Creative Alchemy

When computers were introduced into creative ad building, the change was comparable to the transition from medieval alchemy to modern science. The Price Group was one of the first to adapt to this new technology.

Building an ad with little to no technology was a complicated, dirty process. The designer would start with a blank illustration board. He… it could be “she” but let’s go with “he” for now… anyway, he would lay out the ad on the board, knowing in advance where each piece would fit.

He would then use tape to create the borders, making sure everything was clean and straight. The designer would set the type and process it using developer chemicals, ensuring a good mess.

After the type was set, the designer would hand draw the illustration—or, if a photo were being used, the process would take him into a dark room to convert the image to a halftone and then once again use chemicals to develop a print.

Then the designer would apply wax to the back of each part, in order to adhere them to the illustration board. Once approved, he would deliver the entire assembly to the newspaper, and God help him if he drove it there on a hot day when the wax would melt!