to communicate with a mass audience, marketing specialists studied focus groups with furious determination, thus producing such dumbed-down gems as "sisters are different from brothers," the slogan used for an African-American hair product. By the end of the decade, however, print ads had begun to recoup, gaining in originality and creativity as they focused on target audiences through carefully chosen placement in smaller publications. 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. Series editor Steven Heller is responsible for a great number of our favorite books collecting art styles and eras. He's one of the top experts on great design of the 20th century and we are never disappointed in what he creates with his eye for the best and most interesting. Recommended for Mature Readers due to some minor depictions of nudity.