Saturday 26 January 2013

70s Context

I have been looking for 70s ads which show the context of the decade for ages to be able to compare them with ads of the same brand from this decade, and it's been difficult. Most of the brands I have seen either don't use contextual references (other than the weird hairstyles and fashion choices) don't advertise anymore or just simply don't exist anymore. Luckily I've finally found a Smirnoff print ad which references a social issue of the 70s.

This ad references the bra-burning which is associated with feminism, which hit the UK in the 70s, beginning with the Equal Pay Act in 1970, and leading to the election of the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in 1979.
As well as the written language reference to feminism in the copy, the visual language could also reference feminism, as the woman is looking straight down the lens of the camera and holding the attention of the image. This makes her the focus of the ad, with the man barely noticeable in the background as he is wearing a dark suit in a dark background.

Today, Smirnoff ads do not seem to show many contextual references, although they mainly use social media to advertise, which links to the constant use of technology with their target audience of young adults. This ad which appeared on TV and also on-line. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZOoIWS61Ns&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEZOoIWS61Ns&has_verified=1

1 comment:

  1. Well done for locating this ad. It is a great example of humour too, but perhaps showing it is acceptable to laugh at feminism too. Great to compare this with a social campaign too.

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