July 19, 2010 at 9:00 am

Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Today’s Gadgets

by twistedsifter

alt 1977 by alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

Did you ever wonder what today’s most popular gadgets (mp3 player, laptop, cellphone and handheld video game system) would look like if they were designed in the 70s? No!?! Well thankfully Alex Varanese has. He’s even envisioned what the print ads would look like to market such wonderful devices. In this series called: ‘Alt/1977: We Are Not Time Travelers‘, Alex takes us on a journey back to a time when faux-wood was the sh*t.

mp3 player from the 70s retro ad Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

artist alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

retro ad for ipod in the 70s style Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

Alt/1977: WE ARE NOT TIME TRAVELERS – Alex Varanese

What would you do if you could travel back in time? Assassinate Marilyn Monroe? Go on a date with Hitler? Obviously. But here’s what I’d do after that: grab all the modern technology I could find, take it to the late 70’s, superficially redesign it all to blend in, start a consumer electronics company to unleash it upon the world, then sit back as I rake in billions, trillions, or even millions of dollars.

I’ve explored that idea in this series by re-imagining four common products from 2010 as if they were designed in 1977: an mp3 player, a laptop, a mobile phone and a handheld video game system. I then created a series of fictitious but stylistically accurate print ads to market them, as well as a handful of abstract posters (you know, just for funsies).

retro ad by alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

vintage laptop ad alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

vintage 70s electronics ad alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

Alex Varanese Continued…

I’ve learned that there is no greater design element than the anachronism. I’ve learned that the strongest contrast isn’t spatial or tonal but historical. I’ve learned that there’s retro, and then there’s time travel.

The irony is that all post-modern, smugly self-referential retro porn aside, I’d gladly trade in my immaculately designed 21st century gadgets for these hideously clunky, faux-wood-paneled pieces of über-kitsch. Sorry, Apple.

70s retro print ad inspiration Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

70s style graphic design Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

alex varanese retro ad design Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

Alex [Michael] Varanese
– Is native to the bay area.
– Thinks John Hughes is bigger than Jesus
– Is an ardent believer in hard determinism, and wishes he were better friends with fate
– Is guilty of an overuse—but never misuse—of the word “literally”
– Spends nights and weekends trying to repair his time machine.
– Draws upon a limitless supply of cheeky quips designed specifically for ironic post-hipster posturing
– Likes red more than you do

He also has awesome random thoughts like this:

chris noth and tom hanks is nothanks Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

vintage gaming system ad 70s alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

digital art by alex varanese Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

retro 70s style ad Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets

SOURCES
Alex Varanese’s Official Site
Alex on Twitter
First spotted on: Behance







If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: INCREDIBLE ROBOT SCULPTURES MADE FROM OLD ELECTRONIC PARTS

electric shaver robotic sculpture insect Back to the Future: Retro 70s Ads for Todays Gadgets