Prince in 1983: The Ad That Announced a Changing Face

A bold promotional advert positioning 1999 and “Little Red Corvette” as the moment Prince reshaped rock, pop, and the entire music landscape.

This promotional advert captures Prince at the exact moment he crossed from cult figure to mainstream phenomenon. Designed to push both the 1999 double album and the single “Little Red Corvette,” the ad frames Prince as a myth‑breaker — someone “changing the face and taste of rock” and selling millions while defying every expectation placed on a Black artist in early‑80s rock culture, using an image created by Allen Beaulieu Photography

The dramatic portrait, with its stylised lighting and shadow, reinforces his mystique and charisma. The copy emphasises his momentum: from the streets to the cover of Rolling Stone, from underground buzz to unstoppable commercial force. Distributed by WEA Records, the advert is a snapshot of Prince on the rise — confident, genre‑bending, and impossible to ignore.

Key Highlights

Promotes “Little Red Corvette” and the special‑priced double album 1999

Frames Prince as a disruptive force in rock and pop

Emphasises commercial success: “selling millions of albums”

Celebrates his growing media presence, including Rolling Stone

Features a stylised, dramatic portrait of Prince

Distributed by WEA Records, part of Warner Communications