The History of the Fender Stratocaster In Classic Adverts

Take a look at how one of the world's most iconic designs was marketed through time   12-Oct-14

1972 - How To Pick A Guitar

This advert, which details the features and spec of the Fender Stratocaster, shows the new larger headstock, which was designed to be able to display a larger Stratocaster logo for product placement on television.

1973 - The World's Favorite Flying Machine

This is one of the more leftfield Fender Stratocaster adverts. Designed to show off the versatility of 'The Flying Machine'. Put this one down as a swing and a miss?

1974 - You Get There Faster On A Fender

This ad is very much in a similar vein to previous one, this time the Stratocaster has been worked into the design of a Cadillac style car, though the cartoon bird has been swapped for a cartoon dog!

1975 - The Three Bears

1977 - It's a Business Machine

Now firmly into the CBS era, this campaign successfully shows off the versatility of the Strat... 'It's a soul machine', 'It's a country machine', 'It's a rock machine'... 'It's a BUSINESS machine!'.

1987 - Born In The USA

This advert, aimed at a UK audience, sells the American dream of the Fender Stratocaster to Brits. What a great dream it is.

1995 - Fender U.S. Plus/Deluxe

A modern classic

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, Fender relaunched the classic "You won't part with yours either" adverts and called on guitarists to do the same.

And the effort above is a particularly fine example.

Fan of the Stratocaster? Vote for who YOU think is the best Fender Strat player in our poll.