The business of America is business. And the business of business is drawing customers to stores and emporiums both large and small. The Century Advertising Service located on Madison Ave in New York City was one of many similar studios that prepared pre-designed adverts for business, in this case the food industry.
These stock-cuts are a kind of non-design design, clearly rendered by layout or crafts persons with skill, that filled newspapers and magazines in the years before the advent of the holy “graphic designer.” For those who criticize the type, composition and aesthetics of these cuts, think again. They did their job of selling, with a sense of optimism and sometimes with a dollop of humor (although irony had yet to be invented).
Legends in Advertising AwardsIs your business the ad business? Get the recognition you deserve by entering the Legends in Advertising Awards today.The top winners will be featured in Print magazine and all winners will be featured online.
RELATED POSTSFrom Baseball to Microsoft: Branding & Typographic Design by Bethany Heck
About Steven HellerSteven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →