As the revolutionary social climate of the 1960s began to lose steam under the weight of its own idealism, the once razor-sharp line between the counterculture and straight-laced America began to blur. By the time we hit the ’70s, the two had melded into an avocado-and-burnt-orange-hued decade of bell-bottomed and puka-shelled self-exploration. For a visual timeline of this decade-long transformation, one need look no further than the advertisements in C/D. What starts out largely with straight talk and black and white imagery quickly plunges into clever (and not-so-clever) innuendo and “hip” branding illustrated with full-color graphics influenced by, and in a few instances, created by ’70s psychedelic art icon and Corvette-hoarder Peter Max.
Although a pair of gas shortages and the 1974 enactment of a national 55-mph speed limit spurred advertisements for citizens-band radios and fuel-saving devices of dubious effectiveness, the overall message remained predominately the same: A life without sweet wheels/tunes/tires/glasspacks/babes/smokes/brewskis is not a life worth living. By mid-decade, Ford zeroed in on the national vibe and struck paydirt with a series of van advertisements featuring a group of shirtless, shoeless, and mellow studs chilling with their babes après surf, inadvertently turning the act of violating the “No Shirt, No Shoes” shop-window proviso into a competitive sport.
If you lived through 1970s, salute; if you didn’t, take a few minutes to look through the collection here and get taste of what you missed. Note: You can click or tap the ads to enlarge.
Panasonic Model RS-820S – February 1971
Snap-On – April 1971
Subaru – April 1971
Maremont Cherry Bomb – May 1971
Dayton Daytona Sport – May 1971
General Electric 500XL – May 1971
Goodyear Polyglas tires – June 1971
Honda Motosport 125 (SL-125) – June 1971
Firestone Mini Sport – July 1971
Gulf Oil Company – August 1971
READ MORE: 44 of the Most Bodacious Car Ads of the 1980s
Cox Models Eliminator 2 – October 1971
Jeep Commando – November 1971
Volvo 1800E – November 1971
Beck/Arnley – December 1971
Arrow Mach II – February 1972
Gabriel – March 1972
Honda Coupe – April 1972
Jeep Renegade – May 1972
Honda Coupe – May 1972
Lotus Europa – August 1972
READ MORE: Advertising the 2000s and 2010s—www.Y2K.org/LOL
Plymouth Road Runner – October 1972
Chevrolet Vega GT – November 1972
Dodge Challenger – November 1972
Sportgrip – December 1972
Speed Equipment World – February 1973
Volkswagen Thing – July 1973
Winchester – July 1973
The Bullworker – September 1973
Cronus 1 – September 1973
Brylcreem – January 1974
Winchester – February 1974
Jaguar E-type – April 1974
Pirelli – April 1974
READ MORE: Advertising the 2000s and 2010s—www.Y2K.org/LOL
Superior Superlug – May 1974
Bradley GT – May 1974
Stereo Review Model SR12 Stereo Test Record – January 1975
Dodge Tradesman – May 1975
Mercedes-Benz – July 1975
Johnson – April 1976
READ MORE: These 1950s Car Advertisements Are Undeniably Cool
Dodge Street Van – May 1976
Ford Econoline – May 1976
Volvo 265 – May 1977
Gatorade – July 1977
BAP/GEON – July 1977
STP Motor Oil – October 1977
Realistic TR-802 – October 1977
Bulova – October 1977
Keystone – May 1978
International Harvester Scout – December 1978
READ MORE: Advertising the 1960s: These 60-Year-Old Ads Are Undeniably Cool
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