David Bowie (August 2, 1980) Ashes to Ashes – New Musical Express Advertisement

David Bowie
Aug 2, 1980
2 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

A full‑page RCA advertisement from New Musical Express promoting David Bowie’s single “Ashes to Ashes,” released in August 1980. The design features Bowie’s own artwork and photography, showcasing his Pierrot persona from the Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) period.

Publication: New Musical Express

Date: August 2 1980

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Page 18

Title: Ashes to Ashes – RCA Advertisement

The advertisement is divided into two sections. The upper half displays a grid of twelve stamp‑like images bordered by perforation dots, each showing Bowie in his Pierrot costume in various poses. Across the centre, handwritten script reads “Ashes to ashes,” echoing the song’s title. The lower half presents three larger monochrome photographs of Bowie in the same costume, spotlighted against a dark background. The caption below announces that the first 100,000 copies of the single include collectible stamp sheets — four different sets in total — all featuring original artwork by Bowie himself.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Promotional advertisement for Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes”

Era: 1980 – Scary Monsters period

Tone: Artistic and conceptual

Photography: Bowie in Pierrot costume

Audience: NME readers and Bowie collectors

“3 INDIVIDUAL PICTURE SLEEVES. FIRST 100,000 CONTAIN A SHEET OF 9 STAMPS … ALL ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY DAVID BOWIE.”

THE STORY BEHIND IT

By mid‑1980, Bowie was redefining his visual identity through the Scary Monsters campaign. The Pierrot figure, first seen in the “Ashes to Ashes” video, symbolised introspection and transformation — a farewell to the 1970s and the personas that had defined him. This advertisement reflects Bowie’s hands‑on approach to design, merging fine art, photography, and pop marketing. The collectible stamp concept reinforced his reputation as a multimedia innovator, turning a single release into an art object.

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: RCA advertisement for “Ashes to Ashes”

Era: 1980

Tone: Conceptual and elegant

Photography: Bowie in Pierrot costume

Audience: British music readers and collectors

CONTEXT AND NOTES

The “Ashes to Ashes” campaign marked Bowie’s return to the UK No. 1 spot and introduced one of his most iconic visual motifs. The Pierrot imagery, created with photographer Brian Duffy, became synonymous with the Scary Monsters era. This NME advertisement is among the earliest print appearances of the design, preceding the single’s release on August 8 1980.

“All original artwork by David Bowie.”

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