Tuesday, August 19, 2008

"Logic and advertising... never equal disciplines."

This week the CAWS will revisit our 'lady of steel' hostess....appropriately attired, as always, for field, farm, factory, or shipping dock in blouse, skirt, and high heels!


Amusing maybe....but today's ads can be even crazier. Logic and advertising were never equal disciplines.


In the 50's and 60's I illustrated at least two dozen B&W US Steel ads....and that times four B&W individual spots totals a lot of illustration from one client. Many were hurried by deadlines, and not very good. But....considering the complexity of many of the subjects, some still hold up pretty well.


The three below were done before our hostess appeared. Some were printed as a mailer or brochure on quality paper. Others have been scanned from newsprint clips and show their age. Leif asked for a 'heads up' when I posed (usually a Polaroid shot) on ads. The first and last of these qualify. Of course, I always improved the model!


It will be interesting to see if these, and other ads, are too repetitive.


Roughly a dozen large corporations or companies provided most of the lllustration work in San Francisco.


Themes and assignments, such as these ads, were repetitive. To the illustrator, however, each was a new challenge and a new subject....hopefully, still of some interest!

*Take a closer look at the details in these illustrations by clicking the "All Sizes" tab above each image in Charlie Allen's Flickr set.

4 comments:

Jeff Jackson said...

Hi Charlie, thank you for posting your illustration work, it's wonderful. Your talent and skill are inspiring, it's always a treat to see what you post next.
It's great to know that we both are from Fresno, Keep on posting.
Jeff

chuck pyle said...

Charlie, I used to look over Jim Sanford's shoulder at your stuff and MARVEL at how good it was, and so did Jim. This again proves the point! Make the mundane extraordinary.

Anonymous said...

Logic and advertising...
Really very unequal partners! As you wisely say.

Your "Lady of Steel" was truly a multi-purpose weapon.;-)

The "logic" of nowaday's advertising surpasseth all understanding.

It's the brands! I even have to pay a surcharge nowadays for a brand marked t-shirt or a shoe, which sets me going stigmatized as a walking advertisement-pillar.

Instead of them offering me some money for my willingness to walk around as a bull with a branded shirt-advertisement, or at least offering me a discount for being such a walking advertiser, I've got to pay a surcharge....

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