April 4, 2012 - Evolution of Automobile Advertising (Part 1)

Today we'll be looking at the difference between car commercials in the 1950s, in the 1960s, and in the 1970s.
And just for fun, we'll be looking at how Mercury has updated with the times to advertise to what people really want.

1950s

In the 1950s, people wanted "miles and miles of smooth riding comfort," and "lounge-rest foam-rubber seat cushions" and they really wanted "Merco-therm ventilating" (whatever that means).It's evident that people were looking for a car that did everything it was supposed to. It should be the latest technology in comfort and providing a smooth ride. They wanted their ride to be "Better in Economy."

Another interesting is the shots of the car itself. In this TV spot, every image of the car seems very clinical and precise. It's nothing too fancy, just showing an all-around car that's "Better than ever in every way."

1960s

Turn your volume up for this one. It's very quiet.

"We couldn't make comet much tougher, so we made it more beautiful." What a perfect line to ring in the 60s with. This was the period when cars started to become fetishized. Notice how the camera slowly spins around the car while the announcer talks in a hushed, quieted voice. It's almost sensual!

"More graceful proportions" Ooh!
"Four-speed stick, bucket seats" Aah!
"Warm walnut coloring of its dashboard" Oh my!

While the Mercury Comet still claims to be a durability champion, people are not buying it for its reliabilty. In the 1960s, they bought it to look good.


1970s

Remember to turn your volume back down.

It's the 70s now, and Mercury doesn't even need to show you a car for the first 30 seconds. It's all cats, helicopters, and weird metallic containers. The fetish object of the 60s has become a full-on lifestyle choice. Sure, it's still got those "glove-soft bucket seats" and "instruments embedded in rich vinyl," but that's definitely not what people care about. How can you pay attention to those things when there's a woman petting a live cougar in your backseat?

And that's what this car symbolizes. If you drive a cougar, you're as wild as a wildcat and can attract Farrah Fawcett-type women. There's no more talk of economy or "Merco-therm ventilating" (that term still confuses me.), and the innuendo of the 60s is replaced by in-your-face soft selling. They really started selling the benefits rather than just the features or attributes.

The next blog post will cover the 80s, 90s, and 00s years of automobile advertising where things get sillier, sexier, and subtler. (Not necessarily in that order.)