1950s Food Advertisements

FINALLY- Here are those food advertisements that I brought up in class. These are all from the 1950s, I stumbled upon them on accident when looking at space age design for a fashion collection.

I was drawn to how overt these ads are, with the saturated colors, contrived table setups, and the message of plenty that is present in each one. There was a new possessiveness that came along with purchasing food- "this food is YOURS, have as much as you like because you deserve it!" I see this as a response to rationing and the grim setbacks of World War Two. I was also interested in the people and lifestyles that come up in subtle allusions in advertisements for everything from fried chicken to peas.

I was reminded of these ads by both Jay and Allegra's presentation because anytime an edible item is deliberately arranged, it says something even if that something is what ads and household products we have been exposed to.