Thursday 26 November 2009

Seventies/eighties Richard Williams Studio adverts: Levi's, Jōvan and Limara

Take a look at these three beautifully drawn commercials made by the Richard Williams Studio in the late seventies and eighties. Unfortunately, I can find no details about the first two online.

This advert for Levi's jeans clearly takes after Star Wars (with a dash of Heavy Metal).

The owl-like character serves as an interpretor between the Luke Skywalker-alike and the "Kledian warlord", who admires the former's jeans.




"Tell him it is a frequent custom to wear Levi's jeans on Earth". His jeans magically change from denim to cordoroy with a yellow sparkle as he unknowingly avoids a swooping alien.


"But I do not think the Kledian could wear Levi's jeans!"

"He says the Kleds do not exactly wear Levi's jeans..."






Meanwhile, this commercial for Jōvan Sex Appeal aftershave and cologne pastiches Frank Frazzetta's fantasy art. Amidst thunder and billowing smoke, a Conan lookalike climbs up a mountain.


He is rewarded for his efforts with some Jōvan cosmetics that descend from the sky. A godlike voice tells him to use "the power" only for good, never for evil.






And finally, a Disney-riffing 1982 Limara toiletries advert titled Sleeping Beauty. The commercial offers a gender-reversed version of the fairy tale.

2 comments:

  1. That Levi's ad was pretty neat. For anyone wanting to see it as it was presented one Saturday morning on NBC, here you go...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lVStuvmtCw

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  2. Someone at Levi's ad agency must've loved that Kledian warlord as he popped up randomly in a series of commercials sometime in the mid 80's (still in Saturday morning territory).
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2brSI33Lxj0
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcb5kvyJDmY
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uSLZGRVTYo

    One person associated with Levi's advertising during that period lasting from 1967 to '84 was art director Chris Blum, he certainly had an eye for some unique approaches to selling a product then.
    http://x-factor-e.blogspot.com/2012/01/charlie-white-iii-lettering-by-tony.html

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