Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. A DIY attitude rooted in authenticity coupled with increasing access to personal tech and an explosion of choices in alternative media. And most importantly, lack of trust in corporations. Companies (and their marketing departments) had to think of ways to sell to those who didn’t want to be sold to… Advertisers like Benetton, the Gap and and Diesel Jeans undertook this task with some interesting results.

Grab a cold growler of your DIY homebrew and join us back in the bar.

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Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!

https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-85-selling-to-genx

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Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to hello@twodesignerswalkintoabar.com and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess.

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Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras.

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Todd Coats & Elliot Strunk Co-Hosts of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar is a podcast about iconic design and popular culture.

Hosted by graphic designers and collectors Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the podcast is constantly looking at pop culture and thinking about how it influences us and what we do for a living. Starting with a theme, we choose iconic work that we find meaningful and use humor and insight to break it down, turn it inside out and try to understand why it has stood the test of time. Two Designers Walk Into a Bar encourages listeners to dive into their libraries, mini storage units or memories with us.

Our website has each episode plus transcripts, notes and other extras.