Advertising in the early 1950s saw a boom in posters for both the corporate world and the everyday consumer. Wanting to appeal to a broad audience, the 50s Style posters were often brightly coloured, and often whimsical or playful in design which heightened their popularity.

Typical artists of this genre included Swiss-born Herbert Leupin and Donald Brun; Paul Rand from the United States and France’s Raymond Sauvignac, who exemplifed the style’s light-hearted qualities. The 50s Style was applied to consumer services and consumer products. Ever present were marvelous airline and traveller’s destination campaigns as well as fashion posters advertising women’s lingerie.

• Here we have a poster featuring a white cat, advertising Enkalon stockings. It was designed by Herbert Leupin. Leupin was born in Beinwil am See, Switzerland on 20 December 1916. A graphic designer, he was known primarily for his poster art. From 1931-1934, Leupin attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel. He made his name in the 1940s through his use of the magic realism style of images for advertising consumer goods. Later, Leupin worked as an advertising consultant for the German cigarette manufacturer Reemtsma from 1951-1964. During this time he also created the Milka cow image. Leupin died in Basel on 21 September 1999.
• The second ‘white cat’ poster: the ‘She-Cat”, was designed ca 1948 for Gaines Viso Gurtel, to advertise the female undergarment, the girdle or corset. The poster designer was Marc Von Allmen. Not much is known about Von Allmen, except that he was born in 1919 in Ovin, Switzerland and worked as an architect, graphic designer and poster artist.

Is there any significance in the fact that they are both white cats? Well, maybe. White cats have many fascinating myths and legends associated with them. As opposed to black cats which are regarded as harbingers of bad luck, white cats are seen as a symbol of good luck, purity and positivity. They symbolize rebirth, happiness, prosperity, healing and more. 

Either way, I’m sure the She-Cat is feline fine and the other displays lots of purr-sonality.    That’s two paw-some posters for you, I’m not kitten you!