Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Western in Advertising


Chinese firecrackers




















Westerns were hugely popular for over a hundred years. Not only were they popular in the United States, but the whole world devoured them. Recently, my brother bought a book about Chinese firecracker art. (He’s an art professor who likes quirky design.) He sent me a couple vintage images with cowboys. It started me thinking about advertising with a Western Theme. Once common, it’s a bit rarer today. There were some clever concepts … and some not so clever.


The Western used to be a staple of advertising ... and fiction, movies, television, and daydreams. It will be again.