Reimagining a 1979 print ad this November
In 1979, KLH ran a single black-and-white page thanking America for listening …and listening …and listening …and listening. Under the headline were four photographs of four different families, each in their own room.
The copy was punchy, short and a little understated — the way KLH Audio has always talked about itself:
"Nineteen seventy-nine’s a big year for us. We’ll be 22 years old. In the wondrous world of stereo, that’s something of a miracle. But that doesn’t mean it’s an accident. KLH has grown the hard way. By pleasing one American music lover at a time. Time after time after time."
KLH turns 70 next year. When we started planning how we wanted to celebrate this fall, the whole KLH team got on a call to figure out what we wanted to say. We knew we wanted to take a close look at how the brand has spoken about itself and to its audiences over the years.
Some of the most lasting evidence of that history is in old advertising. We’d like to tell you we found these ads in a climate-controlled archive. But truthfully, many of them turned up online, including several on eBay of all places. We went through plenty (and bought a few).
This ad stood out for two reasons. It was already an anniversary ad: a 22-year-old company, a little surprised to still be here, thanking the people who kept it around. And its structure, four rooms and four sets of listeners, was something we could rebuild today with real people in their own homes.
What’s different in 2026
The people, mostly. The four families from the original ad are now a variety of creator partners we work with, people who already take photos and videos of music and the rooms they listen in. Each of these creators has either Model Three, Model Four, Model Five or Model Seven.
The format changed too. In 1979 this was a page you turned past in print. We sadly can’t confirm which audio publication this original ad ran in. In 2026 it’s photos, short videos and reels on social media, which is where many people discover us these days.
And the speakers aren’t the ones people bought back then either. Our modern speakers benefit from modern testing capabilities, better drivers and sturdier cabinets. The foundational principles haven’t changed: acoustic suspension design, a timeless look and feel, and the belief that listening is a sacred act.
Over the course of November, you’ll probably see this campaign show up in a few places: on our Instagram and Facebook pages, in your inbox and here on the blog. We’re also sitting down with some of our creator partners to talk about their love for music and how it found them. Those conversations will post here as the month goes on.
Want to get involved?
Four photographs can only hold so many people, and plenty more have been listening since 1957. What we love about our customers is many of them can name who or what got them started listening to music. Sometimes it’s a parent’s record collection, an older sibling’s mixtape, a friend who wouldn’t stop talking about an album or a fateful story about how your grandparents met over music.
If you have a story like that, we’d like to hear it. Reply to any of our emails or write to media@klhaudio.com. Send your short stories, photos or anything else you’d like to share. We may post some of them on our socials along the way.
Nearly 50 years after that first ad, we’re still a little surprised, and grateful, that so many of you never stopped listening.
Thanks for listening.
…and listening
…and listening
…and listening.
