INSIDE BA • September 2018

100 years of British Airways posters

As we speed towards British Airways’ centenary in 2019, take a sneak peek at 100 Years of Aviation Posters, a new book by the late Paul Jarvis, former curator of the airline’s Heritage Collection.

Click on a poster below to read more about it

Safety then comfort

Many of the early aircraft of BA’s predecessor Imperial Airways were converted First World War bombers, so by the 1920s the airline was keen to emphasise the level of comfort and space of its new Armstrong Whitworth aircraft.

Credit: Unknown, c.1926

By air in comfort…

The 1930s saw a fresh, modernist look for the airline’s adverts, with bold and eye-catching graphics that highlighted the distance you could travel in relative comfort.

Credit: Steph Cavallero, c.1935

London calling

In the late 1940s, the then British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) ramped up its efforts to promote London to holidaymakers as it prepared to host the 1948 Olympic Games.

Credit: Abram Games, 1948

Fly to the USA with BOAC

By 1953, tourist and economy fares were available on most world routes, by which time BOAC had begun using dramatic images of far-flung destinations to inspire the public.

Credit: Frank Wooton, c.1952

More sitting room in the sky

The 1960s and 1970s saw greater emphasis on destination advertising, as well as focus on the spacious seating within the Boeing 747, otherwise known as the jumbo jet.

Credit: Unknown, c.1968

Recline in Club World

By the end of the 1990s, BA was one of the world’s most profitable airlines, following its successful privatisation in 1987. To contend with growing competition, BA used the slogan ‘21st-century travel’ to promote its premium products, such as the world’s first fully flat bed in Club World.

Credit: MCSaatchi, 2000

Nation’s pride

The 2012 London Olympics was cause for huge national pride, which BA used to craft creative, tongue-in-cheek artwork of athletes using BA tailfins and aircraft wings to propel themselves to victory.

Credit: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, 2012

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This article has been tagged BA, Culture