Wild Fridays: [Russian & Soviet matchbox labels]

Simon Wild looks back at the space race through a collection of Russian & Soviet matchbox labels.

The race to conquer space and be seen as a global superpower was uniquely characterised in the hundreds of mass produced Russian and Soviet matchbox labels that put printed matter to work as propaganda.

Want to convince a nation that conquering space will put you on top of the world stage? Simple. Get people to carry the message around for you. Small pocket sized images carrying big political messages.

Every time I look at these designs I am reminded of  their functional simplicity, limited palettes and wonky registration of colours. Illustrators and graphic designers the world over strive to achieve this look in their work. Yet while there is currently an upward trend toward ‘vintage’ mid-century graphic design, how long this will continue for is unclear.

It is fascinating to see that these images while attempting to celebrate the best technology of their time, were produced with simple printed methods.  There is something reassuringly ironic about that.

Every time I look at these designs I am reminded of  their functional simplicity, limited palettes and wonky registration of colours.

Have a great weekend.

simonwild.com #WildFridays