31 Awesome Print Ads From The 1980s
Things were different in the 1980s. There were ads on television, of course, but the best ones were 2D and lived in Sports Illustrated or Cigar Aficionado. It was another time—one of questionable political incorrectness, a lack of hyperlinks that ended the conversation right then and there, and a bizarre sense of design. They played it fast and they played it loose.
This excellence in 1980s style print advertising ended with the rise of better photography and reproduction (when ads became more photo-based) but for that brief time, there were some pretty incredible creations that are a blast to look back on. Let's roll it back.
1. Converse All Stars
2. Chuck Norris Action Jeans
3. Back to the Future Battery-Powered Car
4. Apple Computer
5. Casio Synth
6. Fuji Team Fuji
7. Pregnancy Tests
8. WWF Nintendo
9. Star Wars: The Arcade Game
10. Sony Super Walkman
11. Anti-Home Taping PSA
12. Casio CZ-5000
13. Fisher Price Sportcar
14. Tempest Marine
15. Swatch
16. Clement Bike Tires
17. Bill and Ted For NES and Game Boy
18. Vectrex Graphic Computer System
19. Honeywell Email
20. Bud
21. Etonic Shoes
22. Chesterfield King
23. Job Cigarette Papers
24. The Dick Smith System 80
25. Vitalis Men's Healthcare
26. Chevy Camaro
27. Camel
28. Swatch
29. Porsche 924
30. Vantage Cigarettes
31. Visine
Ethan Wolff-Mann is an editor at Supercompressor. He had a brief stint in the '80s, back in 1989. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.