History of Posters Part 3
- Tami
- Jan 1, 2020
- 2 min read
World War I meant a new role for the poster: propaganda. The war ushered in the biggest advertising campaign to date, critical to the wartime communication needs: from raising money, recruiting soldiers, and boosting volunteer efforts, to spurring production and provoking outrage at enemy atrocities. Utilising contemporary Madison Avenue techniques, America alone produced about 2,500 striking poster designs and approximately 20 million posters - nearly 1 for every 4 citizens - in just over 2 years.
After World War I, Art Nouveau's organic inspiration became irrelevant in an increasingly industrial society; the modern art movements Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism and Dadaism became major influences. At the same time, the first graphic design courses were launched in France, Germany and Switzerland, a key moment in the transition from illustration to graphic design in advertising. This shift was quickly felt in the Soviet Union, where Constructivist art arose to help create the new revolutionary, technological society.
The poster again played a large communication role in World War II, but this time it shared the spotlight with other media, particularly radio and print. By this time, most posters were printed using the mass production technique of photo offset, which resulted in the familiar dot pattern seen in newspapers and magazines. The use of photography in posters, begun in the Soviet Union in the Twenties, now became as common as illustration. After the war, the poster declined further in most countries as television became an additional competitor.
The last gasp of the lithographic poster occurred in Switzerland, where the government heavily promoted the printing industry and poster excellence. Appealing to the Swiss sense of precision, its artists delighted in making everyday objects into giant icons. Advertising methods shifted to adapt to the times. A veritable "poster boom" occurred in the early 1950s, driving forward two distinct styles, one consumer and one corporate. Posters made used vivid colours and playful motifs to appeal to a broad audience.
The role and appearance of the poster has changed continuously over the past century to meet the changing needs of society. Although its role is less central than it was 100 years ago, the poster will evolve further as the computer and the worldwide web revolutionise the way we communicate in the 21st century. Even with the popularity of the internet, posters are still being created every single day for all sorts of reasons.
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