The Golden Age of Advertising: The 60s

America in the early 1960's was a brash place with a sense of future and a confidence in itself and its success that dominated society and advertising. This book, through its selections and organization of those ad's catches the period and the energy of an ascendant culture, sure of itself and its future before the toll of the negatives of the 60's sapped the spirit and vitality of a nation that was heading for the stars and replaced it with doubt and guilt. These ad's show a world without Vietnam, without racial unrest and rioting, without a hint of the contemporaneous anti-establishment revolution that would lead to distrust in government, in industry and in general create the malaise of the Carter years and beyond to today. America made things back then and it's hard to find a ad for a product not made in the USA. Who would guess today that Chrysler made Saturn rockets for the moon program or that 3M made stereos? There is a sadness when one notes how many of the companies whose advertisements are shown no longer exist or exist only as shells selling made in China goods.

Synopsis The mood of advertising in the sixties was cheerful, optimistic, and at times, revolutionary. Ads touted progress and innovation (such as tang and instant omelets - "just add water") while striving to reinforce good old American values. Stars like Sean Connery, Woody Allen, Salvador Dali, and Sammy Davis Jr. endorsed everything from bourbon to handmade suits in an attempt to urge Americans to participate in one giant consumer binge. From forgotten cars such as the Dodge Dart, to cigarettes ("This Christmas give cartons of Luckies") to food (mmm! TV dinners!) and much more, this colorful collection of print ads explores the wide, wonderful world of 60s Americana.

I'm writing this review to warn those that might be trying to decide between this book and the two other Taschen books of 60's ads- All-American Ads of the 60's (Midi Series) and All-American Ads of the 60's (Icons Series)- that all three contain basically the same content. The Midi series volume is huge and contains the most ads, but is also the most expensive. The Icons series is the most abbreviated and inferior to The Golden Age of Advertising, in that this edition (the one you're looking at now) is hardback and contains the best and funniest of the ads.

First, the best thing about this book in my opinion, is the price! 13 bux for a hard cover with full-coloured, glossy page reference book is just great value for money. Moreover you don't get to see advertisements like these anymore. This book makes me wish that I was born in the 60s! Automobiles, undergarments (love the maidenbra lol), fashion, rock posters, foodstuffs, movie posters, electrical appliances (which are ingenius in its own right), cosmetic adverts... nostalgia, kitsch, witty descriptions and visual pleasure, as well as an obsession with space travel & hippy culture. It's really fun to flip through the book, I'm sure the graphic artists in the heydays had fun making them too (note: many adverts in the 60s are good ol' hand painted works of art). Only thing left to do now is to release a 2nd book 'cuz I sure don't mind more.