Since then, the illustrations have picked up significant attention as a relic of retrofuturism (that’s a nerdy-arse term for the way people in the past imagined the future). I like this ad for a lot of reasons. Obviously, it does just look cool. Beyond that, though, I adore how different it is from any other ad. It reflects an unfashionable marketing philosophy I admire, that being to spend almost recklessly and flamboyantly on creative work. With the hyper-targeted online ads big brands generate nowadays, you don’t see work like this anymore, and I think that’s a shame. Similarly, the strategy is just as creative as the execution. It insists that Motorola’s electronics are not just modern, but futuristic – which, given the technological leaps throughout the 50s and 60s – is brave but admirable. It comes off too, even to the modern eye. While TV sets haven’t looked like that in decades, this massive, boxy piece of furniture doesn’t look out of place. I love how they resisted the urge to make the Motorola products bigger too. They don't dominate the illustrations – they merely fit into the scene. In a very human way, that makes the image more persuasive, as if the artist was unburdened by client demands and just made an image he himself foresaw. If the picture was centred on the TV set, I suspect it would be harder to get drawn into it in quite the same way. It uncannily reminds me of this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDzZg3OE3B8). They’re both confident pieces of work and they ask something of the viewer. As a result, they both find their way into the ‘imagination’. The effect of this ad is that it proves its own point. Instead of saying that it is futuristic, it shows it, and I believe it. It’s one of very few adverts you could display on your wall at home (I’m considering it!), and it reflects an attitude towards persuasion that is tempered, respectful, creative and progressive.