Volkswagen, April 11, 1960 from LIFE magazine (artist unknown)

Volkswagen, April 11, 1960 from LIFE magazine

                In celebration of the final season of AMC’s Mad Men (my personal favorite show), LIFE.com posted several 1960’s era advertisement that inspired the show. The one I chose was an iconic Volkswagen ad from April 11, 1960. There is no credit to one particular artist, but the ad likely reached millions of readers in magazine just like LIFE.

                Media is filled with advertisements today. Any program you watch is “brought to you” by something, and sponsoring logos are everywhere. A half-hour program on TV typically has 10 full minutes of commercials, giving a measly 2-1 ratio of show-ads. Worse yet, we are so immersed in advertisements that they are often shown to us subliminally, movies have perfectly inserted product placements that we don’t even know we’re being sold something.

                This Volkswagen ad certainly brings me back to the “golden age” of advertising. Perhaps, I’m tainted by my enjoyment of Mad Men, but the ad seems simpler and more wholesome than the ones today. It’s a simple ad, showing a complete shot of their famous beetle. Below the car is bold black text, with some a paragraph beneath it. There’s nothing overly complex or subliminal about the ad. It presents a car, and a description.

                Volkswagen grew notoriety from this series of ads. The text right below the car is “Lemon” which refers to a defective car. Seeing this connected with a car that they want to sell is confusing and immediately catches your attention. Reading further, it is apparent that they catch the lemons so you can have the fruit (their perfected vehicle). It’s a neat little concept and was certainly and innovative form of advertisement.

                The image of the ad is appealing also. It shows only the Volkswagen beetle they’re trying to sell. It isn’t on a road. It isn’t in front of a scenic mountain. It is in a void of white. I like this choice because it highlights that the car is the focus of the ad. They aren’t trying to make you believe that you can drive anywhere (like a mountain top) with their car. You’re buying the car, where it goes is your choice. It’s the sort of ultra-simplicity that I like about this ad. I wouldn’t mind advertisements today if they went back to it.

The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” by Henry Grokinsky

The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” by Henry Grokinsky.

Saturday, April 4^th marked the anniversary of the death of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King.  To mark the occasion, LIFE.com posted a on its website of the motel he was assassinated at.  The picture, which was never published in the magazine, has the caption of: “The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” and was taken by Henry Grokinsky.

                Like several of the other photos I’ve chosen to discuss, this one stands out to me because of a combination of what it actually shows and the larger picture it represents.  The image itself it taken at night, with a majority of the image being taken up by the featureless night sky above. The street lights and marquee of the motel bleach the picture with overexposure.  The pure white lights strike a very stark contrast against the dark night.  A geographic location is established because the motels name, Lorraine, is visible. The motel itself, in different shades of grey sits in the background of the picture. Due to the extreme darkness surrounding it, the motel has a ominous or foreboding presence to it.

                Without context, the image depicts the Lorraine Motel as an uninviting place. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend a night there. When this imagery is paired with the actual story of the picture, this feeling is confirmed. After reading the article it accompanies, there is a grim and sad revelation. On April 4^th, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while preparing for a speech in Memphis Tennessee. MLK was undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, and it certainly the most revered.

                The picture of the motel doesn’t really contradict with the awful history behind it. As previously mentioned, the image isn’t a “happy” one. This feeling is magnified when one considers the events which took place there. MLK remains celebrated today due to his unrelenting march for equal rights, and his refusal to resort to violence. Calling his assassination a true tragedy may not be a strong enough word. Still, it is important to never forget MLK, or the images of where he died when considering the various civil rights movements that are still being (peacefully) fought today.