In this week’s post, we’ll navigate the 20th century through 9 motorcycle adverts to help us understand the evolution of print advertising -from the early-century, text-based classic inserts, through the avant-garde influences in graphic design and the groovy 60s creative revolution to the powerful taglines of the 90s- and how it contributed to shaping the motorcycle imagery of each decade.
Just like the film industry, advertising loves archetypes –creating them, overdoing them, playing with them or even disrupting them. Cultural constructions around the act of riding a motorcycle, though fluctuating and more open over time, have always been closely linked to an immense sense of freedom, adventure and hedonism. Alongside the likes of Monet & Goyon, Harley-Davidson, Triumph or Kawasaki, what follows is a brief look to how brands have been able to portray those concepts and how advertising gets to find its own language and rules to appeal to the target audiences in a way that is more emotional than logical.
Turn of the century and the 10s
Through the first decade of the 20th Century some of the big names in bicycle manufacturing switched industries to become the iconic motorcycle brands they are to this date, such as Triumph. The idea of the being modern was hugely tied to technology, and advertising-wise, that was key to sell these state-of-the-art vehicles, as we can see in some motorcycle posters of the time. Note that the industry rose to new heights during WWI, which made some huge improvements possible.
The 20s
In the midst of artistic effervescence and unstoppable industrialization, advertising saw itself highly influenced by avant-garde movements like Futurism, Dada or Russian Constructivism, among many others that arose during those socially convulsive years. Art Deco had also been inspirational for some time, which was palpable not only in architecture, interior or graphic design, but also in cultural terms. Having a product that was synonymous of speed, freedom and, all in all, modernity, there’s no wonder why most motorcycle brands were inclined to join the on-trend aesthetics for over two solid decades (20’s & 30’s).
The 30s
In the midst of artistic effervescence and unstoppable industrialization, advertising saw itself highly influenced by avant-garde movements like Futurism, Dada or Russian Constructivism, among many others that arose during those socially convulsive years. Art Deco had also been inspirational for some time, which was palpable not only in architecture, interior or graphic design, but also in cultural terms. Having a product that was synonymous of speed, freedom and, all in all, modernity, there’s no wonder why most motorcycle brands were inclined to join the on-trend aesthetics for over two solid decades (20’s & 30’s).
The 40s
While most posters had been image-based and heavily informed by art movements, we see a major shift towards idealistic “slice-of-life” illustrations accompanied by clever copywriting emphasizing the benefits of using the advertised product. That’s the case for Norton, Harley-Davidson or Triumph, for instance.
The 50s
New forms of media arose, yet posters and other print media kept playing a big role as advertising formats in the early 50s. Motorcycle brands in the US aimed at capturing an ever-optimistic lifestyle, distinctive of the American way life.
The 60s
As revolutionary as they were, the mid and late 60s brought new perspectives from a young generation that had no time for conventions. That mindset took over the advertising world as well, and shaped the way printed campaigns were created. BMW’s “Happy for a lifetime” is an incredible example of that refreshing, smart and witty style.
The 70s
Motorcycle brands in the 70s took a more daring approach to advertising, presenting their products alongside beautiful women and big, flashy copywriting. As consumers were constantly exposed to advertisements in all forms, standing out among the crowd was no easy thing.
The 80s
Eye-catching images with strong headlines remained on trend during the 80s. Testimonial advertising seemed to become more and more established as an evidence of a product’s superiority in some way, as seen in ads from Kawasaki, for instance.
The 90s
The emotional benefits of riding a motorcycle were still essential to advertisers in the 90s. What the motorcycle and automotive industry saw from that decade on was an increased need to connect with their target audience in a more intimate and relevant way, as consumers as a whole increasingly felt advertising was, on the contrary, something to avoid. While still important, print media and TV had to keep up with the Internet, which would disrupt not only advertising, but also communication at all levels.
