News

It is Throwback Thursday at TSWUS, and we are highlighting a vintage Virginia Slims ad in honor of our Womens Network Series Spring Session today. While attitudes about smoking have changed dramatically, these ads still resonate. In a large part, this series is about everything but the product. Embracing the idea that glass ceilings no longer exist for women, (especially at TSW) is embodied in …

Its Throwback Thursday here at The Specialist Works US and this weeks ad shows a Dairy Queen ad from 1956. Talk about a super sweet Sweet 16! This ad beautifully uses white space and well-illustrated pictures to welcome all Dairy Queens customers to their 16th birthday celebration. This ad uses a fantastic method of making the consumer feel a part of the company.The first Dairy Queen logo was …

As Thanksgiving approaches, we look at calendars, set travel schedules and play endless phone tag in preparation for the big family feast. Once we arrive there is endless cook, clean, repeat until the feast of the year is laid out before the clan. Thanks is said, and an eating frenzy ensues.Can you imagine setting the table with these little beauties instead? A few minutes in the oven and …

With Halloween coming up this month, we've got a number of spook-tastic content lined up for Throwback Thursday here at The Specialist Works US.Wit usually comes from the combination of two pieces of information that don't immediately seem to be related. In this ad, Smirnoff uses the trend of drinking Bloody Marys in the spirit of Halloween to relate to their audience. Smirnoff also creates …

Today for throwback thursday,we are throwing way back. Were still sticking to the 60s, 1860s that is, with the birth of Alfons Maria Mucha,the father of Art Nouveau. Mucha had a tendency to use anything within the frame, including the frame itself, to decorate and bring attention to the main subject (which were usually pretty women in flowy drapey) and move the eye throughout the entire work. We …

div>It is throwback Thursday at the Specialist Works US and today we are bringing out the shades and sun lotion for one last weekend in the sun. Labor Day typically marks the beginning of the school year and the cultural end of summer. We tend to put a high priority on our work and not enough importance on leisure. Fortunately, Labor Day is finally here to remind us (and force some of us) to take …

It is Throwback Thursday at The Specialist Works US and today we are going for gold. We are proud to see that the American team is leading in the medal count at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, edging out China and Japan with 32 medals and 11 gold (but who's counting?). The Olympics are a global marketing phenomenon, with billions around the world tuning in to share in the spectacle. Nowadays …

It is Throwback Thursday at The Specialist Works US and today we are highlighting a classic American drink: Dr. Pepper. As a soda that has traditionally always thrived on its unique flavor, the Dr. Pepper bottle is displayed proudly for the world to see. The man attributes his wide array of accomplishments to the fizzy drink, and the copy urges the reader to try Dr. Pepper for themselves …

It is Throwback Thursday at The Specialist Works US and today are highlighting effeminate rebellion in the 60s. The somber yellow and light pink in this ad for Helena Rubinstein’s line of Wild Western lipsticks simulates a wanted poster, in which the wearer is notoriously immortalized. The woman smiles with a quiet confidence, as if she knows something that you don’t. She is wise and …

We thought we would follow up our The Specialist Works US launch cocktail party with a vintage cocktail party themed ad. This ad for Seagram's VO is a great example of a classic advertising deployment, the use of snobbery to sell product. While elitism in real life is a turn off, it sees to be a consistent device in ad campaigns. Is that because we are all secretly pressed to the glass looking …

It is Throwback Thursday at The Specialist Works US and today we have selected a 1960s ad for United Airlines (featuring New Orleans) to highlight. Interesting in its bold graphics and colors, we love the presentation. In looking at the ad though, we have to ask ourselves if focusing on the destination rather than the service you are selling the right call for the advertiser. Destination …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we are happy to say we are highlighting a Gallo Wine ad from the 1960's in honor of a client meeting today in Napa, California.Rose wines are back in style. Light, palatable and perfect for a picnic, these chilled beauties were almost killed by their association to the infamous "White Zinfandel".How do you resurrect something that has become so …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we found this vintage Schlitz ad that completely captivated us. It could be the sandwich, but we think it is the idea of someone sneaking down for a late night snack and pouring a Schlitz to go with it that appeals. we know that when we sneak down tot he kitchen to make ourselves a sandwich, we always break out a tall chilled glass for our canned beer …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we thought we would highlight a breakthrough in technology. The electric typewriter. We saw this ad, and though immediatley that it was different. Why? Well, it does two things. It highlights new technology, but it also combines two mediums - photography and graphics. The graphics aren't only surrounding the photo, they are becoming part of it through …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and this week's ad shows the political environment bleeding over into advertising messaging. This 1970's ad focused on feminism highlights the tone of the times, but it also does something else. It encourages women to consider themselves scotch drinkers. When you add another 50% of the population into your target customer base, it can be a game changer …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we are in a Holiday mood. What says "Holiday" more than a bottle of gin? A bottle of gin in a holiday gift box. The idea of pre-wrapping a gift to give is pure marketing genius. Allowing last minute buyers to buy a holiday gift that comes wrapped and ready to hand over adds the convenience factor that harried shoppers desperately need. Packaging can …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and here is a classic offering from a different era in office parties.

What great imagery. We love the humor.

R.I.P Bow & Arrow Hunting . As part of our segment Tombstones for Media, we highlight popular media that are ceasing distribution. We offer replacement suggestions that target either the same demographic, or the same geographic footprint as the publication that is being buried. Bow & Arrow Hunting will cease publication for 2016. As a replacement option, we recommend: Eastmans …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and today we are highlighting a vintage ad for Reddi-Wip. You know it is old because it features Jell-o. We still love it! Plenty of white space, and a strong central image with red as the feature color makes this right up our alley. We can't help but think that the ad copy translates into today's lexicon as much dicier than it was intended in the 70's …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and in honor of Halloween, we thought we would highlight this vintage Monster Cereals ad. This one has Franken-Berry and Count Chocula. From 1976, this offer not only gives you a free iron on decal for your t-shirt so you can advertise the product for them, it also has a 10 cent coupon. Brilliant! They don't even have to pay for the t-shirt, just the …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and today we have brought back Madge. In this long running campaign for Palmolive dish-washing liquid there is no celebrity spokesperson. There is a created character. Similar to the Flo of Progressive ads of today, the advertising character becomes an icon through repeated viewing. The "everyday" character of these women makes them believable. They are …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and true to form, we are featuring a vintage print ad. We pick ads from the past that we rate as timeless or that are extremely timely to a period and no longer have relevance, but are very amusing. Today we are feeling timeless. Today, we selected one of our favorite celebrity endorsements to highlight. Sean Connery for Jim Beam. This ad hits on all …

In honor of Oktoberfest, we thought we would use Throwback Thursday to highlight some beer ads. This St. Pauli Girl ad is from 1990. Simple, but witty. Creating a woman out of the beer is brilliant, and allows the consumer to indulge in a romance with the product. Silly and cunning all at the same time. We love it. The fact that the art execution is also clean and well done is a fine by us too …

It is throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and today we are going to pick on one of our favorite classic brands, Converse. We love the ad copy headline, we love the heavy image, light copy layout. We think the ad overall is funny. But what is up with the black socks with bright blue shoes? And the white shoes with dark plaid pants? Odd that it is so close to great, and yet fails …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we are getting ready for the Labor Day weekend. We thought we would highlight a great American tradition - the Labor Day Picnic. In this 1966 print ad from Coca-Cola,the picnic is compacted into the 6 pack carrier for the bottles. Clever. The Americana, the picnic vibe and the product itself are all captured without a lifestyle scene. Simple and …

In honor of National Dog Day we thought we would highlight this 1970's Alpo ad in our Throwback Thursday post. This ad is a classic celebrity product endorsement all the way down to the signature at the bottom of the copy. We can't help but believe that the snazzy shirt collars helped push this product as well. Lorne Greene looks every bit the part of the dapper dog owner of the era. Happy …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we thought we would follow up or Orwell post of yesterday with a vintage Orson Welles ad for today. From 1972, this ad speaks to the political an cultural climate of the times. All things old were "stodgy". But if you are a brand with a proud heritage, how do you combat that? Celebrity endorsement combined with generational understanding - If you are …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we are in Back to School mode, so we thought we would highlight this 1978 ad for Cheerios cereal. The color is eye-catching, and reinforces the brand's merchandising. There is a just enough "white-space" which in this case is yellow, and the ad copy is minimal. The black on yellow family silhouette is a bold graphic that reinforces the wholesome …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we want to highlight this 1972 perfume ad from Chanel. It is so simple and elegant it could almost be from any era. In comparison to other ads of the period, it seems so subtle. That is the reserve that Chanel has employed so consistently to maintain brand integrity.

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and this week we are all about bats. We love this Bacardi Bat coaster as it carries on our theme. Coasters used to be a significant marketing tool, making their presence known in bars at "point of sale". We see them less and less these days and wonder if the glamour of other media have distracted advertisers from the basic premise - interact with your …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and this Jean Nate ad screams summer. You can almost feel the sunshine coming off the page. Of course you would want a refreshing tingling splash of Jean Nate to refresh you and keep you smelling great in the heat. The photograph of the product being poured to splash is cooling just looking at it. There is ad copy that no one will read past the headline …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and today we've pulled out a classic ad campaign for your entertainment. "Enjoli. The 8 hour perfume for the 24 hour woman." After all of these years, we can still sing the entire commercial and see an attractive blond swinging a frying pan In fact our offices have been filled with off-key renditions of it all day long. In this case the TV campaign does …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we decided to highlight one of our many vintage book jackets. It could well have been a feature of our Art Tuesday post, but we chose to shake things up for Thursday and carry on our Faulkner theme. Cover art for books is part of the sales packaging. Book jackets are functional, protecting the book, but they offer an opportunity to visually grab the …

This Throwback Thursday is all about Father's Day. That is Father's Day and Naugahyde. What Dad wouldn't want his old worn out chair reupholstered in Naugahyde? Especially a comfy recliner.

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and with all of the heat hitting the South, we couldn't resist focusing on keeping cool. Well, sort of. Here is a vintage ad for Maidenform Juniors that does a fabulous job of tying in the color scheme of the new product line with a food item to match, but we can't help feeling that the tie in of the underwear with the popsicles is a bit of a stretch for …

It is throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media! Our latest ad is for Timex. We love this ad for three reasons: 1. It conveys brand dominance in the market, 2. It has tremendous visual appeal, 3. I actually talks about the product and its benefits. Crazy concepts, and ones that people may want to try to employ in the modern era.

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media. Today we are highlighting one of the most iconic advertising images, the Marlboro Man. Cigarettes are a controversial product these days, but what is undisputed in these campaigns is that they have built a brand icon. The Marlboro Man is an image of the rugged outdoor type, a man's man. Campaigns are image heavy, with extremely limited copy. What …

“Any cowboy can carry a tune. The trouble comes when he tries to unload it.” – Old West Proverb

It is Wit & Wisdom Wednesday at Elarbee Media, and we are so excited to be once again in Texas! Cheers Cowboys!

It is Throwback Thursday again at Elarbee Media, and keeping on this week's theme of quotes we found a vintage 1960's ad from Heineken. We love the catch phrase "Grab a Heiney" and in this ad they even add the word cold and match the image to the edited phrase. LOVE it! 

It is humorous, memorable and really would work as well today as it did in the 1960's. 

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media. We happened across this vintage Hanes ad that we just love. A woman who reads books, a woman who wears glasses, a woman who is attractive and overtly sexual, and all of this is an ad to sell product to women. It is not demeaning, but it is SEXY. The imagery is superb, and the clean background allows the content to skim the body of the image to ad …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and this Smirnoff ad certainly is a throwback. Like last week's Wrangler Jeans ad, it pulls on the social-political scene of the time to structure the sales pitch. Imagine that your choice of vodka could actually change you outlook on life. While the bra-burning may seem funny to us now, the same ad concept of a product changing how you approach and …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and we thought this selection might both amuse, and spark debate. As one of the iconic brands, Wrangler has always been the cowboy in the tight jeans, hasn't it? Apparently not! Check out this 1970 ad where Wrangler goes psychedelic.How impactful is the popular culture on "Brand Departure"? Obviously to get a brand like Wrangler to shift gears, it is a …

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media. Here is a more recent throw back ad from Smirnoff Vodka circa 2000.
Why so modern you ask? This ad incorporates three of our favorite ad elements: Red, clean imagery and humor.

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and we are in a sunny mood. Check out this awesome ad for Coppertone. Although we think some of the youth-making claims are dubious, Coppertone still manages to tastefully employ the bikini clad model to convey the concept of warmth and sun.Color, and a clean central image make this ad a winner despite the content issues!

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and we found this great Campbell's ad that made us look twice. It is always interesting to see something so familiar used in a completely different way. It makes you want to go develop a cocktail recipe using Beef Broth, Yum!Any ideas? We'd love to hear them!

Its Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we really like hunting through some of the vintage ads to find things that make us laugh. This two page spread form Braniff Airlines has such great color, and motion, you almost forget the tag line, When advertising stops to make you look, then engages you when you read, you have a winning combo! It didn't save Braniff, but we still think it is great …

It's Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and we are paying homage to Julie Newmar (Catwoman for those of you who don't know!) 

We love this vintage Smirnoff ad, complete with a cowboy hat!  Why? It is image driven and clean, with limited distraction from what is being sold. 

Plus it is Julie Newmar in a cowboy hat!

Its Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media. This event oriented ad combines all of our favorite ad elements. Simple, clean lines, black white and RED! You can tell what they are selling, and even if you don;t speak French, it is pretty easy to figure it out. "Check out the new Alfa Romeo at EXPO 67". 

Yep we like it! Alfa Romero. 1967 EXPO. Montreal..

It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media, and nothing screams throwback like this vintage ad for Naugahyde! 

From a business perspective, this highlights the employment of both humor and storytelling in advertising. This is simple, clean, funny, and memorable. Having a "mascot" also makes it great for merchandising the brand. 

After all, who wouldn't want their own Nauga?

It Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media - and today we are pondering more vintage ads. 

Read this one closely. If you printed this today, all of this would still ring true. How about that for some awesome ad copy!

It's Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media. This 1968 American Tourister ad is the perfect example of clean simplicity with its use of color and graphic imagery. We love it! 

They are selling a SUITCASE, and the functionality and features of......a SUITCASE. Shocking but true! Selling the benefits of a product actually works.

Here is an old ad from Citroen that pokes fun at automobile advertising campaigns. Just the light note we need on Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media.

It is Throwback Thursday, and we've pulled out this 1967 Smirnoff ad with a "White Christmas" theme. We imagine that if this were published today, it would be quite controversial.

For Throwback Thursday, Elarbee Media is highlighting a vintage print ad. Here is a simple but elegant J&B ad with the scotch bottles stacked as a Christmas tree. Repeat the image. Repeat the name. Tie in with the holiday theme. All good! What is your favorite Christmas print ad? We’d love to see it. Vintage or modern, we want your feedback.

On a lighthearted note this week for Throwback Thursday, here I am in March 2002 in Jezebel Magazine (Now part of the Modern Luxury Group).www.modernluxury.com/jezebel “Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose” - except for the triplets of course.

For Throwback Thursday, I wanted to take look at Halloween advertising since we are so close to the holiday. I found this Smirnoff ad, which screams retro (because it’s from 1968). I think holiday advertising in general allows for a lot of creativity, but for a holiday like Halloween, it allows for a lot of fun with a lot of forgiveness mixed in. Can you still hide behind a holiday to amp up …

Throwback Thursday has special meaning for business travelers. When traveling via airplane in the past, you used to get a deck of cards, as many mini-bottles as you needed, and a smiling “air-hostess.” Now you get from point A to point B. Air travel is now certainly more affordable, but a lot less enjoyable. One of my favorite ad slogans is from a now defunct airline and culture that used to …

Slogans - as well as images - stand the test of time. Who doesn’t remember sitting down to watch Saturday morning cartoons and hearing Tony the Tiger say “They’re Grrrreat!” Check out how Tony has changed since his early days in the cereal business. He looks different, but the product endorsement (albeit by a large cat for a human food product) was so simple in its inception, it has kept …

When it comes to a brand icon, is new and improved really new and improved? How far can you push change and keep consistency? Here is a 1960s Froot Loops box and a modern Froot Loops box. I prefer the original, but I am old school.Certainly the vibrancy of the “new” Toucan Sam is hard to miss, no doubt assisting identifying the product readily on the store shelf. What is your opinion? Should …

It’s ‪#‎ThrowbackThursday‬ at Elarbee Media. Who doesn't know this guy? Mr. Peanut, the advertising logo and mascot of Planters, is quite the iconic figure. That my friends is because he was designed to be iconic! Creating an icon to represent a brand is an advertising concept that has proven to be a viable technique since the early 1900s. Who is your favorite brand icon? Let us know! If …

It's Throwback Thursday and here is a throwback in concept. In this vintage Marlboro ad, the woman is actually looking at the man as the “object of desire." When was the last time you saw this type of concept in an ad instead of a bikini-clad blonde as the “object?" Makes me want to run out and buy a pack of Marlboros. Who doesn't love a man in uniform?!

Check out these very divergent images from Ray-Ban. Does the movement toward discounting the product itself in ads really work? Is the buzz worth sacrificing the focus on product? Personally, I’d love to get my hands on a pair of the retro green Ray-Bans and “enjoy the sun in style." ‪#‎ThrowbackThursday …

We love opening our mailbox to find a catalog or special offer from our favorite retailer addressed directly to us. While many companies shy away from print altogether, the numbers consistently show that the highly targeted approach of direct mail works. Why? "1. The mail is often the only reliable way to reach reasonably affluent males. 2. The over-50 crowd, already large and growing, has a lot …

Although nothing beats a little 1960s flavored casual sexism, advertisements like this one are a stark reminder of how much women's roles in business have changed since the mid-century.Elarbee Media is a female-owned business, so we are certainly glad that the "norm" has shifted. Gone are the days of women only being viewed as capable of holding support positions; we are now the ones creating the …

Check out this World War II poster encouraging Americans to conserve fuel. Could we get away with this today? Which campaigns you have seen in the past few years that pushed the envelope? #ThrowbackThursday

At Elarbee Media, we certainly appreciate curves on a woman! Today's‪#‎ThrowbackThursday‬ ads show just how different mid-century ideals were versus today's beauty standards. Back then, being too skinny was a problem that women worried about, and Wate-On was there to help them achieve the “glamorous curves” of “popular” girls. What do you think of these ads? Are there any products …

It’s #ThrowbackThursday! This print ad from 1967 features our favorite James Bond, Sean Connery. Celebrity endorsements became extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s as marketers saw great value in hitching Hollywood’s biggest film stars to their brand. And who wouldn’t buy bourbon from a face like Sean Connery’s? But are celebrity endorsements still effective in today’s world? All …

Take a look at these beauty ads.