Graphic Design Through the Decades Series: The ’70s
As a child of the 1970s, I recall growing up with bright, clashing colors and balloony words. It was like the ’60s kept all the serif fonts to themselves and left the next decade with rounded typography.
While psychedelic rock-concert posters carried into the 1970s, that decade also saw an evolution in advertising, with more people’s up-close faces declaring their devotion to a product. Cartoons and drawings were left to make-believe animals – the starkly drawn housewives of the ’50s were replaced with perky human beings.
While the 1970s are often derided for their bell bottoms and disco, the graphic design got to be experimental, playing around with different styles. And I will forever defend that intro to “Soul Train.”
Be sure to check out our 50′s, 60′s posts in the Graphic Design Through the Decades Series.
Milton Glaser’s iconic tourism-campaign symbol debuted in 1973.
TV Radio Mirror, July 1972.
1972 advertisement in Ebony magazine.
Examples of fonts from Rolling Stone magazine in the mid-’70s.
A 1977 Craig Stereo ad.
Fruit Stripe gum ad.
Pepsi has changed its logo numerous times since 1898. This is the 1973 version.
From a mid-’70s edition of the book “World of Logotypes.”
Skiing poster by E. Mariani for La Rinascente, 1974.
Czechoslovakian matchbox label from 1970.
“Grease” movie poster from 1978.
Apple’s original logo in 1976.
Pornographic-movie poster from 1972.
Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers’ “Bongos Over Balham” album
From 1974 designed by Barney Bubbles.
“Design for the Real World,” published in 1973.
Montreal ’76 Olympics posters.
Chicago’s “Chicago X” album
Winner of the 1977 Grammy for Best Recording Package Design.
Creepy 1971 ad translates to “Kodak Instamatic: always on the mark.”
Paul Rand’s striped IBM logo replaced the solid design in 1972.
It’s not a ’70s compilation without Farrah Fawcett.
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It’s a great historical perspective on graphic design. Snapshots of eras gone by, but recaptured in various styles.
I hadn’t seen that article — thanks for sharing!
Did you see the issue of Print Magazine that was edited by the National Lampoon – more info here: http://www.designobserver.com/observatory/entry.html?entry=1507 it was a great take on the graphic design of the 1970s!
and more here: http://www.printmag.com/Article/If-You-Dont-Read-This-Ill-Kill-The-Dog#axzz113QZHnKX
Love the Chicago X album design!!!simple yet powerful.
You’re welcome, Tom — that one is my favorite, too!
The Ray Charles poster is brilliant, thanks for sharing.
Pepsi logo brings back good memories!
Logos that are not exchanged worth more, and 38 years for IBM is pretty much and I do not think it will change soon.
Really insightful to see how graphic design has advanced over the years, and how print developed.
Really interesting to see how graphic design has advanced over the past forty years, but also to see which designs have survived and still are as strong today.
A recap from past took me to a dreamworld. Really enjoyed to see the banner, poster and graphic style that took part in early 1970 and around. These are good example to view before starting a graphic project by graphic designer.
Graphic design is like fashion in the way that all these styles from the past, keep coming back but are transformed in most cases to suit the modern world. The Pepsi logo has always been a favourite of mine, until they brought out their latest version. The book, ‘Design for the real World’ really stood out as that is a typographic technique used over and over today.