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Archival description
A-Z of 90s Culture
OBS/9/1/1/72 · File · [September] 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

Four copies of a colour advert with sound promoting an '90s culture' supplement free with the following Sunday's Observer:

a. Shows a series of emoticons [keyboard symbols representing faces] on a blue background, relating to the commentary. Ends on a sideways colour shot of a copy of the supplement and the text 'theObserver'.

Commentary: "From Prozac, to goatees, Oakley, to Butthead: The A-Z of 90s culture, free with the Observer this Sunday'.

The advert starts at 0.04 on the mp4 file. Duration: 11 seconds.

b. Duplicate of version (a) on the same VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 0.24 on the mp4. Duration: 11 seconds.

c. Duplicate of versions (a) and (b) but with poorer image quality and on a different VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 0.27 on the mp4. Duration: 11 seconds.

d. Duplicate of version (c) but with a faster commentary section and a longer end frame. On a different VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 0.40 on the mp4. Duration: 18 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Business / Life / Sport
OBS/9/1/1/71/2 · File · June-November 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

Four copies of an advert advertising the business, life (magazine) and sport sections of the Observer in turn. Each section has its own background music:

a. This is an advert in four parts:

The first part shows a man in a suit locking his car in an office car park, and then peering into the Mercedes parked next to it, with the commentary: "That man in your office - the successful one - did he waste his Sunday reading the sports section? The Business: the section that justifies the cover price". It ends with a shot of the business section on the dashboard of the Mercedes and the (unspoken) tagline: "Every week with the Observer."

The second part shows a "hidden camera" view of a bathtub, with a man sitting on the toilet at the edge of the shot. He opens Life Magazine and begins to read it. Commentary: "This bathroom belongs to Mike Chadwick, a business journalist for the Observer. Let's see which section he reads at home: Life Magazine - everyone's favourite section."

The third part shows a female journalist inspecting the grass at the foot of a showjumping hedge and saying, "Hi! In this week's Life Magazine you'll find tips on removing moss and..." She is then (replaced with a similarly dressed mannequin and) trampled by the horses coming over the jump. The part-advert ends on a shot of the sports section superimposed on the screen and the tagline:"Sportsweek: No competition".

The advert is finished off with an animated spread of the paper and all its supplements and the commentary: " The Observer, set your alarm this Sunday." This version has a long end-frame and no sound for last few seconds.

The advert starts at 01.52 on the mp4 file. Duration: 50 seconds.

b. Duplicate of version (a), but with a shorter end frame, on a different VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 01.21 on the mp4. Duration: 40 seconds.

c. Duplicate of version (b), but with a different voiceover artist and slightly altered commentary for the first part: "Your colleague - the successful one - did he spend his Sunday reading the sports section? The Business: the section that justifies the cover price". The advert starts at 0.48 on a different mp4. Duration: 40 seconds.

d. Duplicate of version (c), on the same VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 02.10 on the mp4. Duration: 40 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Future Sex
OBS/9/1/1/73 · File · 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

A colour advert with sound promoting Life Magazine's three week feature on 'the future of sex'.

Shows a brick wall, and then - inside the house - a couple entwined on a sofa. Next we see an androgynous heterosexual couple sitting on a bed and finally a masculine figure in a blonde wig and dress working at a desk, followed by a shot of the magazine resting on on red velvet fabric.

Commentary: 'This week's Observer LIfe Magazine investigates the new sexual phenomenon: vampirism, androgynous love and review journalist Richard Ingrams' sex change. The future of sex, explored in this Sunday's Observer.'

The advert ends with a close up of Richard Ingrams declaring 'I have not had a sex change!'

The advert starts at 2.44 on the mp4 file. Duration: 30 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
News / Life / Sport
OBS/9/1/1/71/3 · File · August 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

An colour advert in four parts advertising the news, Life (magazine) and sport sections of the Observer in turn. Each section has its own background music:

The first part shows grainy footage of police chasing a man over a wall, with the commentary: "You don't risk hospitalisation when you review a Bistro in Hampstead. The news section: where the real journalists work." It ends with a shot of the news section in a dingy doorway and the tagline "Where the real journalists work".

The second part shows chicks passing through a conveyor-belt system. Commentary: "Remember the article in news last week, about the TUC? Exactly. Life - memorable features, not forgettable news." The last sentence appears written over the screen as a tagline.

The third part shows articles from Life magazine and the sports section, with readership figures highlighted and the commentary: "Last week, 100,000 people read Life's article about cafe design in Tokyo. 220,000 people read our article on the philosophy of Dennis Bergkamp". It ends with a shot of the Observer's sports journalists cheering "Who took the LIfe? We did! We did!", which greys out to highlight the word "Sport" written across the screen.

The advert is finished off with an animated spread of the paper and all its supplements (slightly different from that in other adverts in this sub-series) and the commentary: "Join The Observer this Sunday."

The advert starts at 0.12 on the mp4 file. Duration: 45 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
News / Preview / Review
OBS/9/1/1/71/5 · File · October 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

Two copies of an advert advertising the news, preview and review sections of the Observer in turn. Each section has its own background music:

a. This is an advert in four parts, with the final sentence of each part is written accross the screen as a tagline.

The first part shows grainy footage of armed soldiers - with one man being dragged away by another, with the commentary: "You don't need a flak jacket to investigate fringe theatre. The news section: where the real journalists work." It ends with a shot of the newspaper on the ground, with broken glass scattered over it.

The second part shows a young man being kissed by two women, as verbs in the past tense appear on the screen around them - the 'ed' at the end of each highlighted in pink. The three share the commentary as the camera speeds through a series of bars and cafes and returns to them: "The other sections are written in the past tense. They're history. Preview: your guide to the next seven tomorrows."

The third part shows an academic in an old fashioned study with the commentary: "What follows is for the benefit of the rest of the Observer." There follows the dictionary definition: "Erudite: in possession of scholarship and knowledge" written across the screen over [reversed] footage of a books 'falling' up a flight of stairs, and read aloud in a female voiceover. The academic continues: "The Review: the bit that uses the big words" and the part-advert ends on a shot of the review section with a pair of glasses resting on top.

The advert is finished off with an animated spread of the paper and all its supplements and the commentary: "The Observer, set your alarm this Sunday."

The advert starts at 0.07 on the 'flak and hidden' mp4 file. Duration: 40 seconds.

b. Duplicate of version (a), on the same VHS and mp4 file. The advert starts at 01.28 on the mp4. Duration: 40 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Preview
OBS/9/1/1/71/6 · File · May-August 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

Adverts advertising the Preview section of the Observer.

a. The advert shows a man in sunglasses holding up a copy of the newspaper and then leaning into the camera and reading the commentary. Verbs in the past tense appear on the screen around him with the 'ed' at the end of each highlighted in red. The camera then speeds through a series of bars and cafes before coming to rest on a fish tank, over which the tagline "Preview: with the Observer this Sunday" is written. Commentary: "There are six sections in this Sunday's Observer; five of them are history. The Observer Preview: your guide to the next seven tomorrows."

The advert starts at 0.18 on the mp4 file. Duration: 20 seconds.

b. A shorter, faster copy of version (a), with a slightly different commentary: "There are six sections in this Sunday's Observer; five of them are history. Preview: your guide to the next seven tomorrows." The advert starts at 0.07 on a different mp4. Duration: 10 seconds.

c. A faster copy of version (a), with the written tagline replaced with a copy of the supplement superimposed on the moving footage, and the words: "your guide to the next seven tomorrows." The advert starts at 0.29 on the same mp4 as version (b). Duration: 10 seconds.

d. Duplicate of version (c), but with the original tagline. The advert starts at 0.14 on a different mp4. Duration: 10 seconds.

e. Duplicate of version (d) on a separate VHS and mp4. The advert starts at 0.04 on a separate mp4. Duration: 10 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Review
OBS/9/1/1/71/7 · File · August 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

A colour advert with sound advertising the review sections of the Observer:

The advert shows slow motion footage of Eric Cantona kicking Matthew Simmons, a Crystal Palace fan in the stands while Cantona was on the field. the footage is set to classical music and is followed by shots of handwritten draft poems. It ends on a sepia shot of the review section with an old fashioned pair of glasses resting on top, and the written tagline "The section with depth".

Commentary: "The sports section calls it a Karate kick. We call it a cry for help. Read Cantona's poetry in tomorrow's review section.The Observer Review: the section with depth."

The advert starts at 01.53 on the mp4 file. Duration: 15 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Review / News / Preview
OBS/9/1/1/71/4 · File · August 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

A colour advert in four parts advertising the review, news and preview sections of the Observer in turn. Each section has its own background music: and ends witth the last li ne of the commentary written across the screen as a tagline.

The first part flicks between a man in a suit reading the commentary from an antique armchair and a man in a t-shirt and sunglasses typing with one finger and looking confused. Commentary: "If you want the top line on a Tarantino film, read Preview. If you want to know whether Tarantino's violence is something he feels, or a brilliant affectation, I suggest you don't. The Review: the section with depth." It ends on a sepia shot of the review section with an old fashioned pair of glasses resting on top.

The second part shows grainy war footage - possibly from the Bosnian War, with the commentary: "You don't need a flak jacket to investigate fringe theatre. The news section: where the real journalists work." It ends with a black and white shot of the news section.

The third part shows a young man leaning into the camera and reading the commentary as verbs in the past tense appear on the screen around him - the 'ed' at the end of each highlighted in red. The camera then speeds through a series of bars, cafes and record shops. Commentary: "The trouble with all the other sections? They're history, ergo boring. Preview: your guide to the next seven tomorrows."

The advert is finished off with an animated spread of the paper and all its supplements (the same as that showin in OBS/9/1/1/71/4) and the commentary: "Join The Observer this Sunday."

The advert starts at 01.01 on the mp4 file. Duration: 47 seconds.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency
Sections in competition
OBS/9/1/1/71 · Sub-series · 1995
Part of Records of The Observer newspaper

A series of adverts positioning the different sections of the Observer in competition with one another.

Many of the adverts are made up of separate parts - each promoting a different section or supplement of the newspaper - cut together to form three-part commercials. Also included are individual adverts for the Preview and Review sections, promoted them in contrast to other sections.

Some or all of these adverts may have been produced by the advertising firm Chiat/Day.

This sub-series also includes some source material for one of the adverts.

Creator: The Observer Limited, 1917-1993

Creator: Chiat/Day, 1968-1995

Chiat/Day Inc. (1968-1995); advertsing agency