1970's food ads/logos

For my next entry, I will be discussing 1970's food ads/logos.

The first item appears to be a flier - probably aggressively circulated on cheap paper - for a restaurant called Hamburgers By Gourmet, based on the relatively simple design and the fact that it is in black and white.  Before I examine the use of type in this advertisement, I just wanted to comment that I LOVE the illustration.  In spite of the disadvantage of being in black and white (historically not the most effective way of making food look appealing) there is a wonderful, slightly exaggerated quality to the overflowing tall glass, and the thick, textural contour of the lines on the bun only enhances this sense of exaggeration.  The pickles are the most understated element because of their size, but the they possess the most amount of contrast and rhythm of perhaps all the elements.  There is a distinct sense of fun in this larger-than-life quality.

Now, the type is just as unusual and interesting.  The header "Wash it Down at" uses a condensed Bauahaus, so that the letters connect into one smooth, continuous form.  Considering that one would typically associate Bauhaus with art deco, early modernism, or the period of the 1930's/1940's in general, this seems like an unusual selection.  However, in researching the typeface, I found that while its origins can be traced to 1925, this was in the form of a different typeface designed by Herbert Bayer called Universal.

In fact, Bauhaus as we know it was only first revived and experimented with in 1969, by Joe Taylor for Fotostar.  It was called Blippo.  In 1970, Herb Lubalin designed another variation called ITC Ronda.  Then in 1975, Edward Benquiat and Victor Caruso designed ITC Bauhaus - the one that appears in this flier.  With the timing of this revival centered between the end of the 60's and the mid-70's, it is therefore not surprising at all to see this typeface appear in this ad, as it was evidently in circulation.

The next part, "HAMBURGERS BY" is a plain san serif, and merely serves the purpose of transitioning from the headline to the word "Gourmet" without drawing attention away from either.  "Gourmet" is the artists' own decorative typeface, designed specifically to be in the shape of a hamburger bun.  The high-contrast letterforms, with fat terminals blanking the word, fancifully emphasize the experience of a fat, juicy hamburger.  Without exception, I consider this a wonderful and entertaining ad.

Next up, we have a tastee-freez ad for a pineapple sundae.  tastee-freez is a soft-serve ice cream and fast food chain, similar to an A & W or Dairy Queen, that was started in 1950.  So the typeface that appears on the sundae cup in this ad is a slightly refined version of tastee-freez's own custom typeface dating back to 1950, and is therefore not relevant to this discussion.

The "pineapple" header is of the greatest interest to me.  It appears to be a slightly compressed slab serif.  I find the typeface selection interesting, as slab serif is more commonly associated with industry.  Yet I feel like this is not the first time I've seen it used in this context.  The letters have been placed close together, emphasizing the compressed effect, and set unevenly to give the letters rhythm, and impart a lively quality to the word.  The selection of green is an obvious choice for the letters, and they stand out energetically from the light green background.  A rhythmic counterpoint is found in the highly textural green leaves and banded, waving yellow trunks of the palm trees below.

I will also note that in advertisements, I'm beginning to observe secondary or low priority copy receives the san serif treatment, so as to not draw attention away from more important elements, as is the case here with "SUNDAE" and "Tantalizingly Tropical."

When I was growing up in Virginia, if you wanted a tasty treat of syrup and slush, you went to 7 Eleven and got yourself a Slurpee.  When I moved to Minnesota, I learned that if I wanted to continue that experience, I was going to have to accept the SLUSH PUPPIE at Apache Mall as my new master.  Publicly I swore an oath of loyalty to this cute northern dictator of sweetened ice, but every time my family and I went back to Virginia I immediately went to 7 Eleven and got myself a Slurpee.  What does this have to do with typography? Absolutely nothing.  But it does introduce my last item, the SLUSH PUPPIE logo.

SLUSH PUPPIE's origins date back to 1970, which is about when this logo was designed.  The SLUSH PUPPIE mascot, center, is a very simple and appealing design which knows its target audience (kids) and  conveys the message "cold treat" efficiently.  The typeface used for "SLUSH PUPPIE" is somewhat similar to Cooper, with its fat, rounded serifs and easygoing, medium-contrast progression from stroke to stroke.  In researching 70's and 80's ads, I have also spotted it numerous times in toy advertising and packaging, making it clear that this typeface was a popular choice to market to a kid audience.  Last, I will note the use of color and asymmetrical balance in this composition.  The mascot uses four different shades of blue, which fill about half of the design.  Only its tongue is a different color - red.  Connecting it to the brand, SLUSH PUPPIE, is the application of the same color.  Not only does red establish a relationship between the mascot's tongue and the brand, but being paired with blue, these two elements - the tongue and the brand - advance in space.  Lastly, the asymmetrical balance of "SLUSH" and "PUPPY" add a simple, dynamic appeal to the design.

introduction, and first topic: 70's computer ads

I hope that a title like 70's/80's Type Miscellania doesn't generate too much in the way expectations.  From my point of view, it certainly shouldn't - after all, do you REALLY know what I'm talking about? Do I?

I selected 70's/80's Type Miscellania out of a broader interest in 70's and 80's design.  Part of my research for this blog will be in film and tv titles - the more obscure and unusual the better. But in particular, I am interested in the small, lost things: the retired logos, product package design logotypes, and forgotten once-off's such as limited edition collector's cups and even stickers.  To put it more directly, I am interested in the general design trends of these two periods, but also in design at its least glamorous, most unique, and possibly most misguided. How type-based design solutions relate to content should also be examined.

It will be my goal over the course of this blog to attempt to define - however loosely - these general design conventions so that I may then examine how an individual design connects to them, and the personal touch with which it expresses the concept it is marketing.  As design conventions can be very broad and far-reaching, this second goal may be impossible without research far in excess of the reach of this short blog.  We'll see!

It is also my hope there will be plenty of opportunities to discuss type in relation to the rest of the design as well (as the "rest" part, honestly, interests me far more - sorry, type-fiends!)

So to dispense with the talk-talk and pacify with some fascinating images of musty but still-fresh retro design...Why not start with vintage computer ads?

One has to consider that there was once a time when a market for personal computers did not exist. The market for personal computers rumbled into being practically overnight in the late 70's, introducing numerous problems for advertisers: how to market a new, untested product to consumers, and how to distinguish your product from others.

The obvious solution to the first problem was to create copy-heavy ads, in which the various features are given the hard sell.  However, this environment conversely created the circumstances in which these new devices could be sold as "magic boxes."  I think both these approaches are evident in APF electronics' "Imagination Machine." (LOVE the name!) The advertisement features a large, somewhat long sub-head with extensive body copy, while in the space above the computer whooshes through space like a starship, heralded by the header "The Imagination Machine."

Note the rainbow color of the type (signifying its magical, feature-packed properties) and the distinctive long, lyrical, round curls emerging from the pleasingly curved san-serif letterforms.  This logotype sells the idea of "The Imagination Machine" as a thoroughly whimsical, somewhat fruity experience.

Next (and admittedly much less entertaining) we have sinclair's (note my deliberate use of all-lowercase, in imitation of their own logotype) ZX8O.  I love the design on this thing - the orange ZX8O text with the purple keys set against a black keypad - but I only have two things to talk about here: the header "The first personal computer for under $200" uses a distinctly modern typeface - a very practical one to reach out to consumers with - but with the "sinclair" logo and product name uses a very compressed, squarish font that emphasizes horizontal movement.

This is not unlike a lot of typefaces used in association with computers at the time, and suggested both the "futuristic" quality of this new technology, as well as alluded to the unique look of fonts on computer screens due to the limited, low-resolution manner in which they were displayed.  Returning to the all-lowercase presentation of the logo, the small "s" puts the top bar in alignment with that of the n, c, a, and r, thus enhancing its horizontal thrust.  Great logo!