The Public Paperfolding History Project

Index Page

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Paperfolding in Advertising
 
This page attempts to record the early use of paperfolding in advertising for products other than paperfolding books, kits or paper for folding.

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Late 18th / Early 19th Century

A photograph of an advertising said to date from the late 18th / early 19th centuries appears in 'Papier und Form' by Kurt Londenberg, which was published by Scherpe Verlag in Krefeld in 1963. It is printed on both sides of a square sheet of paper, which would once have been folded into a triple blintz form. This was presumably the form in which the leaflet was distributed. It could then be unfolded, in stages, to reveal the advertising material inside.

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1890

This Trade Card from Hire's Beer was issued in 1890. The date is on the Newspaper Hat.

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1899 onwards

An advertising campaign run in the late 1800s and early 1900s by Nestle featured a female child wearimng a Newspaper Hat. The earliest such advert I know of was printed in the 'Journal des Instituteurs' for 14th May 1899.

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Similar adverts were also issued in colour. This one is from 1910.

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1901

This advertising flyer for Phosphatine Falieres, said to date from 1901, folds into a Cocotte.

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1910

This advertising flyer which folds into a Cocotte, is said to be for a bookseller, after the work of Rostand (1868-1918), and to date from 1910.

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1925

Advertising postcard for Briffault, said to be c 1925.

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1926

Poster 137 x 198 cm by Jean d'Ylen advertising Cora Spumanti, dating from 1926.

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1930

Advertising postcard for manioc tapioca Petit Navire,said to be c1930.

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Advertisement for Au Bon Marche, said to be c1930.

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1934

Advert for Laxen Busto from Estampa Madrid, 24 octubre de 1934 (page 46). (Information from Juan Gimeno)

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Advertising postcard for Cocorico, said to be c1934.

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1935

In 1935 the Socony-Vaccuum Oil Company Incorporated issued an advertising flyer which folded up to form a Flapping Bird decorated to look like their logo of a Pegasus / Flying horse.

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c1939

This advert for Japanese 'Kirin' beer was probably used in the American market in the late 1930s.

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1947

Advert for Anis La Pajarita from ABC of 13th December 1947 (page 20). (Information from Juan Gimeno)

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1948

Advert for Anis La Pajarita from ABC, 8 December 1948 (page 22). (Information from Juan Gimeno)

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Advert for Anis La Pajarita ABC, 15th December 1948 (page 22). (Information from Juan Gimeno)

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1949

This Advert for Anis 'La Pajarita', showing a Pajarita as a dog, is said to be from 1949. (Information from Juan Gimeno)

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1959 / 1963

In 1960 the Al Paul Lefton Advertising Agency used origami figures designed by Giuseppe Baggi in adverts for the paper pulp maker Gottesman-Central National Organisation. There were six advertisements in all. As far as I know the first advert, titled 'Punctuality', appeared on the cover of the US magazine 'Paper Trade Journal' on 14th December 1959. Thereafter adverts from the series appeared on the cover of every other issue, ie fortnightly, throughout 1960 and into 1961, then somewhat less regularly through 1962 and into 1963. The full range of adverts and an article about them which appeared in the same magazine on 6th June 1960 can be found here. I do not know if the adverts also appeared elsewhere.

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1960

This advert from Monsanto featuring a Paper Boat was published in the 'Paper Trade Journal' Vol 144 Iss 10 on 3rd July 1960.

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1961

Adverts for Nibroc Offset, featuring printed templates for folding origami designs from, appeared in the US magazine 'Print' in March-April 1961 Vol 15 Iss 2 (the Flapping Bird) and May-June 1961 Vol 15 Iss 3 (a cut whale folded from a fish base, which had previously appeared in 'Origami: Book Three' by Florence Sakade, published in 1959). The wording on the back of the template invites readers to send in for copies of the series. There were presumably other similar adverts which I have not found.

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The March-April 1961(Vol 15 Iss 2) and May-June 1961 (Vol 15 Iss 3) issues of 'Print' magazine contained adverts for Olin Packaging featuring a Paper Ball and an origami cow, respectively. This is the earliest advert featuring a paper ball that I know of at present. Michel Grand has told me that the 'Compound Cow' comes from Isao Honda's 'All About Origami' which was published in 1960.

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The July-August 1961 issue of 'Print' (Vol 15 Iss 4) contained an advert for the Peninsular Paper Company featuring a paper plane. This is the earliest advert featuring a paper plane that I know of at present.

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1964

Vol 4: Issue 4 of 'The Origamian' for Winter 1964 contains an article by Fred Rohm 'On the Festive Season' which mentions an ad campaign featuring origami run by American Airlines.

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1967/8

Issues 110 of April 1967 to 115 and 117 to 121 of September 1968 of MAD magazine included adverts for subscriptions to the magazine featuring origami designs folded from dollar bills. These designs were folded by, and in most cases probably also designed by, Giuseppi Baggi. The full set of adverts can be seen here.

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