Ad Age sees similarities between 1938 and today, particularly as expressed in the pages of Fortune Magazine.
Rising unemployment. Weak economic activity. Competitive upheaval. Technology transforming work and play. Revolutionary changes in the media world. An uncertain international environment.
Yup, times were tough in 1938.
The Ad Age piece also features several self-promo ads from agencies selling their services in the pages of Fortune, something we rarely see today.
Of course, if we did see such ads today they would look nothing like they did in ’38. Let’s compare and contrast. Here’s a contemporary self-promo ad from McCann in Honduras:
