RAYMOND SAVIGNAC (1907-2002) PARISIENNES ZIGARETTEN. 1951. 50x35 1/2 inches, 127x90 cm. Roto-Sadag, Geneva. Condition A- / A+: minor restoration at edges; minor abrasions in image. Raymond Savignac was one of the most successful and influential poster designers of the post-war period and the inventor of the "visual gag" concept of advertising. His style, which incorporated funny visuals, bright colors and deceptively simple, almost child-like drawing, struck a tremendous chord in post-War France. Such was his popularity that he was hired to work for many of France's largest company's, marketing their signature products. His recognition was pan-European, as his work for Gitanes Cigarettes led to other commissions from tobacco companies in other countries, such as this one from Switzerland. He ingeniously captures the nature of the French-named brand of cigarettes by depicting an unmistakably French policeman, holding a cigarette instead of a nightstick. Savignac 110, Savignac / Paris 19, Savignac / Japan 7, Margadant 494.
