David Bowie (Oct. 1999) hours… – Album Advert

A sleek, futuristic full‑page advert announcing David Bowie’s hours… album, highlighting its holographic artwork, innovative packaging, and the launch of a major 24‑bit remaster campaign

WRITER / ARTIST / DATE / LENGTH

Writer: Virgin Records Promotional Team

Artist: David Bowie

Date: October 4, 1999

Length: 5 min read

OVERVIEW

Published around October 4, 1999, this advert launched David Bowie’s hours…, his first album of the new millennium era. The design features a holographic‑style central image of Bowie in white, one figure standing over another, symbolising reflection and transition. The advert emphasises the album’s release date, the preceding single “Thursday’s Child,” and the availability of a limited lenticular hologram edition. It also promotes the major 24‑bit remaster campaign of Bowie’s back catalogue, positioning hours… as both a new chapter and a bridge to his past.

PUBLICATION

Publication: Unidentified music publication

Date: October 4, 1999

Country: United Kingdom (likely)

Section / Pages: Full‑Page Album Advertisement

Title: David Bowie — hours

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Promotion of Bowie’s hours… album

Era: Late‑1990s / Pre‑millennium period

Tone: Futuristic, reflective, modern

Photography: Holographic‑style Bowie image in white

Audience: Bowie fans, collectors, and late‑1990s music buyers

“hours… — the new album.”

THE STORY BEHIND IT

The advert highlights the album’s October 4 release and the preceding single “Thursday’s Child,” while promoting the limited lenticular hologram edition — a nod to Bowie’s interest in multimedia and innovative packaging. It also announces the 24‑bit remaster campaign of his earlier catalogue, spanning Space Oddity through Tin Machine, released in two phases. The design reflects the late‑1990s shift toward digital aesthetics, with clean lines, futuristic typography, and a central holographic image that captures the album’s introspective tone

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: Promotion of Bowie’s hours… album

Era: 1999 / Pre‑millennium

Tone: Clean, modern, reflective

Photography: Holographic‑style Bowie image in white

Audience: Fans of Bowie’s late‑1990s work and collectors of physical formats

CONTEXT & NOTES

The advert uses a contemporary layout with a large central holographic image, overlaid text, and a colourful barcode‑style element at the top. A bottom strip displays a visual timeline of Bowie’s evolving personas, reinforcing the connection between hours… and his broader artistic journey. The inclusion of multiple formats — two CDs, cassette single, and interactive video elements — reflects the transitional moment between physical media and emerging digital formats.

“Limited quantities of exclusive lenticular hologram edition available.”

SOURCES

Original 1999 hours… album advert

Virgin Records promotional materials

Context verified against 1999 Bowie release documentation

External anchors: Discogs / 45cat / Wikipedia (where applicable)

RELATED MATERIAL

• Repackaged & Remastered – Advert (Sep. 1999)

• Thursday’s Child – Single (Sep. 1999)

• hours… – Album (Sept. 1999)

---

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

---