Here's a word from our sponsor, 70s protest button

This button was a symbol of the protest movements that rocked the United States in the 60s and 70s. This button was part of a larger set created by the same manufacturer. The designs featured the same glaring orange and yellow color combination and were created from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s.

Buttons rose in popularity during the liberation movements fueled by the rising use of identity politics in the United States. These movements were sparked by marginalized groups organizing to effect change, protests against the Vietnam War, the Hippie movement, and a broader counterculture focused on challenging damaging norms related to racism, sexism, homophobia, capitalism, and environmental destruction.

The slogan, “Here’s a word from our sponsor (silence),” was a cheeky response to the corporate control of media and consumer culture in the 1970s. In an era where advertisements were omnipresent, bombarding the public with messages designed to sell both products and ideologies, this button cleverly subverted that consumerist culture. The phrase "Here’s a word from our sponsor (silence)" parodied the typical ad format that was common at the time (and still persists today). By substituting silence for the usual commercial message, the button became a form of protest against the overwhelming influence of capitalist interests in shaping public discourse.

OpenStaxCollege. “Liberation Movements of the 1970s.” Khan Academy. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1970s-america/a/liberation-movements-1970s. 

“Pins and Buttons.” Pins and buttons | CT Digital Archive. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://collections.ctdigitalarchive.org/node/2753. 

Pruitt, Sarah. “How the Vietnam War Empowered the Hippie Movement.” History.com, August 3, 2023. https://www.history.com/news/vietnam-war-hippies-counter-culture.