60s ads illustration

Last week's series on the Blue Book artists certainly prompted an abundance of comments. That pleases me greatly, since your participation makes putting this blog together all the more rewarding. The broad-ranging discussion involved some challenging opinions about the merit of developing a 'signature' style vs being adaptable to changing trends. Some people felt that adapting elements of style or technique made popular by other illustrators was synonymous with "aping" that artist's style…

Though McDonald's successfully drilled "bah-da-bum-bah-bah" into your head ages ago, the chain has tried on a ton of catchphrases since its launch in 1955. We rounded up some of Mickey D's most memorable campaigns right here in this handy list to give you a taste of the resto's storied advertising history. Check out the roster below, and try your best not to get creeped out by their '80s moonman.

"I’ve watched the popularity of fashion illustration wax and wane. But I’m happy to say – and this book bears me out – that it never goes away; it just keeps coming back, like a familiar melody." ~ Carmen Dell’Orefice, from the introduction to David Downton's 2010 book, "Masters of Fashion Illustration" For quite some time now, I've been wanting to devote a week on Today's Inspiration to fashion illustration of the mid-20th century. Not because I have all sorts wisdom to share on the subject…

On a hot summer morning on August 6, some 67 years ago, the first Atomic Bomb blasted over Hiroshima ushering us into the Atomic Age. In that great American tradition of forgive and forget, only te…

Vintage retro poster, woman on a moped. Advertising poster 50s, 60s, coffee sale. Grunge poster. AI Generated, Generated, #ad, #AI, #Grunge, #Ad

Being a naturally curly girl, I have never had to fuss with hair rollers -- then again how many modern girls do? This "Mad Mad Modes for Moderns" spread from Young Love #60 (March/April 1960) with art by Jay Scott Pike gives a few tutorials for some kicky 'dos!

The 40s, 50s and 60s were days of homes with white picket fences and happy families with 2.4 kids. But it was a disturbing world by many of today's standards, as we see in the ads of those days.