Hook's design team deconstructs timeless advertising gems

Long gone are the days of the early 1900s, yet many of the period’s logos and ads are still making their way into creative conversations. To dive a bit deeper into the discourse, our team recently chatted with Creative Bloq on some of the best designs from the era.

For Creative Director Amber Magee, the New York Yankees logo from the 1910s continues to stand the test of time.

“I love that it’s grown to totally transcend its original meaning. The interlocking N-Y is recognizable far beyond Yankee fandom. It’s become a symbol for New York City itself and is ubiquitous around the work in a way that transcends category and means something different to everyone."

Add on a few years, and Designer Phil Zhang coins The New Yorker logotype as a “shining example” of design from the 1920s.

“It’s tall letterforms and exaggerated x-heights—showcased in such characters like the ‘R,’ ‘K’ and ‘E’—are indicative of this design movement’s typography of the time, and has come to define the look and feel of the publication we know today.”

And for Designer Angela Sturrus, the brand behind ‘Take a Kodak with you’ is the household name of the 1930s.

“Kodak has a rich advertising history in the early 1900s. With memorable slogans such as ‘You press the button, we do the rest’ and ‘Take a Kodak with you,’ the Kodak brand became an established household name that made photography accessible and approachable.”

Interested in hearing more critiques on designs that are a century old? Click here to travel to the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.