Five centuries – print ad, Cooper & Beatty, Allan Fleming, 1958

In 1958 Allan Fleming was only 29 when he designed this dramatic ad for Cooper & Beatty. His use of typographic history as a central idea – not merely as ornament or reference – revealed an unusually mature approach. A greatly enlarged lowercase ‘a’ from Gutenberg’s 15th-century Bible is set in dialogue with a 20th-century sans serif, each made monumental through scale. The ad’s quiet confidence encourages the reader to see typography as a continuum, showing how typefaces evolved across five centuries while the essential act of communication endured.

Fleming’s ability to express big ideas through type helped establish his reputation as a designer who treated history not as a burden but as a source of energy. It also counters the persistent belief that young people are indifferent to history. – Rod McDonald