New Wave Tropical - Aesthetic Highlight #23

[Emmy Fitz]

New Wave Tropical (Mid 1980s-Mid 1990s)

New Wave Tropical was an extremely popular aesthetic during most of the '80s and '90s. Pulling colorful motifs from Caribbean, Australian, and African iconography, it was used to inspire ideas of exotic and fun vacations. It was used in advertisements for fruit, animal-heavy tourist spots, interiors of family friendly restaurants, and fashion.

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This aesthetic is before my time but damn, what a fun and vibrant look. It really does make me wanna travel, even if it is sort of a stereotypical representation of what a westerner thinks of tropical locations. I love how bouncy it feels and I can hear the steel drum and pan flute midis lol

 

[Some_porcupine]

similar:

CARI | Aesthetic | Rad Dog / Neon Surf

cari.institute

 

[GENOSAD]

This aesthetic actually makes me think a lot about the zoo I went to often as a kid. Thing is, I don't have any specific graphics or designs to recall; it just feels very on-brand for the advertising they would have put up.
While this might not be an exact fit, I also recall a "Tiki Time" alarm clock that I had as a kid, although the motor was busted so the bells couldn't go off.

Regardless, I'm not quite sure I like the aesthetic, honestly. It looks too similar to the Corporate Memphis/Alegria style to really elicit the sort of joy and vibrance that the artists are going for. A real shame too, because that fault doesn't even lie on this aesthetic; it just so happens to look like something really hateable.

 

[brentw]

How did I completely miss this Aesthetic Highlight?

Anyway, fun style. Lots of memories.

 

[wavve-creator]

I always saw this as abstract africa core