Seduced! Fans and the Art of Advertising
3 June – 28 September 2014
Exploring how fans were used to advertise luxury goods and leisure activities in the 1900s.
In the days before glossy magazine campaigns and slick TV commercials, brands relied on more humble ways of advertising their wares. From restaurants and perfumeries to haute couture fashion houses, the fan became the promotional tool of choice in the early 20th century. By 1930, even luxury champagne producer Möet & Chandon was producing designs.
Focusing particularly on the aesthetics of Art Deco, the exhibition traces the use of fans in advertising during the interwar period. Bringing together designs by Georges Barbier, Leonetto Cappiello and René Gruau, it reveals how these seemingly innocuous items actually sparked the beginnings of modern consumerist culture.