Product – Advertising

Today, the Deutsches Museum and the Münchner Stadtmuseum are pleased to launch two versions of their joint "Product – Advertising" online exhibition. This exhibition juxtaposes for the very first time historical industrially produced goods from the Deutsches Museum and their advertising posters held by the Münchner Stadtmuseum’s Advertising Art Collection. It highlights the role of advertising in the market rollout of industrially produced goods and brands, and in shaping consumer culture.

Products and their advertising posters are often viewed as inseparable – after all, products don’t sell themselves. For technological innovations and novel goods to succeed, consumers need to learn about them and be convinced of their value. At the same time, large companies, in particular, have the financial resources to invest in innovative advertising.

When industrialization took off in Germany in the mid-19th century, posters became a vehicle for producers to communicate with their customers. By the turn of the 20th century, many German companies had already started to set up their own advertising departments and used artist-designed posters. This was the groundbreaking advertising medium of the day, considered to be an ideal way to reach the masses and quickly spread the word about any new product entering the marketplace.