Magic Johnson Sta-Sof-Fro 1982 Poster Ad

Advertisements that have African Americans as the main focus during and after the Civil Rights Movement. This would fall in the category of American Modernism in which these examples are important and/ or are historical in graphic design history, having a black person(s) front and center in the 20th century is important for representation purposes, especially in times after the Civil Rights Movements. In the past, around from the late 19th century to the 1960s, black people have had a very tainted reputation when it came to advertisements. Showing African Americans as  inferior to white people, made a mockery of with racist caricatures, or shown as inhuman/ animals.The depiction of African Americans in these posters are as normal people, even having them as “main characters” and not props to make a person of lighter complexion look better.

This 1982 poster from M&M Productions shows businessman and former basketball player, Magic Johnson with the Sta-Sof-Fro hair product and a basketball. Some would say it’s stereotypical for a black man to be associated with basketball, but since this is a product for black hair and that Magic Johnson’s a (Former) basketball player, it makes sense for the composition.