National Panasonic

Although the use of bright colours had been used since the 1950s with the introduction of plastics, the STC A5410 comes to mind. Matsushita, National Panasonic, with it's huge resources and backing of Philips, was more adventurous than many manufacturers in the 1970s with bright colours and "weird" industrial designs.

Whilst National Panasonic had tried some inovative designs to compete with other Japanase manufacturers, they really went to town in the first half of the 1970s. It was the R70 Panapet 70 fthat was displayed at the Osaka Work fair in 1970 that triggered the trend. The R70 drew a lot of attention and was a massive hit on release.

The trend continued with the R72 Toot-A-Loop wrist radio, and radios that looked like cups with secrect pictures inside (R63), the cube on a pedistal (R47A), Rolling Tone (RF 93 - AM/FM), Calendar Radio (R77 and R88), a long square tube with the dial on the end (R82).

There were also progressive designs of cassette players (Take 'N' Tape) and the famous eight track tape players the "Dynamite 8" that used a plunger to change tracks. Not forgeting various record players.

Even less out there designs were given bright cases.

However, all of these products were entry level aimed at young people. The never sounded good with their small speakers.

The advertisment above was from 1970 or 1971. The concept had begun.

This is a post 1972 advertisment where the range had been greatly expanded.

From " future-forms.com " for the first series, National Panasonic Panapet R-70: "The quirky ‘Panapet’, produced by Panasonic in 1970 to commemorate the World Expo in Osaka, was a ball-shaped radio that hung on a chain. Two chrome-plated dials on the surface controlled tuning and volume, and the tuning display itself was set into the ball. Initially released as an AM-only radio, customers could choose from red, yellow, white, blue and avocado green versions.