F1 Film Rush: Call to Show the Truth about the 70s

From FASH:

Rush – the new film about the 1970’s Formula One rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda – is a sharp reminder of how the polyester industry used sport to recruit new young wearers. The drivers are plastered in polyester clothing, while flares are commonplace both indoors and out throughout the film.

To counter the inevitable platform heel and sheepskin coat imagery shown in the film, taste campaigners in the UK are calling for warning ads about the impact of bad style to be shown in advance of the film.

Rush will remind older viewers of how the sideburn industry dominated hair until they were outlawed in 1979. Younger viewers will be surprised at the extent to which they were splashed on the sides of the drivers’ heads. Today, bugger grips only exist on the faces of ironic hipsters - something that would end if its prohibition were introduced by law.

The film shows how far we have come since the days when Fabergé shamelessly promoted their brands through sport. The sub-text of the companies’ near monopoly of Henry Cooper sponsorship was that their brands were as alluring and exciting as the sport itself.

And it worked. Evidence shows that children were more likely to start wearing Brut 33 after being exposed to Henry Cooper through advertising and sponsorship. There is also good evidence to show that adverts for cheap aftershave in films encourages young people to start a lifetime habit.

FASH acknowledges that felt hats were a major part of fashion in the 1970s and therefore it is not surprising that such appears in the film. However, FASH is also calling on the film industry to require the showing of anti-garish advertisements to be shown in advance of any film containing felt hats or flares, as there is evidence to show that this will help inoculate young people against the harmful effects of 70s fashion in films.