Edison Electrical Institute, “Live Better Electrically”

Better Homes and Gardens. May 1966. 

The Live Better Electrically campaign was an initiative launched in partnership between General Electric and Westinghouse in 1956. In postwar America, people were honing in on all the modern conveniences and innovations of the era, and the demand for electricity rose. The thing is, as more consumers got on the grid, electricity costs went down, so there was a push to create more electric demand. Having a Gold Medallion home meant that you were at the forefront of modernity, and had a completely electric home - appliances, heat, lighting, air conditioning, you name it. You even had to have a certain number of outlets to qualify for that coveted medallion. The campaign was marketed heavily at least through the early ‘70s, and real estate agents still used medallion homes as a selling point after that point. 

The main spokesman for the campaign was Ronald Reagan, and television viewers could marvel at how life was so much more efficient through the magic of electricity. Here’s a fun video of one of the spots that includes the entire Reagan family: