Vintage Ads: How Sanderson's Home Decor & Wallpaper Brand Appealed To The 'Me Decade'

Sanderson is an English wallpaper, interior design and decorating company. It is the oldest surviving English brand in its field. The Sanderson brand is known for its coordinated fabric and wallpapers.

In the 1970's, Sanderson's print ads included a series featuring some famous Brits and one Swede, Britt Ekland, who was also a resident Brit. The ad copy says simply: 'Very Britt Ekland, very Sanderson.'

Ekland's ad is from around 1973. She had yet to appear as a Bond girl and would soon play Mary Goodnight in 'The Man With The Golden Gun', which was released in 1974. Other ads from this print campaign feature Ekland's fellow Bond girl, Diana Rigg (the only Mrs. Bond, Tracy Bond, in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' in 1969); the singer and actress Petula Clark; and famed British chef Robert Carrier.

The standard in 1970's home decor entailed matching one's wallpaper with fabrics, like the curtains and sofa covers. Sanderson had enough clout to suggest a connection between its brand name and a one's ability to decorate his or her home to reflect a distinctive style.

If a home is 'very' someone, but also very Sanderson, this indicates Sanderson values (and can accommodate) each person's unique design preference. In the midst of the 'Me Decade', the idea of a brand being able to cater to one's individual taste had to have been a novel and appealing concept. Which is why these Sanderson print ads are a strong time capsule. They capture not only the look and feel of the 1970's, but also a concept that Sanderson, as a company, perceived to be desirable to the people of that era.