An exhibition of student work from the Visual Arts Department at Brockenhurst College is now on temporary display in the National Motor Museum. Using the theme of ‘Days Out’, the students have created their own modern interpretation of posters in the Shell Art Collection.
Posters are characteristic of Shell’s advertising during the 1920s and 1930s. Young talented artists were commissioned to convey simple messages for Shell's poster advertising. Many of these artists went on to become famous names in 20th century British art.
In 1925 Shell began a series of posters featuring the slogan ‘See Britain First – On Shell’. The campaign encouraged the nation to explore the British countryside in their cars using Shell petrol. The posters showed romantic landscapes with traffic free roads. Shell tapped into the longing for a rural escape from the city and reassured motorists of the reliability of their products with the strap line ‘You can be sure of Shell’.
Shell continued the campaign to promote motor tourism throughout the British Isles with press advertising, TV advertising and the popular Shell Guide series until the mid 1980s.
This exhibition is the result of a Heritage100 partnership project between Brockenhurst College, National Motor Museum and Hampshire County Council, with the support from the Arts Council England and Shell Brands International AG.
Prizes were awarded to the following students:
- Nat Henshaw & Harry Thorpe
- Collette Parker & Melissa Ellis
- Lyndsay Boxell
For more information about the Shell Art Collection, please visit: http://www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/About_Shell_Art_Collection