How Laundrette can be described as a piece of postmodern advertising - OUCA401

Postmodernism was a direct response to modernism, which aimed to create a modern form of art that would be different from the mainstream. Postmodernism was created due to people believing that modernism was not different enough. Leading post modernist artists include Andy Warhol, with his pop art.

The Levi’s Laundrette advert, for the 501 range of jeans, can be seen as a piece of postmodern advertising. It featured people in a Laundrette, with Nick Kamen undressing and putting those clothes in the washing machines, whilst the women admired him. A year before the advert was created, MTV music videos was launched, which the Levi’s advert was clearly influenced by, as it plays the Marvin Gaye song ‘through the grapevine’. This advert therefore fits with post-modernism due to its sexual nature, and because adverts tended to sexualise women, whilst this advert made the man the sexual object. This move away from the norm can be seen as postmodern advertising.

This advert was very successful, with the sales of 501’s increasing by 800%.

References

'Marketing - The Retro Revolution' - by Stephen Brown

'Advertising Menswear: Masculinity and Fashion in the British Media since 1945' -by Paul Jobling