Advertising by Inference
Ein Fall indirekter Werbung
Un exemple de publicité indirecte
•h;«.
Georgine Oeri:
great ideas
of western man
The Container Corporation of America seven years ago launched a series of colour
advertisements (13 each year) under the title Great Ideas of Western Man. Great care
was first given to choosing the right artist for each 'Idea': he was then encouraged
to interpret and to work in his own way. Some of the results of this enlightened
direction can be seen in the examples shown here. The advertising agency responsible
for the series is N.W. Ayer Son, Inc. (See also graphis 30.) Editor
Die Container Corporation of America, eine Grossfirma der Verpackungsindustrie,
publiziert seit 1950 jahrlich 13 ganzseitige farbige Inserate in amerikanischen Zeit-
schriften mit nationaler Verbreitung. Sie erscheinen unter dem gemeinsamen Titel
Grosse Ideen des westlichen Menschen«. Fiir jede dieser »Ideen« wird ein nam-
hafter Künstler bestimmt, dem dann in der Gestaltung der Seite völlig freie Hand
gelassen wird. Wir zeigen hier einige Beispiele aus dieser originellen Serie und ver-
weisen im übrigen auf den früher erschienenen Artikel in graphis 30. Redaktion
La Container Corporation of America, vaste entreprise américaine spécialisée dans
les emballages, publie chaque année depuis 1950 treize annonces en couleur sur page
entière, qui paraissent dans des périodiques américains de diffusion nationale. Leur
titre général est: «Les grandes idéés de l'homme occidental». Pour chacune de ces
«idéés» Pon choisit un artiste de renom a qui toute liberté est laissée quant au traite-
ment de l'annonce. Nous reproduisons ici quelques exemples de cette série hautement
originale et rappelons en même temps Partiele dé ja paru sur le même sujet dans le
no 30 de graphis. Rêdaction
[Deutsch: Seite 508] /-pi he only clue to the kind of business done by the company
JL presenting this series of advertisements and to the product
it sells, is the small graph, inconspicuous and marginal, of an
unfolding box, alongside the name container corporation
OF AMERICA.
The basic problem that confronted this company is of in
terest beyond the particular case. How does one arouse in
terestwith the general publicin a product which is only
interesting inasmuch as it is a wrapping, coating, protection
for something else, for the product which is contained in it?
A container is the thing one destroys, or that one takes for
granted for the sake of what it contains. How does one draw
attention to something which is the better the less attention
it attracts?
In order to reach the interest of a wider public the emphasis
had to be shifted from the kind and quality of the product
to the quality and performance of the producing company
without falling into the trap of self-glorification. An unortho
dox idea, the resourcefulness, imagination and excellence with
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