Original scientific paper
Advertising Agency Imago and Commercial Graphic Design in Croatia in 1920s
Lovorka Magaš
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek za povijest umjetnosti
Abstract
This study is dedicated to the Institute for scientific research and production of advertisement
Imago. It presents the so far unknown ad solutions whereby the Imago defined the
commercial design and advertising in Croatia in the late nineteen- twenties, and analyzes
the role of the Institute within the cultural, historical and economic context of the country.
The ads are interpreted as examples of the visual culture of the time bearing the key imprints
of the art deco style, as well as complex structures influenced by other media.
The Imago was founded by Miroslav Feller on the model of foreign advertising agencies
most likely after the Meeting of Advertising Experts he himself organized in Sušak in September
1928. At that time Feller was very active in promoting advertising activity and
supported formation of an all-Yugoslav advertising association. As an answer to poor quality
of advertising, Feller founded the Imago, and its first signed ads appeared in the daily
newspapers in December 1928. In January 1929 the Institute published the first issue of
the Reklama, the first Croatian journal for market communication, which, however, was
suspended after just four issues. The associates of the Institute were young artists trained
abroad – Sergije Glumac, Božidar Kocmut, Anka Krizmanić, and Vladimir Mirosavljević,
who introduced iconography and methods of other media (fine arts, film, comic strip) to visual
communicating for the purposes of marketing. In the course of 1929 the Imago produced
ads for 15 customers. These ads dominated the advertisement pages of Zagreb newspapers
increasing through their functionality and modernity the level of newspaper advertising.
The ads for the Friedmann clothing, the Gussich-Feller Studio, the records and record players
by His Master’s Voice were marked by an avant-guarde approach (geometric simplification)
which distributed through mass media became a part of the popular culture, whereas
the ads for the Vinicky Fur and the Lipak Products were inspired by fashion illustration
centering on the image of a modern, elegant woman, the icon of art deco. Although it was
acitve for just a short period of time, the Imago’s production in commercial design was high,
and it left a visible mark on the visual communications in Croatia. Some of the solutions are
on par with the best European art deco examples. Miroslav Feller left for Berlin in the second
half of 1929, and the Institute ceased to exist, but the high standards set by it were continued
by the former associates of the Imago throughout the thirties – Sergije Glumac as a freelancer,
and Vladimir Mirosavljević and Božidar Kocmut within the newly found Atelier Tri.
Keywords
visual communications; commercial graphic design; advertising; Imago; Art Deco; avant-gard; Miroslav Feller; Sergije Glumac; Vladimir Mirosavljević
Hrčak ID:
105253
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2008.
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