Hi Chris, Remember me Gary who also Repped Steve with Charie? I remember you and your brother. Both great guys. Did you know that Steve passed about 9 years ago? Email me. Do you know the whereabouts of Charlie?
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By: gary
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By: How Do You Levitate Things With Sound? | Mobile Hand Devices
[…] is a commonly held idea that sound makes the air travel out like a fan. This can be seen in the classic 1978 Maxwell ad that shows a guy’s hair blown back due to some rockin speakers. In my usual fashion, I have made […]
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By: Julie Falbo
Hi Gary. My hubby is Jak C.’s cousin… he has always been told that it is him in that chair. Is it? We would love to have confirmation! Thanks!
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By: Chris Noonan
Hi Julie, Yes, that is Jac C. I was there, as the photographer’s set builder. Gary and I have spoken recently about the shoot and Jac. I’m sure that when he sees your post that he too will confirm Jac as the model. See my earlier post for more details.
Chris N.
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By: Gary Hurewitz
HI, I am Gary and I was Steve Steigman’s assistant representative at the time. I was at that shoot with Chris Noonan. I think the shoot took place in 1979. I had just started working with Steve. The model was definitely Jack Collello. How that happened is that they wanted a model with long light hair and the hair styles were short then. Steigman hired Jack to be the Hair Stylist on the shoot. Jack was a top commercial hair stylist and Steigman used him for most of his jobs. When they had trouble finding a model Steigman turned to Jack and said ” Jack, you would be perfect”. And Jack was hired as the model in the chair. He was also hired on the subsequent ad with the Porche’s Roof being blown away. It is positively Jack. The image was behind the dancer’s bed in the movie “Flashdance” Jack was also in the TV commercial.
Gary
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By: Gary Hurewitz
The “Blow Away” shot had become iconic. It is hard to believe that it was taken 35 years ago. Steve Steigman was considered a Top commercial photographer at the time but this shot catapulted him into the top level. There was a point when he was considered one of the Premiere photographers in the country. He would have assignments almost every day and some days have double bookings. Steigman would say, “Just book em in and I will find a way to shoot them”. The Agency that created the add was Scali McCabe Sloves, which was one of the hottest agencies on Madison Avenue. It was actually on Third Ave. The creative director was Lars Anderson who was the stereotype, cool, good looking “Madmen” type of creatives in the 70″s. There was a subsequent Ad with the roof of a Porsche blowing up in the air. There was also another ad that was never produced. It was the same style and visual as original ad but instead of the stereo there was a window with an atomic bomb going off in the distance and the figure in the chair turning into an Xray. Maxell, the client, thought the ad was too radical and killed it. Steigman played with the idea of doing it as a sample but never did it. The original ad was put together by hand by the top retouchers of the day, Spano Rocanova. This was obviously before Photoshop. Steigman would go on to shoot many memorable ads including the first NIke Poster of John McEnroe in front of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Steigman created the company “Big City” and at it’s height it had 6 print photographers and many TV directors. Steigman was a brilliant self made man who mentored many people including myself. I have been a successful commercial photographers representative for 35 years and I owe much of my knowledge and success to Steve Steigman.
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By: Tisha Phillips
Hi Julie, I never respond to these, but I can guarantee the guy is Jac Colello as I am his niece 
and I have the pictures of him doing David Bowie’s hair. Can I assume your husband is Ramond, or Tony?
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By: Why I Love Opera and You Should Too - Buzzweep
[…] the critics.) Instead, for me, opera offers the experience of the man sitting in the armchair in that famous Maxell ad. It’s everything blasting at you: orchestra, powerful and un-amplified voices, sets, […]
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By: priscilla croft
Gary Hurewitz! Priscilla Croft here. How sad I am to learn on this forum that Steve passed away 9 years ago.
I had a dream last night in which Steve and I were having a conversation, hence the search for him today.
–To others reading this, I worked with Steve A LOT in the late 70s (I was an art director at Needham, Harper & Steers working on the Xerox account). Steve Steigman was one of the good guys in advertising. He worked his tail off and it showed in his work. Always a pleasure to work with, always a gentleman. Open, kind hearted, and as live a wire as ever was.
The model in the shot looked exactly like Lars (long hair, lanky, sunglasses, leather jacket), and we (other art directors) used to laugh about that. Not only was it cool looking, but Lars kinda pulled one over.
I knew Lars and was greatly inspired that this was shot exactly according to his vision, without compromise, with Steve’s crew making it all come together.
I think this shot blew away other art directors at the time, raised the bar, expectations and hopes of what one could “get away with” (which was how creative people saw this kind of ad without product placement, huge logos, bla copy droning away about the virtues of the product, etc).
In fact, after that I would go into meetings with creative directors who would command, “Give me another Maxel.” no matter what the product was. Thanks a lot Lars and Steve!
I ramble. So, hi Gary, thanks for the sad news.
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By: Gary Hurewitz
Hi there Priscilla. Yes it is true that Steve is not with us anymore. I had lunch with him on a Thursday and that Saturday I got the call. I would like to tell you about the details so please send me your personal email or contact me by phone.
When It happened I got a call from Alan Kaye and Neil Leinwohl. It has been many years since I spoke to them. Those were the great agency days. It has all changed. So please contact me and we can catch up.
Gary.
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By: Blown-away Man / Steven Steigman + Maxell | External Brain
[…] Rarely has an advertising image been hailed as a pop culture icon. In that rarified company of Marlboro Man and Benetto Pieta belongs this 1978 photograph by Steven Steigman, which would later be known as the Blown-away Man. The ad for Hitachi Maxell, the Japanese manufacture of stereos has since been parodied from Family Guy to P.Diddy, and to this day, has been recycled and reused by Maxell is its ad campaigns — via Iconic Photos […]
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By: Jamie Rogers
Thank you for the information on “Blown Away”, I remember this art concept growing up. I am doing a essay of this picture, so thank you again for the interesting information.
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By: Gary Hurewitz
Is this for school? If you need any additional information feel free to ask. I was present at the shoot and was Steigman’s representative (agent).
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By: Kim Furillo Stone
It was Jack all right. I’m also a cousin of Jack. I think maybe a second cousin. His Mom was my great Aunt Lena I believe.
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By: Gary Hurewitz
Hey, I was there. I knew Jack very well. I was at his New Years Eve party that year. What an event. Unfortunately, Jack was an early victim of AIDS, before they knew what it was or had any treatments. He was also in the Porsche with the roof blowing off. Amazing how that image is talked about 35 years later.
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By: Thor Hugo
I always thought this pic was a LP-cover of a 80s Pop-group. Pink Floyd or Alain Parsons…
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By: Radio is Dead. Long live Radio. |
[…] Selwyn-Holmes, A. (2010, May 31). Iconic Photos: Blown-away Man. [Web log]. Retrieved from https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/blown-away-man/ […]
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By: Sandra
I HAVE THE POSTER, FRAMED AND WILL BE PUTTING IT ON EBAY
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By: Chris Noonan
Hi Sandra,
Try e-bay or http://www.baddogposters.com/1117maxellblownawayadmini111501.html
Chris
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By: sandy davids
That is Jac (not Jack) Colello in the chair. I was his best friend for many years. We also lived together for a time. I miss him everyday. He was gorgeous! The most beautiful big blue eyes! He had a heart of gold. We had such fun together. We went to all the discos & other clubs famous in the 70’s. He introduced me to Bette Midler before she was famous, when singing at the baths. Studio 54, Xenon, Tamberlane etc. we were there! He had a lot of confidence & drive to make it and he did make it. I met Jac around 1966 or 67. He was from Sharon, Pa. & I was from Youngstown, Ohio (very close to Pa. line). He was a lover of one of my best friends then. As soon as he moved to NY, he called me & we met & the rest is history. We lived together on E. 58th St. When I heard he passed, I was devastated. He was sick for many years. They had no treatment then. Aids was in its infancy. We would often get together in Ohio when home for the holidays. The last time I saw him was in Ohio around Xmas, 1987 or 88, in a club. The last thing he said to me was, “I’m goin across the street (another club) to find a husband! That was Jac. I loved him very much. He was very thin & didn’t look well. Shortly after this shoot, he started showing symptoms. They thought it was mono at first. He died in 1990. I believe in March. I’ve been to his tomb. He has a twin sister & younger brother who passed in late 60’s. He’s buried in pa. He was so funny & loving. Rest in peace my friend.
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