Posts Tagged ‘advertising’
The Ghosts of Advertisements Past…
This old advertisement for Harold Lloyd’s 1922 classic silent comedy, GRANDMA’S BOY, was rediscovered in February 2012 when the building next to it, built in 1923, was torn down. Sadly, this building was also scheduled to be demolished, and indeed it was just a couple of weeks later, taking the advert with it. Source: C. Browne, http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolbrowne/6937438297/. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic licence.
“Ghost Signs” are advertisements painted on the sides of buildings (before the advent of billboards), then obscured by subsequent construction/redecoration (or simply left to weather nearly away), only lately to be uncovered/rediscovered. Once a vital part both of America’s young consumer economy and of its visual landscape, they are beginning again to attract attention, as at The Basement Geographer (via which, the image above), and in the Ghost Signs and Faded Signage pools on Flickr and in the Wikimedia Commons. (C.f. also, the UK website Ghost Signs.)
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As we dream in technicolor, we might send fertile birthday wishes to Jonathan Chapman; he was born on this date in 1774. A pioneering nurseryman, he introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois… earning him the nickname by which he is much better known: Johnny Appleseed.
Elephants in the Room…
There are about 2,286 delegates and 2,125 “alternate” delegates from across the United States gathered in Tampa, Florida, to formalize the nomination of the Republican Party’s candidates for the 2012 presidential election. They’ve been joined by about 15,000 journalists and media operatives from around the globe, each attempting to scrutinise every nuance of the proceedings, from back-room buzz to the dozens of speeches promoting the planks of the Republican platform and demonising those of the Democratic’s.
How to make sense of it all? Visual.ly helps:
click image above or here for larger version
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As we brace for the deluge of red, white, and blue balloons, we might recall that it was on this date in 1922 that the first broadcast commercial aired, on AT&T’s radio station WEAF in New York. (It wasn’t until the 60s that political advertising, on radio but especially television began meaningfully to grow; that d=said, there’s no end to that growth in sight…)
Announcer Helen Hahn in the WEAF studio, New York, 1922.
Greasepaint and Brine…
The legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David once stated that “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.”
I beg to differ.
What the world needs– nay, rightfully deserves– are 1950s advertising photos of clowns eating pickle products.
More, at Armagideon Time’s “Greasepaint and Brine.”
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As we tickle our tastebuds, we might recall that it was on this date in 1057, at the Battle of Lumphanan, that King Macbeth of Scotland was slain by Malcolm Canmore– whose father, King Duncan I, was murdered by Macbeth 17 years earlier.
(Shakespeare’s MacBeth is based on Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, which in turn borrows from Boece’s 1527 Scotorum Historiae– which was crafted to flatter Duncan, an ancestor of Boece’s patron, King James V of Scotland. Accounts now considered more historically-accurate– and fairer to MacBeth– can be found in the novels of Dorothy Dunnett and Nigel Tranter… though of course the Bard’s tale is still the rippingest.)
Imagined 19th century portrait of Macbeth
If not “logophilia”…
… which of course means “love of words,” then what does one call “love of logos”?
Whatever, James I. Bowie, Ph.D., of Northern Arizona University’s department of sociology, has it. As Imprint reports, He has just launched Emblemetric, a website that discusses his research into the trends in logos. From its About page: “Emblemetric reports on trends in logo design, using quantitative analysis of data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.”
Consider, for example, his consideration of verdant varieties…
“Leaf” logos filed for trademark registration in 2011
One of the most prominent trends in logo design in recent years has been the proliferation of leaves as design elements. As companies have attempted to adopt images that reflect our society’s increasing concern for the environment, the leaf has become visual shorthand for eco-friendliness.
Percentage of new logos containing leaves
Read the rest of Bowie’s analysis– “Dying Leaves?“– and poke around Emblemetric.
Then, take the opportunity presented on Flickr by est_default to consider how the commercial world would look if every logo was rendered in the courier typeface.
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As we burnish our brands, we might recall that it was on this date in 1982 that “Mr. Las Vegas,” Wayne Newton, attended a White House Dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. When asked as he entered why he had been included on the guest list, The Midnight Idol responded, “I’m an American Indian. I guess that’s a connection.”
The baddest ad…
Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority publishes an annual list of the broadcast commercials that generated the most complaints. The Guardian recounts this year’s “winners”… but reminds readers that none of them came close to achieving the opprobrium earned by the most complained-about ad of all time, this 2005 KFC spot:
And while we’re on the subject… ”one in eight American workers has been employed by McDonalds,” and 25 other interesting fast food facts.
[TotH to Next Draft]
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As we supersize that, we might note the proprietary of the fact that this is the feast date of St. Justin Martyr… (the patron saint of apologists and speakers).
