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Outrageous Magazine Ads for1960s Cars
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:02 pm    Post subject: Outrageous Magazine Ads for1960s Cars Reply with quote

________________________________

A few days ago I was having breakfast in my favorite restaurant, Phat Daddy's Cafe, and I found a true work of art . . . on the wall in the rest room! Shocked

I went to the men's room to wash my hands and discovered that the entire wall above the sink was wallpapered with magazine ads for 1960s automobiles. They were gorgeous!

The largest and the best of the bunch was the one shown below, an amazing ad for the 1962 Buick Wildcat. The painting of it is pretty good, but the true star of the show is the text that makes the most outrageous claims for the wondrous features of this automobile, using terms and phrases that make it sound like the car everybody in America would be buying soon.

That, of course, was the whole idea. Cool

You can click on the image below and zoom in on a 2,500 pixel wide version to easily read the text, or you can just read the cropped portions of the text below the ad. After reading through the advertisement and laughing until your sides hurt, scroll down for a few comments from me about the conversation I had with a several of the customers and waitresses at Phat Daddy's Cafe when I told them about the main slogan under the picture of the car.










Okay, let's take this remarkable work of literature one sentence at a time. First we'll consider the blatant sexual references contained in the main tag line.

Buick introduces torrid new luxury sports car! First with the sure-footed sock of advanced thrust!


We have the word "torrid" (as in torrid love affair). Then there's the word "sock" (as in sock it to her). And finally, there's the word "thrust", which speaks loud-and-clear for itself! Shocked

All those words were mentioned specifically by the waitresses at Phat Daddy's Cafe as being sexually charged and capable of starting forest fires that Smokey the Bear would object to.

And I'm sure that you guys are cackled like I did when you read the words "the sure-footed sock of advanced thrust" — a phrase so brazenly macho it just drips testosterone! Shocked

All those terms are in the main tag line! Consider the sheer balls of the ad men who wrote the rest of the ad! For example, it explains just what "advanced thrust" is.

Advanced thrust that places the rip-snorting Wildcat V-8 engine far forward over the front wheels.

Wow . . . that's awesome. The engine isn't just under the hood, it's "far forward over the front wheels". I guess they had to put the radiator back against the firewall and do away the car's grill and headlights.

But it was worth it, because it gives us "straight arrow tracking, even in crosswinds"! Gosh, no wonder my poor car keeps getting blown off the road. Sad

And the Wildcat also gets "flat cornering" and "instant wheel response".

Well damn, my car always leans to one side when I go around a corner. I thought that was normal! And my "wheel response" probably takes a few microseconds! Why can't it be "instant" like the Wildcat? Sad

We also shouldn't overlook those "posh vinyl seats". Good lord, my 2001 Chevy Lumina has soft cloth seats, and I foolishly thought that was good, because they didn't get hot in the summer and stick to my legs when I wore shorts!

All this time I could have had posh vinyl seats, and I didn't even know it!

And what about that "illuminated tachometer" on the center console? I've got a tachometer, and it lights up with all the rest of dashboard displays, but it's not down on the center console . . . which must be cooler, because the Wildcat has that!

Gee . . . who knew, eh? Rolling Eyes

Furthermore, I'm pretty sure I don't have "finned aluminum front brakes for surer stopping". So, it's just by the grace of God that I haven't collided with a telephone pole and gone right through the windshield!

I guess I've just been livin' on borrowed time since 1962 because I haven't been driving around in a "torrid new luxury sport cars", one of those "sports-bred Buick Wildcats".

Hey, wait a minute! Shocked

Isn't the Buick Wildcat the beautiful car that Shannon drove in the 1961-1962 series?

Oh my God, that car is gorgeous! I wish I HAD been driving around in one of those all these years. I'd have been beating off the hot chicks with a stick! Cool




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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Mar 18, 2023 11:45 am; edited 5 times in total
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My first car was a 1963 Pontiac Catalina convertible. I customized it with a hardwood and chrome mini steering wheel and chrome wheel covers.










Turquoise green, it was a beauty and could qualify as much a chick magnet as the Wildcat! And I bet you weren't beating off chicks, you were just..... Well....You know what I mean!

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trekriffic
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Man... There’s so much blatant sexuality in this thread.

I gotta go to the bathroom... hey give me a break! I take a diuretic for the gout okay?
:Twisted Evil
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well....There IS something about these great cars that gives guys a shot of testosterone!
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I was hoping the TV commercials for the Wildcat and the Catalina would be a bit like the magazine ads, but the one for the Wildcat in disappointing, even though it reminds me of drive-in snackbar plugs about how great the food is.
Very Happy

_____________________ Buick Wildcat 1962


__________



However, the one for the Pontiac La Sabre is packed with promises about how your life will change and the world will envy you. It's fun to watch. Very uplifting, in a way — life a self-motivation program to give you more self-esteem. Cool


____ 1964 Buick LeSabre Convertible Commercial


__________


And I found a magazine ad for the Catalina and the Bonneville with stunning artwork! The way the green tropical background and the golden desert background blend together is brilliant!

Look for the artists' signatures on the lower right. Apparently two artists collaborated on this beautiful painting.

~ Click on the image to see a 2,000 pixel version you can zoom in on to admire the gorgeous details and easily read the text.



_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Mar 19, 2023 5:16 pm; edited 4 times in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

While acquiring and enhancing 20 more of the beautiful magazine ads for Pontiac automobiles which feature some stunning artwork, I noticed a common theme to the paintings which I find very appealing. Smile

The ads don't just show beautiful cars . . . they show beautiful and prosperous people at enjoyable events, demonstrating lifestyles that embody the American Dream!

So, the selling points these masterful ads use to attract buyers isn't limited to just big, beautiful cars — they also illustrate people who are living life to the fullest. The cars are the elegant means by which they travel to picturesque places.

And rather than showing us one smiling man sitting behind the wheel of his spectacular car, we see both the man and his significant other, or even an entire family complete with kids!

We even see women driving the cars in some cases. Consider this illustration of a lovely lady flirting with a man next to her car . . . at a polo field!






And the one below shows a handsome couple getting ready to go out on their yacht! The man in his snappy captain's cap is a subtle way of saying that he's in charge. Cool





Read and text below the illustration and take note of macho phrases like — "This is the car that answers your commands with flawless precision on curves and turns."

And the way the ad describes the car in terms of expensive lifestyles and opulent wealth is a brilliant way to attract the gal's attention. Very Happy

"Once aboard, you travel first class." — (A luxury liner reference.)

"Pontiac's color-coded interiors are fabulous." — (A home decor reference that appeals to women.)

"Created from high-fashion material, they're tailored and fitted with pain-staking care." — (An obvious fashion reference, again to appeal to the ladies.)

I've got eighteen more illustrations like these, some with text and some without. But I won't post them all at once so you folks can add your own comments.

Do these ads make you wistful for the Good Old Days when America was about to launch it's space program and inspire the country, while President John F. Kennedy was the darlin' of the entire nation? Wink

_________________
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Mar 15, 2023 4:55 pm; edited 2 times in total
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trekriffic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Love it. This reads like some of the ads Dom Draper would come up with on Mad Men!
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scotpens
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Car advertising that sold the sizzle rather than the steak may have peaked in the 1960s, but it all started with the classic Jordan Playboy ads from the Roaring Twenties.

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trekriffic
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scotpens wrote:
Car advertising that sold the sizzle rather than the steak may have peaked in the 1960s, but it all started with the classic Jordan Playboy ads from the Roaring Twenties.



Oh my that's poetic. Rolling Eyes
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

What struck me about these two beautiful pieces of artwork is the way they present the personally rewarding lifestyles of the people they depict. The lucky fellow in the car is flirting with the ladies. The two guys on the right are going camping.

Not a bad life, I'd say. Cool






Both the illustration above and the one below show elegant homes in the background and groups of people who obviously have there lives well in order. I really admire that kind of optimism. It offers the same kind of hope that those Disney "science fact" programs did when they showed us a bright and imaginative future.

This was the bright and imaginative present. We didn't have to wait for it, all we had to do was go to college, get a challenging high-level position with a big corporation, and then head down the Pontiac dealership! Very Happy






The text in the ad above describes the advanced engineering of the car — but not with technical terms that few people would understand. It talks about how the car's engineering will feel during the owner's driving experience.

"You feel steady, secure, confident in your driving skills."

The Pontiac Safari station wagon came in a nine-passenger model with a fold-up third bench seat in the cargo area — perfect for an upwardly mobile family who had plenty of friends or plenty of kids! Very Happy

Back in the 1980s I had a buddy in Atlanta who bought a used Pontiac Safari for a few thousand dollars, and he showed me why it was the perfect "Drive-In movie car" for him and his family, who were hoping to enjoy warm summer evenings at the world famous Starlight Six Drive-in — which is still in operation to this day! Very Happy






In fact, the Starlight Six Drive-in is so legendary that it has it's own listing on the Internet Movie Database!

The rear seat of the Pontiac Safari faces backwards, so when the station wagon is parked with the rear facing the drive-in screen and both the rear hatches are open, it makes a very comfortable "recliner" . . . with no windshield or dashboard to block your view of the screen!

My friend came up with a brilliant use of this remarkable automobile, and it proved that 1960s American engineering could combine with 1980s American ingenuity to provide a "personally rewarding lifestyle", as it did in the 1960s — several decades after the sparkling new models of this automobile graced the showroom floors of Pontiac dealerships nationwide.

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:55 am; edited 3 times in total
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The amazing thing about these ads, and the imagined Disney Utopia, is that they failed to show the dichotomy of life in the 50's-60's.

On the one hand you had the "Big, Bright and Beautiful" future and you had the Cold War, Korea and Vietnam on the other. The same kids who viewed these on their TV sets at home were being taught "Duck and Cover" and the need for fall-out shelters daily at school.

These great full color ads and Disney programming were aimed at lifting some of that doom and gloom and, at least, showing an alternative future as it further stimulated a capitalist economy.

While we still live in a very dangerous world, those of us at an age to have lived through the 60's era of uncertainty can't be blamed for finding some solace in reminiscing in the brightness and beauty of these great images.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
The amazing thing about these ads, and the imagined Disney Utopia, is that they failed to show the dichotomy of life in the 50's-60's.

The same kids who viewed these on their TV sets at home were being taught "Duck and Cover" and the need for fall-out shelters daily at school.

We seem to have a different view about the intrinsic value and the true intent of both the car ads and the Disney science fact programs.

The Disney programs were meant to inspire the public and encourage them to work towards making those dreams of space exploration possible. I may be misunderstanding your comment above, but the Disney programs didn't "fail to show the dichotomy of life in the 50's-60's" — they succeeded in showing us that we could improve the state of the world!






They didn't pretend that bad things weren't happening in the world at that time, they were just suggesting that good things could happen in the world of tomorrow . . . if we MAKE them happen.

Gord Green wrote:
These great full color ads and Disney programming were aimed at lifting some of that doom and gloom and, at least, showing an alternative future as it further stimulated a capitalist economy.

Again, I may be misunderstanding your comments, but you make it sound like the purpose of the Disney programs was just to take our minds off the unpleasant aspects of society. Sad

But that's not what they were attempting to do at all. That was the purpose of the lighthearted movies of the Depression Era. They simply offered a brief distraction from the bad times the nation was going through. They weren't trying to inspire people to go out and be funny while singing and dancing like Fred and Ginger! Laughing

The Disney programs succeeded in inspiring us to actually do what they depicted: start an ambitious space program that yielded a bonanza of new technology and gave us pride in our nation!



___


As a direct result of that, life in the 1960s had a new elegance and luster that is beautifully illustrated in those ad.





Yes, I know, this Good Life was mostly for the middle and upper class white folks. That's an aspect of society that needed to change.

I realize that the ads' primary purpose was to promote the sale of automobiles — but this was done by encouraging people to seek financial security and personal success, and the nations minorities were inspired to fight for the right to have this Good Life as well!

They're still fighting . . . but they're winning.

Neither the Disney programs nor the magazine ads tried to claim that life would be a utopia someday. They both just attempted to show us the great possibilities before us. Very Happy

Slowly but surely, those possibilities are being realized. But obviously we have quite a ways to go.

Gord, I'm looking at these magazine ads from the point of view of an artist who sees the way these paintings inspired people to live rich and fulfilling lives. And that's exactly what the Disney artists and filmmakers were doing, too.

The message in both cases could be described with phrases like these.

"Set your sights high!"

"Don't be afraid to dream big!"

"A person's reach should exceed his grasp!"

"Get out there and have The Time of Your Life!" Cool




_________________
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Fri Mar 17, 2023 1:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

In the previous magazine ads I posted, the focus was on glamorous lifestyles and the role a wide-track Pontiac played in them. The ads featured elegant homes in the background, and wealthy young people with their friends.

In one ad we see a group of guys getting ready to go camping, and in the other we see two couples, one of which is about to go off in a stately horse-drawn carriage!

The message was clear: live life to the fullest. Very Happy

However, the well-worded ad below presents another very appealing idea. The Pontiac it illustrates is presented as a virtual "magic carpet" which can transport it's proud owners to exotic destinations!





________________________________

"Where there's fun, there's Pontiac!"
________________________________


The opening line sets the tone, and the ad goes on to praise the sleek styling of the car. But the picture above it is what captures the eye of the potential buyer.

A snowbound landscape, a frozen lake, and a group of athletic young people are preparing to go ice sailing!

This ad doesn't just invite you to buy a new car, it inspires you to fantasize about personal adventures and new challenges — things you never even considered doing before!

And if ice sailing doesn't temp you, the ad below pulls out all the stops and puts two sleek, futuristic Pontiacs smack in middle of a travel brochure that has something for everyone!






A sunny seaside vista, a romantic evening on the town, a day on the ski slopes, and a country estate that offers hunting and horseback riding! Cool

And just how does one reach all these exciting locations? Why, that's easy? You just climb into your Pontiac . . . and glide away on your magic carpet! Very Happy

Rather than brag about gas mileage and safety records and mechanical dependability, these ads invite the potential buyers to think about how their new car could make their dreams come true. These ads aren't just selling automobiles — they're selling adventure, romance, and long journeys to far away places!

Folks, I salute the advertising geniuses of General Motors. Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Fri Mar 17, 2023 1:14 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud, don't misunderstand that I'm suggesting that these ads INTENDED to disregard the negative aspects of 50's-60's society. To the contrary, they showed the positive, vital spirit that was able to transcend the negativity of that era, and the same type of spirit that will allow us to overcome the impediments of our own time.

These visuals are amazing! They show that even Madison Avenue had their eyes on the brightness of the possible future. Today we don't have the future promised by 2001:ASO, but we are on a path that could lead to an even better tomorrow....as long as we don't forget the lessons our history has taught us.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Well said, sir! I stand corrected. Very Happy

Your comment reflects a perfect understanding of what the ads do and what the era was like that produced them. When I finished the above comment yesterday I tried to find a 2019 Pontiac ad, just to compare the way they were pitching their product these days.

But that's not how Madison Avenue does things now. The culture and the technology have changed, and TV commercials are the medium used to convey the message. Flashy, fast, and noisy, the television spots are the polar opposite of the magazine ads which used excellent artwork and gentle messages to suggest ways to improve the lives of the people who bought those gorgeous cars.

Ah, the Good Old Days. How we miss 'em. Confused

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Mar 16, 2023 4:17 pm; edited 1 time in total
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