The world of advertising at the service of car manufacturers has always, over the years, been at its best.Below is a series of iconic advertisements published between the early 1900s and the 1970s.
The first car advertisement to have hit the headlines was the one associated with the launch of the Ford Model T, one of the first mass-market successes in the automotive world. In 1908, when the Model T was introduced to the market, the Ford Motor Company used a variety of advertising media to promote the vehicle, the best known method being the use of ads printed in newspapers of the time.The advertisement for the Ford Model T featured a large picture of the vehicle, accompanied by a description of its features. The phrase that Mr. Ford conceived for this vehicle went down in history: "Any customer can have a car (Ford T) painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black", this because the Model T was initially only available in one colour. This campaign helped make the Model T one of the first 'popular cars' and launched the era of mass motoring in the United States.
Years passed and advertisers had to do more and more to make the product stand out.So we come to 1950s Chevrolet and talk about the Bel Air model.In addition to comfort, the advertisement also emphasises the car's technological innovations and attention to detail in its design.It is important to note that up to this point, almost all car advertisements had a positive tone and reflected the optimism and prosperity of the post-war era.
For something different, one has to leap further back to the 1960swith Volkswagen thundering 'Think Small' for its VW Beetle, a campaign that became famous as one of the most revolutionary in the history of advertising.In this case, the German manufacturer made self-mockery its Trojan horse, focusing on the "flaw" to promote what is to all intents and purposes a small car, challenging the traditional idea that every car had to be powerful and large to meet the needs of the masses.Has anyone seen Mad Men? If so, you will certainly remember the intern who appears before the fearsome Don Draper with a portfolio chock full of claims copied from it.Let's stick to Volkswagen again with the Beetle model.Volkswagen 'Lemon' (1960): again, the advertisement became legendary for using humour and self-criticism to promote the model's pros, calling it 'a lemon'. This bold approach, which would continue into the 1970s, captured the attention of the target audience and helped to build and consolidate Volkswagen's reputation and reliability over time.
Other car manufacturers certainly did not stand by and watch.Ford Mustang 'Pony Car' (1964): The launch of the Ford Mustang was supported by an advertising campaign that helped define the 'pony car' category. The Mustang was presented as a young and accessible car, becoming an icon of the American Dream.The following year at Ford, again for the Mustang model came the "Mustang Sally" campaign (1965): here the song of the same name, "Mustang Sally" precisely, was used to promote the car, focusing strongly on freedom and fun.
How about in Italy?Here in the 1960s, the decision was made to focus on mass culture.The film Il sorpasso inspired the creators of the Fiat 500 campaign, which, by capturing the spirit of youth and freedom of the time, helped promote the popularity of the iconic car par excellence.Similarly but with a different feel, Lancia made a series of commercials inspired by the film La dolce vita to communicate its models as a symbol of elegance and style.
Fast forward to the 1970s, when copywriters Campbell Ewald and James Hartzell composed iconic jingles for Chevrolet.Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet in 1974 openly declared what are in effect the cornerstones of Yankee culture, thus consecrating the brand to national pride.
Fast forward to the 1970s, when copywriters Campbell Ewald and James Hartzell composed iconic jingles for Chevrolet.Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet in 1974 openly declared what are in effect the cornerstones of Yankee culture, thus consecrating the brand to national pride.
At Chrysler they focus on just two words: "Hey, Charger!"So they remain in the collective memory with a series of TV commercials that focus on making people smile and on the fact that the Dodge Charger is a fun car to drive.
The goal of advertisers is to make a product recognisable and memorable, and sometimes it happens that the advertisement itself becomes so thanks to a brilliant (or very simple, depending on your point of view) idea or slogan.Now we ask you. Which is your favourite?
