Thoroughly Modern Millie 1967

Robert Peak’s poster for the film Thoroughly Modern Millie, is made with commercial printing processes, designed to appeal to a mass audience. The flat planes of color and bold lines, owe a debt to Pop Art and the broader advertising industry. The process is inherently linked to mass production and consumption, reflective of the film's narrative, which celebrates the changing roles of women in the roaring twenties. Note how the image is assembled - the layers of ink, the graphic quality of the typography, and the strategic use of color. The poster does not attempt to hide its means of production; instead, it revels in the bold simplicity that industrial printing allows. Examining the materials and methods of creation invites us to consider the poster not just as a piece of advertising, but as a cultural artifact, reflecting the values and aesthetics of its time. It’s a perfect example of how commercial art can also be a fascinating object of study.