It is easy to see why Nitty Gritty would be such a hit with the “younger generation.” It’s fun, it’s different, something not seen before in wallpaper designs. Nitty Gritty is formatted in a graffiti-style, with all the words and slogans written as they might appear in phone booths or lockers. Sayings like Sock it to me, Beatniks are worthless, and Save water-bathe with friends would definitely add a little humor and catch the attention of this younger crowd. Keeping in mind the year is 1968, when colors and patterns kept getting bigger and bolder, this paper would have made a nice neutral backdrop as it was printed in dark shades of green, brown and black on a white vinyl ground.
Part of the Bravo collection of wallpapers, this was marketed toward the under thirty crowd. Market research showed that over half the population was under thirty, and this majority had more buying power than in years past. All of the papers in this collection are strippable, scrubbable and pre-pasted, designed to appeal to this generation of do-it-yourselfers.
The entire collection is very contemporary with many of the designs inspired by pop art and op art, and designs are printed on a range of glossy vinyls and Mylar foil. One of the secrets to this new collection was the use of fluorescent colors, a first in the wallpaper industry. Not only were the patterns bigger and bolder but the pigments were intensified as well. The release of the Bravo collection met with much accolade from the public and the press and quickly became a best seller. All things considered, Nitty Gritty is probably one of the more tame patterns in the group.
