You Don't Have to be Jewish

Because Howard Zieff died last week, I figure now is a good time to showcase one of his most famous advertising campaigns: Levy's Jewish Rye. 

If you ask people of a certain age (read: anyone over 40), this ad series was monumental in its time. He took normal-looking people which he found on the streets of New York--not the blonde-haired, perfectly freckled tots or slender, stylish models used for every other product in the 1960s--and made them give us some of the most honestly happy smiles in poster history. 

This, of course, wasn't the be all end all of Mr. Zieff's creative awesomeness: he went on to direct the 'spicy meat-a-ball' Alka Seltzer ad, and even the cinematic gem that is Private Benjamin (oh, wonder of my childhood!).

That said, you can't hang any of those Zieffs on your wall, whereas you can have any Levy's Rye poster for all of $200 this Thursday at auction.....decisions, decisions. 

Harlow's

My boss occasionally pops into my office with a poster that is "oh so you!" This was the second poster she thrust into my arms with that phrase. 

This is where I have to look a combination of elated and impressed--the former, for her finding it; the latter, for her knowing it was 'oh so me.' Oddly enough, she's been spot on every time.....this worries me. 

Anyway, hopefully you are all asking yourselves why is this poster 'oh so me.' There are at least 5 obvious reasons:

1. The font is off-the-hook awesome. Who doesn't love vintage font-i-ness? I feel like I'm looking at a red-painted wood sign for Miss Milly's Piano Bar, complete with burlesque dancers; I can hear the tinkle of untuned standup, the crunch of peanut shells beneath my feet. 

2. Flappers make me happy. Gimme a über-long necklace, no tits, and a cigarette holder and I'm a tommy-gun away from pure pleasure. 

3. Sepia. Favorite tone for anything. Nuf said.

4. Mixing of geographical, cultural, and historical characters. I certainly want to be in a place where flamenco guitar players dip flapper girls--thats just crazy hot. 

5. This "most exciting discotheque" is all of 3 blocks from my current apartment. For me, having this poster in my house would be like the equivalent of having that bumper sticker that says 'think global, buy local'....because I'd be thinking awesomely by decorating locally. And frankly, that's all I can do for Harlow's since I believe it's no longer extant. And as one of the cheapest posters in our auction (all of $50 and it's yours people) I think I can wave a flag of remembrance in my living room for this long-dead legend.