Josef Hudecek
BMW IV
On 17 June 1919, the new BMW IV aircraft engine helped military pilot Franz Zeno Diemer set a flight altitude record of 9,760 metres. That event took place following a flight attempt at 9,200 metres, which BMW effectively communicates on this poster. For reasons of comparison, the motif shows three mountain peaks – Zugspitze, Montblanc and “Himalaya”. The flight altitude record is symbolised by an excessively high column, on top of which an aeroplane stands. Behind the column, a stylised view of the factory premises in Moosacher Straße (now BMW Group Classic) can be seen. No reference at all is made to the pilot or the aircraft type. The poster implies that the record was the sole merit of the BMW brand. The reason for this was most likely a reaction to the ban on the production of aircraft engines stipulated by the Versailles Treaty. The company wished to draw attention to the outstanding characteristics and qualities of its aircraft engines in order to obtain authorisation for their civilian commercialisation. The flight altitude record was the first in a long series of records and victories achieved by BMW in a history reaching back more than 100 years. This poster marked the beginning of a tradition of communicating successes for advertising purposes.
