Eduard Anslinger
The advertisement was published before the end of the First World War. However, it already addressed a post-war market anticipating a possible demand for consumer goods such as automobiles and motorboats as well as motorised ploughs for farming. However, with the exception of aircraft engines, the company did not yet have any of the mentioned products at its disposal. Hence, it is understandable that it dispensed with a pictorial representation of these, focusing entirely on the blue and white logo, which was entered in the trademark registry of the imperial patent office on 30 September 1917. The advertisement was designed by Eduard Anslinger and probably originated shortly after. The image composition clearly demonstrates its purpose: The brand logo, which is raised in relic-like fashion and surrounded by a corona, is prominently featured with the intention of enhancing awareness and recognisability. BMW aimed to firmly anchor its logo in the visual memory of post-war society. As unpretentious as the advertisement may be, it still exhibits the signature style of an artist who had been trained in classic image composition. Eduard Anslinger studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Munich, but was more active as a postcard painter than as a commercial artist.
