Those weren't the days

There's a quote that goes something like, 'History is written by the victors'. That's probably wrong, but basically it says you have to be careful when you read the history of stuff because it hasn't just been recorded, it's been interpreted and and, to be honest, maligned to suit the circumstances of the writer.

That's why I get a little shirty with people who bemoan the times we live in and long for the bygone days when life was simpler, when kids could play outside and we could all have good honest clean fun. It was never like that really.

The thing is, things were not really better, they were just what you were used to. Ask a 20 year old if they would like life without the internet, Sunday closing and even shops closing on a Wednesday afternoon and they'd recoil in horror.

Remember the 80's with affection if you like, bits of the music were good, there was also Thatcher, mass unemployment (far worse than now) and Barbara Whitehouse.

So do be a bit cynical about 'The Golden Age' of anything. Mostly it wasn't, it was just a time when people older than you wished things would stay as they are. That includes advertising. I know there was more money in the 80's, I know you got massive budgets and just put stuff on popular telly channels - but there was also burn out, backstabbing, cocaine and naff people driving naff sportcars. And most if the ads were not any good, like most of them are no good now.

Comments

[Rob Mortimer]

Exactly. For every Levi's Launderette, Hamlet, Hofmeister bear, and VW campaign there were 25 rubbish ads that jammed the product in your face, or gave you the hard sell. Not to mention stuff like Loreal which hasn't much altered it's advertising template since about 1973.

[Will]

"History is written by the winners". It's an E.H. Carr line, I believe.

[AJF 12]

Might you might have good enough happiness for making you sweet, an adequate amount of trials to produce you robust, plenty of sorrow to continue to keep you human, plenty hope for making you glad.