Maggi, Coca-Cola, Osram, Persil, Nivea, Palmers, Agfa, and VW: based on the Nuremburg Poster Collection at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, one of the largest collections of its kind in Germany, this extensive volume presents the history and impact of poster advertising by way of numerous examples from the period between 1885 and 1965. Like a virtual warehouse, it contains a variety of product categories, such as food, household goods, cosmetics, fashion, media, and leisure activities. The catalogue also shows how brands are positioned and how social leitmotifs are created through different kinds of visual messages. Even in the old days, the canon of values included the family, which held out a vision of happiness, while the notion of a specific style of life promised affluence. This richly illustrated publication also shows how early poster artists were quickly replaced by modern graphic artists, whose work was supported by advertising psychology and marketing studies.

 
Exhibition schedule: Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, Nuremberg, November 19, 2009-April 11, 2010