The 1970s Brand RevolutionWhen Entrepreneurs Changed the Game |
I was chatting with James the other day on a trip up north and he mentioned - there's a wave of 50th anniversaries hitting the business world right now. Later James and I over a few alcohol-free beers with Tom (he was the only one drinking proper beer), we got to wondering: what made the 1970s such an extraordinary moment for innovation?
The Perfect Storm
The 1970s weren't just another decade - they were a perfect storm of conditions that transformed bright ideas into legendary brands. The space race had left us with more than just footprints on the moon; it had given us new materials, new ways of thinking, and most importantly, a sense that the impossible was actually possible.
This wasn't happening in isolation. The post-war boom had created something unprecedented - a generation with both disposable income and a burning desire for self-expression. What made the '70s truly special was how different cultural movements, technological innovations, and visionary entrepreneurs all collided at exactly the right moment.
The Cultural Revolution
Before the '70s, running was mostly for athletes. Then Bill Bowerman and Harris co-wrote "Jogging" in 1967, featuring Arthur Lydiard's famous "Train, don't strain!" philosophy. The book sold over a million copies, helping democratize running in the United States. By 1977, Jim Fixx's "The Complete Book of Running" became a bestseller, turning jogging into a mainstream phenomenon.
Meanwhile, in London's Chelsea district, a small shop was about to change fashion forever. Originally called "Let It Rock," Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's boutique became a cultural crucible where art, music, and fashion collided. By 1974, renamed as SEX, it became "unlike anything else going on in England," famous for its provocative 'rubberwear for the office' slogan. The shop's evolution through various incarnations - from Too Fast to Live Too Young to Die to SEX to Seditionaries - mirrored the rapid cultural changes of the era.
In New York, Kool Herc's Bronx block parties were laying the foundation for hip-hop culture, while in California, the Z-Boys were turning empty swimming pools into skateboarding playgrounds. Each of these movements wasn't just about the activity - they were complete cultural ecosystems creating new languages of style and self-expression.
The Garage Revolutionaries
This cultural ferment gave birth to a new breed of innovator. Picture a frustrated track coach in Oregon, so obsessed with making better running shoes that he actually poured rubber into his wife's waffle iron. Bill Bowerman wasn't trying to build Nike into a global empire that morning - he was just driven mad by the idea that runners deserved better.
Then there's Jim Jannard, starting Oakley with just $300 in his garage. He was so obsessed with material innovation that he'd work until his hands literally bled, creating motorcycle grips nobody had asked for. He named his revolutionary material "Unobtainium" - rather cheeky that, naming something unobtainable that he'd just invented.
Nathan Swartz was getting properly tired of wet feet. Instead of just complaining, he invented a way to inject molten rubber into leather - something nobody had managed before. The yellow Timberland boot wasn't trying to be a fashion statement; it was just trying to keep workers' feet dry.
The Science Fiction Reality
The '70s were obsessed with the future - whether through Apollo mission technology or sci-fi blockbusters like Star Wars. This futuristic mindset influenced brands like Oakley, whose designs seemed pulled straight from science fiction. Even Swatch, conceived in the late '70s and born in 1983, dared to imagine something heretical: a plastic Swiss watch that made precision accessible to everyone.
The Legacy Lives On
Fast forward to today, and you'll find that same spirit in brands like On Running, Allbirds, and Gymshark. They're using modern tools - 3D printing instead of waffle irons, AI instead of graph paper - but the obsession with innovation remains the same.
Yet fifty years on, these legacy brands face a crucial inflection point. While they disrupted their way to success, they now need to reconnect with their disruptive roots as new brands reshape market dynamics and consumer perceptions. Take Tiffany's controversial "Not Your Mother's Tiffany" campaign - while it may have missed the mark in execution, it highlighted a crucial truth: each generation needs to find its own voice and its own brands.
Just as the Punks of SEX boutique and the B-boys of the Bronx transformed fashion by breaking all the rules, today's consumers are seeking brands that authentically speak to their values and aspirations. The lesson from the '70s isn't just about innovation in materials or design - it's about having the courage to break conventions and create something truly new.
Makes you wonder what we'll be celebrating 50 years from now, doesn't it?