BIGGER AND BETTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 360, 22 May 1928, Page 1

BIGGER AND BETTER

Auckland Advertising Display WHAT NEW ZEALAND SELLS Art and Publicity Combined FAITHFUL to its slogan of “Bigger, better, business,” the Auckland Advertising Club has completely overshadowed last year’s display with the exhibition opened today. The big auditorium of the Town Hall, the concert Chamber, supper room, even the corridors have been pressed into service for the displaying of wliat New Zealand sells and how she does it.

Blossomed out in the colours of an Eastern bazaar, the Town Hall is no longer a dreary chamber relieved by a pipe organ. At the north end of the ground floor the very model of a modern bungalow with cheerily-lighted rooms and a picturesque exterior of red brick and green wood stands up in a gesture of invitation. Streets with pleasant names branch off and encourage one to meander along between the stalls, the shop-windows anrd the publicity chambers in which manufacturers, salesmen and artists have put forward their best efforts. On a level with the thoroughfares and high above them are hung the remarkable collection of posters, the cream of British commercial art, lent by Chandler and Co., Ltd. The collection, it may be mentioned, is insured for £I,OOO. The old days when a poster was a rough, ‘high-coloured sketch over-run with letterpress are gone. The poster has become a fbrm of art. COMMERCIAL ART One of the most impressive posters is the huge 23 feet by 10 canvas, “Highways of the Empire,” a decorative map of the world’s sea-roads, traversed by fleets of ships and blown upon by the winds. It was designed by MacDonald Gill, and lent by the English Marketing Board. Of the posters designed by Chandler and Co., Ltd., one of the best pictures, is a virile figure above the smoke of industry, putting his weight against a chain, and illustrating the “pulling” power of publicity. A flight of ducks across a winter sky with a lake and a wooded isle is a remarkable poster in pale greys and greens. Next to it a bellowing stag stands in silhouette before a bold, red ochre cliff, and behind stretches out a dull rampart of mountains tipped by the rays of the . setting sun. Then there is “Southampton Docks,”a pool of great four-funnelled ships, pouring their plumes of smoke into a daffodil sky. A knight on a gay steed is about to pass through a gateway to a winding road in Scotland, a Regency buck in his glory is mincing along Brighton embankment, stalwarts of British industry are at their tasks. Clausen Gardiner, Herrick Wilkinson and many other famous atists are represented. GOVERNMENT DISPLAYS Coming back to street level, one finds the New Zealand Government’s threefold display. The Depatment of Industries and Commerce has developed its exhibition round the slogan “How we show New Zealand to the world.” Lighted slides show the New Zealand pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition, Wembley, and the attractive displays of produce, including the famous figures moulded in butter, and sporting trophies. Also, there are pictures of the Canadian National Exhibition at Toronto and the Pacific Exposition at San Fancisco, at both of which Dominion goods were “boosted.” To illustrate the effect of this overseas publicity there is a moving panorama of three ships, a windjammer of 1877, a steamship of 1902 and a liner of 1927. They show the steps in the Dominion’s trade. £13,000.000 in 1877. £26,000,000 in 1902, and £100,000,000 in 1927. On show here are the real autographs of the King and Queen. Princes and Princesses of Great Britain. Mr. J. W. Collins, secretarv of the department, and Mr. L. J. Schmitt, are in charge. Next door one has an intimate view of a woman traveller in a comfortable railway carriage. Past the window flashes the countryside of New Zealand, as the train speeds smoothlv past laid-up motor-buses and car's making heavy work of New Zealand roads. “Travel with safety, comfort and economy,” says the legend. TEMPTATION ROW Brazenly advertising itself as a temptation to the visitor is the trana-

muted concert chamber, now a display place.

At the entrance one sees the bedroom of a fairy tale, with great candles dripping at their wicks and two children listening in to a radio story. The inscription is “Tattersfield tells the greatest bed-tim© story.” Then one sees that the candles are rolled mattresses and that the candlesticks are

handsome eiderdowns, and that the dripping grease is really down. Handsome carpets and rugs bestrew the room. This is a remarkably novel and pretty arrangement. On on© side is a scene on a Java plantation with the native workmen gathering the kapok for “Durodown” mattresses. This also is a fine display. Jams and preserves in wonderftl colours' are held in glass cylinders in another, exhibit and next door a hotel porter is gathering up as many of the collection of suitcases as he can. Macky Logan, Caldwell, Ltd., have a three-fold display. In the first window is an array of shirts and pyjamas in shades, colours and designs to turn the head of a Beau Brummel. They

were all made at the Newmarket factory. Then comes the woollens made at Oamaru, flannels and rugs from Timaru, and suits, cloths and overcoats of delightful texture and colouring. Silken hose in all shades make a window for Bond’s and next door are intimate garments in pale pink by Berlei. All these pretty things are made in New Zealand. In a great draping of colours of the sunsets and the seas are the materials of Parisian ties, also made in Auckland. In fact, “Temptation Row” justifies its name entirely. MADE BY THE BLIND How such delightful blendings of coloured straws could be made by blind workers will mystify most people who see the exhibit of the Jubilee Institute, for the Blind in one of the entrances. Baskets in all shapes and sizes, from the plain “washing” variety to the pretty “fancy work” kind are shown here. Also there are comfortable chairs, knife boxes, and mats. At the entrance to the main hall one cannot miss the display of THE SUN, which shows the progress of the newspaper in 14 months, and symbolises the rapid advance of Phoebus and his team. The Railway studios at Wellington have contributed a host of attractive posters, including one which gives the reason “why policemen leave home,” and also a mechanical panorama showing the value of road and rail-side hoardings. Scenes of New Zealand’s beauty, paintings and photographs advertise the Tourist Department’s activities. Suppliers of office equipment, typewriters and other mechanical laboursavers have big space on the ground floor of the Town Hall proper, and to them the business man may go with c confidence. Cinema publicity has an attractive corner to itself with posters of “coming attractions.” The picture people are also running a series of masquerade competitions. The Goldberg Advertising Company has a parlour of chaste design and colour, and on the inside is an array of the “efficiency methods.” On the stage is a mystery pavilion of canary yellow. It is dedicated to the ritual of the “Mustard Club,” and the surprises of its interior have not yet beer, explored. MOVIES AND MUSIC Following up its policy of keeping the crowd entertained, the Advertising Club has arranged continuous programmes of music in all chambers. In the luncheon and afternoon tea rooms there will be a continuous moving picture show. Interesting films will screen the delights of New Zealand as a tourist resort and as a happy hunting ground, and local industries will be shown. Afternoon tea will be a feature 4[of the “Amberbrook” room, and it will cost just 3d. Aulsebrook’s and Amber Tips £ea have combined to provide all the delights of a first-class tea at that price-cutting figure, just for the period of thte exhibition, however. The garden surrounding the model house and the decorative greenery which covers corners and stages has been provided by the Parks Committee ; of the City Council and arranged by the staff. For the convenience of patrons, the I Checker messenger service is working at the exhibition.