At S2F, we regularly hold light-hearted team meetings where we all research a marketing topic and then discuss our findings. At the moment we are looking at marketing through the ages, and we begin by discussing marketing in the 1950s! So, join us in our time machines as we visit the era characterised by celebrity endorsements, print advertising dominance, and the very first examples of television advertising!
Sam kicked off the discussion with a conversation of the main themes of marketing in the 1950s, among which was the inclusion of a lot of copy in advertising, with the aim of getting as many points in as possible in the space. This is an interesting contrast to more modern advertising where the design is arguably more important.
Matt focused on iconic images from 50s advertising – all from different cigarette brands! Back when doctors recommended smoking and tobacco companies ruled the day, they came up with some clever advertisements, including a lot of celebrity endorsement to help stand out from competitors when the product is so similar. Comparing to today, this is like an influencer recommending products!
Harry noted that the marketers of the 1950s had a clearly defined audience, typically targeting males 18-50, as women had much less spending power and independence at this time. He used the example of Brylcreem as a brand the flourished at the time but failed to adapt and is now seen as old fashioned.
Kiren spoke of her appreciation for manual design, as seen in the Life Savers branding, with illustration being the skill that was most needed in the graphic designers of the day.
Shawn focused on Dunkin Donuts and how it was iconic of the American 50s in its design elements, like its font, drawing you in when you spot the sign from the road. Shawn mentioned how they have managed to stay relevant and now have over 11,000 stores and have shortened their name to Dunkin’.
Leigh spoke about the origins of the iconic British Rail posters depicting different parts of the country and how it was in an era when all graphic design was done by hand – a stark contrast to today. Have we lost something along the way?
Luke focused on Cadillac, an iconic American brand of the 50s. He spoke about how print advertising was more eloquent and emphasised quality over features. The Cadillac brand has only seen minor logo revisions to modernise, but is still very similar to the logo used back then.
Cam focused on the controversial aspects of advertising in the 1950s, such as promoting cigarettes as healthy, rampant sexism and the social differences that mean most of these adverts would never be allowed to air today.
Jo spoke about Heinz and their iconic branding. The logo and shape have never changed, standing the test of time. They targeted their products at women in the household, with the message they could save time and money by buying premade food from Heinz.
Warren spoke about Pizza Hut, and how they eventually incorporated the style of their buildings into the logo, creating an instantly recognisable design that has stood the test of time. Beforehand though, their logo from 1958 was a bit more straightforward. Satitia ended the discussion with a similar opinion on McDonalds and the red and yellow that is still used successfully to this day.
All of us at S2F enjoyed researching 1950s marketing and seeing how it has changed as society has evolved. We looked eagerly ahead to the marketing of the 1960s coming soon!
Check back soon for our upcoming blog as we travel through the decades!
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