After winning World War II, the American economy experienced an unprecedented boom in the 50s and 60s. A consumer culture emerged that gradually established itself in the entire western world. The illustrated book “Mid-Century Ads”, published by Taschen Verlag, takes the reader on a journey to a time when more and more goods were affordable for the general public and the best advertising agencies in the country helped to make these products palatable. Looking back is not only interesting for aesthetic reasons. It clearly shows which modes of thinking and social conditions prevailed in this epoch. While sexism is still a problem in advertising, the shamelessness with which women were portrayed in the post-war decades immediately catches the eye of today’s viewer.
The illustrated book “Mid-Century Ads” by Jim Heimann has been published by Taschen Verlag. It has 720 pages and costs 14.99 euros.