Laundrette

BBH's 'Laundrette' Levi's ad of the 1980s can be described as a piece of post-modern advertising because it shows several ideals and values which are typical of post-modernism. 
Post-modernism can be defined as, 'An emphasis on surface, image... a lack of seriousness expressed through modes of pastiche parody and irony; blurring of critical boundaries between high and low art, historical and present, the different genres... host to multiple inter-textual references.'(Stoddart, 2007). In the ad there is a lack of seriousness with the humour of the ad as the man strips to his boxers in the middle of a laundrette, which shocks the onlookers, which also shows an anti-authoritarian aspect which is also post-modern, as there is a soldier outside the laundrette and lots of people staring but he does it anyway. 'John Hegarty and Barbara Nokes recreated an image of 50s Americana that presented 501s as alternative to punk’s scruffiness.' (http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/thework/895156/)

A contemporary(ish) ad which I think is also post-modern is the infamous Cadbury's Gorilla ad of 2007. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo) I think it's post-modern because it is nonsensical and has a lack of seriousness which is quite post-modern and made it confusing and complex for the audience because the gorilla playing the drums doesn't obviously link to the chocolate.