The Golden Age of IBM Advertising
Big Blue's classic midcentury campaigns for "card-programmed calculating machines," newfangled typewriters, and other miracles of technology.Posted by Harry McCracken | Monday, August 30, 2010
January 1956
This ad’s so inspiring it almost makes me wish I’d been around in 1956 to seek a “provocative” job as an IBM field technician. I love the reference to “the world’s largest computer”–it wouldn’t be that much longer before the only size-related bragging that computer companies did would involve miniaturization, not enormity.
The machine in question was the IBM 702–an archetypal room-filling mainframe that used magnetic tape rather than familiar punch cards. It was the company’s first real commercial computer, and it was already out of production when this ad ran.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:12 am
Read the fine print. At that time you had to have 2 years training. This training was in so called electronics, Which in 1956 was a glorified electrician. Everything was vacuum tube and relays.
I joined IBM as a Field Technician in 1970 after 4 years as an Airforce technician. By the 1980s they wouldn't even consider an applicant that didn't have a college degree. Even though the job at that time was getting less technical every year.
I must say however that they did provide a career. I worked for they in one capacity or another for 30 years.
December 22nd, 2011 at 12:07 am
IBM really did a great service on the tech industry. They revolutionized the evolution of computers.
January 4th, 2012 at 6:56 am
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January 10th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
IBM is one of the best when it comes to technology. Thanks for posting this.
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January 11th, 2012 at 5:22 am
IBM is one of the oldest company but still they manage to give us what we are looking when it comes to technology.
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January 18th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
IBM has already proven us how great their services are.. A really reputable company..
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:38 am
I wonder if how is IBM doing today? They have established their name and I hope they will continuously so the same. Best Mid-Range Digital SLR Cameras
June 18th, 2014 at 6:31 am
I hired on with IBM in Tucson AZ in 1980(circuit card test tech) and the manufacturing business was going great building circuit card till 1989 when the plant started downsizing and I took a transfer to Charlotte NC and this business lasted till 1998 when once again the manufacturing of circuit cards moved to China. Everyone who thought that they had a lifetime job with IBM found out the reality of cheap labor overseas. In its heyday IBM was a great place to work and employees were taken care of.