I like a lot the simplicity of this poster, and to some extend, I find it modern even today, in 2014. This is especially true of Hohlwein's signature (see video at 2:15). How did contemporary people in 1913 see this poster, was it shocking back then?

Name: Ludwig Hohlwein, "Kaffee Hag"
Uploaded: 2013-10-19T02:30:22Z
Description: For more information, please visit http://www.moma.org/1913

For its day, the poster would _not_ have been shocking, and many would not even pay attention to it as being art. How often do we, today, look at company logos and large advertisement boards, and consider them art? If it is radical, we just consider it as being part of the company's way to grab our attention - very rarely are they looked at as great pieces of art, although much talent does often go into the designing of such posters. Anyway, the same mindset was in the people would would have viewed Hohlwein's poster - it was just a poster, not meant to be art. And besides, that minimalistic style was commonly used at its time for similar uses - company logos, advertisements, menus, etc. Today we often term that particular style _retro_.

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Course: The Museum of Modern Art > Unit 1

Lesson 2: 1913 Centennial Celebration

Ludwig Hohlwein, "Kaffee Hag"

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For more information, please visit http://www.moma.org/1913. Created by The Museum of Modern Art.

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Dayvyd
Posted 11 years ago. Direct link to Dayvyd's post “So, Kaffee Hag was a bran...”
So, Kaffee Hag was a brand name, like Folger's? Is it still around?
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Aleksander Urban
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Aleksander Urban's post “I like a lot the simplici...”
I like a lot the simplicity of this poster, and to some extend, I find it modern even today, in 2014. This is especially true of Hohlwein's signature (see video at
2:15
). How did contemporary people in 1913 see this poster, was it shocking back then?
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(1 vote)
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- Peterson
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Peterson's post “For its day, the poster w...”
  For its day, the poster would not have been shocking, and many would not even pay attention to it as being art. How often do we, today, look at company logos and large advertisement boards, and consider them art? If it is radical, we just consider it as being part of the company's way to grab our attention - very rarely are they looked at as great pieces of art, although much talent does often go into the designing of such posters. Anyway, the same mindset was in the people would would have viewed Hohlwein's poster - it was just a poster, not meant to be art. And besides, that minimalistic style was commonly used at its time for similar uses - company logos, advertisements, menus, etc. Today we often term that particular style retro.
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mjorr5
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to mjorr5's post “............... ...”
............... is that how he got his fame ?

sorry that i not saying much it's that i not a coffee fan .
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Lotus60
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Lotus60's post “At 1:14 pm Lotus60 asked ...”
At
1:14
pm Lotus60 asked in addtion to the previous question is Kaffee Hag still selling? Thank you
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Video transcript

(gentle music) - I'm standing in the MoMA stores and I want to talk today about a poster of 1912 to 13 designed by the German designer Ludwig Hohlwein for Kaffee Hag. Kaffee Hag was one of a number of foodstuffs that represent German innovation in applying scientific principles to new foodstuffs. It was a decaffeinated kind of coffee, which was advertised at this time as being healthy, and hence, Hohlwein's decision to link it to this man clad in his tennis whites. By 1913, Kaffee Hag already had a strong visual and brand identity on the market. It was just succinctly referenced in this image. You can see half of the icon appearing on the side of the coffee mug, but that was enough to trigger recognition of a brand. The strength of the image really relies on this very simple, incredibly economical visual means to communicate the message with bold use of forms and contrasted tonalities, a limited color palette and a very modern approach to the typography, using this Sans Serif type. And what was unusual and new and very modern for the time was his use of negative space. You really are focused on the title Kaffee Hag. Another example of this wonderful economy of means and giving the image a slightly humorous touch is the way he's accommodated the printer's name in the shape of a tennis ball. And it's not only about branding of the product, it's also about the branding of Ludwig Hohlwein as a graphic designer. By 1925, he'd designed about 3,000 of these posters. His signature is located in the bottom where he's extended the umlaut over Munchen, Munich, to connect to his name in this compact and graphic rendering of his identity. (gentle music)