1967-1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Campbell Ad Agency Proposal Mockups for Ads - INFO

[VintageLiterature]

Hi,
A poster on the AACA forums recommended that I post here.

I'm hoping to learn more about some items I recently acquired. These are original advertising agency mock-ups / proposals for Chevrolet Camaro SS / Nova SS / Chevelle SS magazine ads. According to the seller I purchased these from, they originate from the Campbell Ewald ad agency, which makes sense as they were Chevrolet's agency during this time. They aren't marked, however, so I'm not certain.

These items are rough mockups - 2 are hand drawn and 2 are 'collages' with cut-out images glued to paper. The cut out images were clearly done by an artist using a fine knife as they are extremely neat and trimmed very professionally. Other than the main slogans, they use lines or lorem ipsum as place holders for text not yet created. I have collected literature for a while now and have never come across anything like these - they're really an incredible view into the behind the scenes creative process at the time.

The four pieces are:

1) 1969 Camaro SS - hand drawn with the slogan "To come close to Corvette, we picked the best sports car brains around - our own'. I've seen this slogan used before but never this type of image.

2) 1968 Camaro - hand drawn with the slogan "The cars you hate to get out of". This one included a very rough concept sketch which describes the figure to be included as "an older sporty (Barry) Goldwater type with a beard and large sunglasses"

3) Collage image with the slogan "Chevrolet Builds them Healthier". Ad was to cover Nova SS350, Camaro SS and Chevelle SS 396. (1967/68?)

4) Collage image with the slogan "Chevrolet Turbo-Jet V8s are what put the soup in super sporting". Covers Camaro SS and Chevelle 396 (1967/68?)

I was hoping that someone here might be able to provide more information about these proposed ads - who created them, where were they intended to run, did these proposals (slogans, designs, images) lead to any actual ad campaigns?

Thanks in advance for any insights or theories!

[VintageLiterature]

More photos

[KurtS]

The tagline in the 69 SS ad did get used.
I've never seen any of the others, but that doesn't mean much.

[69Z28-RS]

The 'Campbell' fella in the agency must have come up with the 'soup in super sport' line.. .  good thing that one never got used! 

[VintageLiterature]

@69Z28-RS - HAHA! Agreed - definitely not their greatest slogan

[firstgenaddict]

The 68's pictured were all used in the same angle posed in the 68 Dealer Album.

[cook_dw]

2) 1968 Camaro - hand drawn with the slogan "The cars you hate to get out of". This one included a very rough concept sketch which describes the figure to be included as "an older sporty (Barry) Goldwater type with a beard and large sunglasses"

I would love to have a copy of this in a 11x17 to frame up!!

[lakeholme]

Vintage Literature,
That would be me over at the AACA forums. But nobody knows who Lakeholme is in the AACA universe.
Thanks for sharing. There are still some very knowledgeable people who haven't responded yet.
Besides, I knew the Camaro guys would get a kick out of seeing them.
Thanks, again.

[JohnZ]

Those are typical paste-ups and draft storyboards that ad agency copywriters and creative types gin up and develop every day, in hopes that the client likes them and they ultimately bloom into a production ad or campaign (or, conversely, they hit the wastebasket and never go anywhere). My stepfather was a senior executive on the Pontiac account at McManus, John & Adams in the late 50's - early 60's, and he brought that kind of stuff home all the time from his creative staff to review.

[68camaroz28]

The 68's pictured were all used in the same angle posed in the 68 Dealer Album.

Hey, I got one of them so I need to check that out! Great examples and thank you VintageLiterature and Phillip.....

[VintageLiterature]

The 68's pictured were all used in the same angle posed in the 68 Dealer Album.

Very interesting. The cut-outs certainly could have been taken from dealer books - I would imagine those items would have been designed by the same agency.

I would love to have a copy of this in a 11x17 to frame up!!

I wish I had a way of copying this for you! The actual piece measures 13 1/2" by 16 1/2". The image is smaller, but I would keep it on the larger board since there are original pen notes on the back.

Vintage Literature,
That would be me over at the AACA forums. But nobody knows who Lakeholme is in the AACA universe.
Thanks for sharing. There are still some very knowledgeable people who haven't responded yet.
Besides, I knew the Camaro guys would get a kick out of seeing them.
Thanks, again.

Thanks again Phillip! I really appreciate the introduction to this forum

Those are typical paste-ups and draft storyboards that ad agency copywriters and creative types gin up and develop every day, in hopes that the client likes them and they ultimately bloom into a production ad or campaign (or, conversely, they hit the wastebasket and never go anywhere). My stepfather was a senior executive on the Pontiac account at McManus, John & Adams in the late 50's - early 60's, and he brought that kind of stuff home all the time from his creative staff to review.

Wow, it must have been incredible to see that type of material as it was being produced! Do you know if any of those Pontiac (or other) mock-ups have survived? I would imagine thousands of proposals of this type would have been produced to varying degrees of quality over the years, though I haven't been able to find anything similar. I do come across styling / design studio mockups from time to time but very little from the ad agencies.

[cook_dw]

Any way to scan them as a PDF? Either way great pieces and thank you for sharing!!

[dannystarr]

Maybe they can be taken down to a Staples or similar place. They can make copies way up to poster size with those giant machines. Because I would like copies of all of this also. Check it out and let us know. I think Staples is in every State, but maybe not... Danny

[bcmiller]

Or Office Depot offers similar copying services, at least in my area.

[VintageLiterature]

@bcmiller @dannystarr @cook_dw

Wow, I wasn't expecting there to be interest in copies! There is a Fedex copy centre close to me and I can check over the next week or so (I live in Toronto, Canada but we have the same office supply stores here). They tend to be on the pricier side but should have the equipment.

Please let me know which image(s) and sizes you would be interested in. The 1968 and 1969 hand drawn pieces would be easiest to copy - the collages are pretty fragile so I'm a bit worried about transporting them (I can try though if there's interest).

Assuming I can get these scanned at a decent quality, I can offer posters at printing cost (unknown) plus postage from Canada (approx $5-$15 depending on size) and $15 each for my time (Open to discounting 2 or more and postage would be combined). Let me know if this works!