The ’80s were a time of high fashion, synthetic pop beats, and the transcendence of the consumer culture. The fashions may have faded (or not, depending on what particular retro kitsch is back this week), but that need for consumption has stayed with the world ever since. What better way to remember a decade than through a montage of some of its many, many commercials? As created by YouTube user g1MisterBo, “The 80s” is a quick cut of many scenes and shots from a wide assortment of that decade’s advertisements.
A Flock Of Seagulls’ amazing pop hit “I Ran (So Far Away)” drives the video as it cuts between the many images of people smiling like morons, really enjoying their denim, and demonstrating the clear superiority of their breakfast cereal choice. It’s a fun distraction that immediately brings viewers back to those days of UHF channels, Reaganomics, and pondering the location of the beef.