The late sixties and early seventies are often called the “Age of Aquarius.” But it was also one of the ages of some of the most classic commercials.  So today we are going to check out some of those commercials, and think about some of the impacts that it had on popular culture, and the world of advertising.  So get your groove on and let’s get funky with the world of the 1970’s.

Chuck Wagon Dog Food

Introduced in the late sixties by Purina, Chuck Wagon was the “meaty” dog food with self making gravy.  This was significant because it was the start of a cultural shift, where especially dogs were becoming more of a family member that “just a pet”.  For the time these commercials were very advanced.

The 1970 Dodge Charger

The Dodge Charger was a model of car produced by Dodge. The 1966 to 1974 Chargers were based on the Chrysler B platform and could be be ordered with high-performance options.  The Dodge Charger R/T was one of the largest muscle cars available in the 1970s.  This would be the last and rarest year of the 2nd generation Charger and it now featured a large wraparound chrome bumper and the grille was no longer divided in the middle. New electric headlight doors replaced the old vacuum style. Side markers were now actual lights. The taillights were similar to those used in 69, but 500 and R/T models came with a new more attractive taillight panel. On the R/T new rear-facing scoops with the R/T logo were mounted on the front doors, over the door scallops. A new 440 or HEMI hood cutout made the option list for this year only.  “High Impact” colors were given names, such as Top Banana, Panther Pink, Sublime, Burnt Orange, Go Mango and Plum Crazy (sometimes nicknamed “Statutory Grape”).

The Anti-Pollution Indian(Keep America Beautiful)

Portrayed in the campaign that began in 1971 by “Iron eyes Cody”, this ad council campaign was meant to show the disasters and dangers of pollution. The slogan was launched on Earth Day in 1971, with the theme “People Start Pollution. People can stop it.” It was a Public Service Announcement.  It and Cody’s face are now iconic.

 Thanks for joining me for this week’s Way Back Wednesday, and we will see you in our next edition.

~Family Man