All-American Ads of the 70s

<p>Both eclipsed and influenced by television, <strong>American print ads of the 1970s</strong> 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 <strong>blaring, to-the-point TV commercials</strong>.<br /> <br /> All was not lost, though; as ads are a sign of the times, <strong>racial and ecological awareness</strong> 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 <strong>originality and creativity</strong> as they focused on target audiences through carefully chosen placement in smaller publications.<br /> <br /> <strong>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.</strong></p>