“Things are changing.” campaign
“Putney Swope, a 1969 film written and directed by Robert Downey, Sr. and starring Arnold Johnson as Swope, is a comedy satirizing the advertising world, the portrayal of race in Hollywood films, the white power structure, and nature of corporate corruption.” — Wikipedia
The “Things are changing.” poster, set in Franklin Gothic Condensed, was introduced for the Plans for Progress volunteer program which promoted equal employment opportunities for people of color among 300 firms. It can be seen in the photograph above featuring U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Hobart Taylor, who helped devise the program. Taylor was John F. Kennedy’s special counsel to the President’s Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, where he is credited with coining the phrase, “affirmative action”.
As an official slogan for the program, “Things are changing” permeated popular culture at the time. It was used as a pointed prop in the satirical film Putney Swope (below) and Brian Wilson and Phil Spector (with the help of Jerry Riopell) even wrote a song for the campaign in 1965. The song was performed by many artists including The Blossoms, The Supremes, and Jay and the Americans. Check out the lyrics.
Sleeve and label for the single, Things are changing, by The Blossoms in 1965. Top line set in Alternate Gothic.
Sleeve for the single, Things are changing, by The Supremes in 1965.
Record label for the single, Things are changing, by The Supremes in 1965.
Still from the film Putney Swope, 1969.
