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In 2019, the publishers of Wonder magazine asked me to write an article about the ad campaign behind one of my favorite films: 2001: A Space Odyssey. The magazine's online edition launches in early 2020, but here's a sneak preview. . .

It would take seven years

for 2001 to recoup

its original investment, but 

during that time it would solidify its position as one

of the most influential and

highly regarded motion

pictures ever produced.

Screen Shot 2019-04-16 at 10.01.07 AM.pn
Screen Shot 2019-04-16 at 10.03.00 AM.pn

ADVERTISING THE FUTURE

by Rob McFarlane

MGM needed a suitably provocative copy line to contextualize the image. Kaplan's solution, "The Ultimate Trip" would add the final grace note to what would prove to be one of the most iconic ads of the twentieth century.

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