The Summer of Love in 1967 was a significant moment for the counterculture movement, inspired by the Beat generation of the 1950s. The hope was for musicians and artists to migrate to Haight-Ashbury and other counterculture centers. The event had an impact on mainstream culture, with television shows and advertising using elements of the movement.
As numerous pop culture pundits like to point out, the 1960s were a decade of political and social upheaval. A growing segment of the younger population became disillusioned with the conventions and restrictions of straight society, leading some to form a functional counterculture. The Summer of Love would prove to be a watershed moment for thousands who followed Dr. Timothy Leary’s advice to “turn on, tune in and quit.” Others, including the traditional advertising industry, may have seen dollar signs fall during the summer of love.
Although the Summer of Love didn’t happen until 1967, the bohemian spirit that inspired it was already present in the Beat generation of the 1950s. Poets, artists and musicians who had already rebelled against the perceived hypocrisies of mainstream society found kindred spirits in the burgeoning hippie movement of the mid-1960s. In liberal cities like Berkeley and San Francisco, the counterculture movement gained significant momentum and influence. In January 1967, the first organized be-ins and love-ins were held, led by the nonviolent protest philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. When singer Scott McKenzie released his song San Francisco in 1967, the rumors of a great love during the summer months were rampant.
It was this level of anticipation that fueled the Summer of Love machine. Counterculture leaders in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district had a hard time planning an event commensurate with the Summer of Love hype. The idea of actually planning a “spontaneous” event like a love-in seemed particularly counterintuitive. The hope among the counterculture crowd was that musicians and other artists would naturally migrate to Haight-Ashbury and other major counterculture centers. By the spring of 1967, major news agencies and marketing strategists had also become interested in the proposed Summer of Love. Symbols of hippie culture were now being introduced to the masses, much to the disappointment of the hippies themselves.
The Summer of Love may not have been the commercial event some hoped for, but it had an effect on mainstream culture. Television shows geared towards a younger audience began to appear. Topics once considered taboo or controversial may finally be featured on television and in movies. Advertisers employed many of the counterculture’s visual and lyrical elements. While mainstream America may not have fully embraced the hippie movement, Summer of Love provided a positive glimpse into the minds of a generation once feared lost.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
