a walk down memory lane
by jacque kennedyIf an image speaks a thousand words, then Instagram’s ceaseless stream of visuals speaks millions. When the app launched in 2010, it was home to simple catalogues, featuring saturated selfies and flattering filters. Today, Instagram has grown immensely, and as a result, secured its reputation as one of the best platforms for brand positioning, visual inspiration and creative curation.
With over 500 million monthly users, Instagram is now frequented by 20% of Internet users, with each person populating their account/s with collections of photography in line with interests in travel, lifestyle, beauty, fitness, fashion, business and everything in between. Some upload for fun; others, for commerce. But Instagram presents a particularly interesting opportunity for influencers who want connect with their chosen niche, craft or trade and popularize it. And what better métier to carefully curate than advertising?
That’s exactly what graphic designer Halima Olalemi has been doing since September last year. Digging through the archives of youth culture and fashion magazines, including i-D, Dazed, Sleazenation and The Face, Olalemi has been cataloguing exceptional print ads from the 80s, 90s and 00s on her Instagram account, @adarchives.
The result of her scavenging and scanning is a group of outstanding creative work – from a provocative Levis ad to some uber minimal ones for Evisu – highlighting the significant shift in fashion advertising over the past 30 years. The black-and-white imagery in Guess’ 1995 campaigns and Nike’s grainy print ads are the polar opposite of the super sleek and flawless ads we’re now accustom to seeing in modern publications.
Many of the ads featured on the account are quirky, bold, graphic and controversial – so grab your phone, get comfortable and spend hours scrolling through the best of advertising.