Bob Richter | 10/15/12 at 09:00 a.m.
Buyers and sellers haggle over prices. They discuss condition. And often they share what they've heard about an object's history. A best guess, a gut feeling, or prevailing wisdom can guide a deal. A case in point is Bob Richter's purchase of a 7-UP thermometer at the First Monday Trade Days flea market in Canton, Texas. In the 1960s, the 7-UP company's Uncola campaign targeted a younger demographic by embracing bright colors, current day slang, and free-form figures. The campaign generated billboards, posters, thermometers, and even patches to sew onto jeans. Many of these objects have since found their way into the hands of dealers and eBay sellers, who connect the colorful style with the artist Peter Max. Weeks after buying a 7-UP Uncola thermometer in Texas
, Bob met with Max and the 74-year-old artist revealed that he'd never made art for 7-UP. The MARKET WARRIORS production team contacted a representative of the advertising agency that helped create the Uncola campaign and he concurred with Max; a group of other young artists created all the artwork. Commercial art often hinges on an ability to connect an iconic style with a brand. Though Peter Max didn’t contribute to Uncola, the campaign gained inspiration from a fantastical style that he’d popularized to the max. Read on to find out how Max inspired Bob Richter...
Peter Max is a pop culture icon, and he’s also a really nice guy. I know this because I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with him
recently in his New York Studio. With his dreamlike celestial creations, Max is known for manifesting colorful galaxies and creatures that are both inviting and beguiling. Work by Max is quite accessible,
thanks to the myriad of products with his designs, from posters to puzzles, which were mass marketed for years. His work is evocative of a time, yet also quite timeless.
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