Joe Hoke, veteran advertising executive, was interviewed in the fall of 2010 for the CPTV original documentary "The 60s in Connecticut." In an effort to share the many hours of rich content that does not appear in the hour long documentary, we are making this full length interview available on-line.
In this interview Joe Hoke, a veteran of the advertising industry in the 1960s, shares his perspective of an industry that began to evolve from a white, male dominated “country-club” to a creative, risk taking industry that let “minorities” such as Italians and women participate and succeed.
Mr. Hoke describes the pre-60s advertising style as very bland using little creativity and simply satisfying the clients’ tastes rather than the consumers'. The advertisements did not reflect modern society and discounted most of their audience. However, in the 1960s new agencies such as Doyle, Dane and Birnback formed, completely changing the face of advertising with minimalist art and daring tag lines. He calls this period the "creative revolution".
“I think advertising is ... more like a mirror reflecting back what already is in society.” Joe Hoke shares his distaste for typical advertising of the times that stereotyped men and women in their expected gender roles and negatively impacted the self image of women.
From Wisk to Volvo, Alka Seltzer to Virginia Slims, Joe Hoke shares his insights into the changes that occurred throughout the 1960s and and how advertising during the decade reflected those changes.
See Joe Hoke and many others in CPTVs original documentary “60s in Connecticut” airing on Connecticut Public Television.
