Figure 55: General Electric advertisement, 1963.
1 media/FN08_thumb.jpg 2019-10-30T06:24:18+00:00 Gina Plumey c7bdb6b48ecbb34364302aeee300c6bd09f67510 1 3 While a subtler reference, the naming of this refrigerator as “Spacemaker” was no coincidence in the 1960s. Products referencing space and NASAs missions were a promotional tool both for the national support effort and individual businesses. plain 2019-12-04T21:50:59+00:00 Gina Plumey c7bdb6b48ecbb34364302aeee300c6bd09f67510This page is referenced by:
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Futurism by Theme: For the Home
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Department stores, energy companies, and appliance manufacturers embraced futurist themes in order to encourage spending on consumer products for the home. This was part of the larger government effort to stimulate the economy during the Cold War. This push in consumption marks a significant shift from previous decades when Americans were more frugal due to war scarcity and the depression. Futurist advertisements for the home were particularly gendered. Advertising aimed at men was focused on gadgets and industrial or space design. While advertisements aimed at women centered on keeping up with the rest of the community by having the newest appliances with a focus on plastics (see figures 55 and 57 for space influenced kitchen advertisements. Also see clip 07, below, on futuristic homes and kitchens aimed at women).
In addition to the direct futurist advertisements marketed to homeowners, were the larger projects that influenced how people viewed living in tomorrow’s communities. This ties into transportation and the boom in suburbia. Many private and government-sponsored housing developments emerged attempting to attract demographics into designed future communities.
