Design and Communication – print ad, Cooper & Beatty, 1949

This may be the first Cooper & Beatty ad to emphasize design as distinct from typesetting – an early hint at the visual ambition that would soon define the company. The swirling geometric shape, though awkwardly placed, was a popular shorthand for ‘futuristic’ or forward-thinking design at the time.

We don’t know for certain who produced this ad, but it may have been the work of W. E. (Jack) Trevett, a skilled typographer who became President of Cooper & Beatty the following year. While Trevett understood type, he was not a designer – and, to his credit, after taking over the firm, he reached out to Carl Dair, then considered the dean of Canadian typography, and invited him to Toronto to lead the company’s design and advertising.

That decision would mark a turning point. From the early 1950s on, Cooper & Beatty would become nearly as recognized for their advertising and design as for their typesetting services. – Rod McDonald

Artifact Text

design and communication
to tell the story with visual impact is the task of the designer. the verbal message requires the touch of a skilled typographer, sensitive to both the designer’s intention and the demands of copy. this firm is proud to have met the exacting requirements of many of the designers whose work is shown in this art directors annual.
cooper and beatty, ltd.
typographers at 196 adelaide st. west, toronto, phone wa. 2921