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Tag: Plymouth

Jan82013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Ads from the Open Road, Volume 1

Ads from the Open Road, Volume 1

Retrotisements
I don't really pay much attention to billboard advertisements while I'm driving, unless it's something fairly snappy or unique. And as much as I'd like to romanticize old billboard ads, I think the medium as a whole has been fairly bereft of great ideas. And if you think about it, it makes sense. You're only going to see a billboard ad clearly for what, four or five seconds? So it's all about economy of ideas and design. Anything too complicated and you either lose a driver's interest or cause a 20-car pileup. Neither is good for business. I'm not holding this group of classic billboard ads up as the best ever, but I think you'll enjoy them nonetheless. These are all courtesy the Duke University Libraries Digital Collections advertising series. I can't decide which part of...
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Aug212012 by Chris Holmes4 Comments
Retrotisements — 1958 Plymouth New Car Lineup

Retrotisements — 1958 Plymouth New Car Lineup

Featured Posts, Retrotisements
Print advertisements, brochures, and TV commercials help give us a glimpse into the automotive past. Today’s ad collection shines a spotlight on the 1958 Plymouth domestic American car lineup, which featured three main models — the Plaza, Savoy, Fury, and Belvedere -- as well as the Suburban station wagon. The full-size Belvedere, introduced in 1954, was in its third generation for '58, and was available as a 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, 2-door Club Sedan, and convertible. It was demoted from the top of the Plymouth line in 1956 to make room for the Fury. The Savoy, also in its fifth year of production, was Plymouth's mid-line priced vehicle. Three trims were available in 1958 -- 2-door and 4-door hardtop, and a 4-door sedan. And then there's the Plaza, which was the entry-level mod
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May312011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment
Retrotisements — Classic Ads from Car Companies of the Past

Retrotisements — Classic Ads from Car Companies of the Past

Featured Posts, Retrotisements
The list of car makes and manufacturers no longer with us is a long one indeed. And seemingly growing all the time. Here's the first of many looks back at the cars of yesteryear -- Retrotisement style! Oldsmobile (1897 -- 2004) The Six (1934) 1960 sedan 1966 Vista Cruiser (familiar to fans of That '70s Show) DeSoto (1928 -- 1961) 1937 convertible sedan 1956 Fireflite sedan Hudson (1909 -- 1957) 1940 Six Touring Sedan 1955 Hornet Hollywood coupe Plymouth (1928 -- 2001) 1929 coupe 1967 Barracuda 1989 Voyager minivan Maxwell (1904 -- 1925) 1922 sedan 1925 sedan Related articles A Man Built a Car from 1906 Using Google Books [Google] (gizmodo.com)
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Jan72011 by Chris Holmes2 Comments
The ’30s and ’40s in living color, Part 2

The ’30s and ’40s in living color, Part 2

Ephemera, History
November 2009 seems like ancient history to me, but that's when I published part one of my look at some of the most interesting color photos from the 1930s and 1940s (as presented on Flickr by the Library of Congress).  I love looking at pictures like these because even with the most mundane subjects, seeing them in color brings them to life in a way we never could before (unless you were there I guess). These photos were all taken between 1939 and 1944 by the United States Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI).  Just click on a photo to see a larger version. (Part 1 can be seen here.) Even in the '40s no road sign was safe from the scourge of graffiti.  Although as one astute person pointed out, the markings on that railroad sign c
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Mar262007 by Chris Holmes12 Comments
No-Go Logos

No-Go Logos

Advertising
I've always considered myself an armchair graphic designer, particularly when it comes to logos. A logo is a really easy and effective way to convey an image about your business/club/whatever. And while I'm all for modern styling, logos are one area where I'm old-fashioned. Too often, companies will update their logo for seemingly no good reason, and it's usually for the worse. So let's take a look at a sampling of logos and emblems, both old and new, and see if my stodgy views are justified. Burger King The original BK logo was simple, yet effective. A nice, quirky little font and the bun halves got the point across. Not as iconic as the golden arches, but still good. The font on the logo was made blander in 1994, then five years later BK unveiled a SLAMMIN' new look: Yeah...
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