Hans Rudi Erdt
Further developed Plakatstil (poster style) movement in Germany
Used visual tricks to suggest the product, rather than show it
Designed classic war posters
Like Lucian Bernhard, Berlin-based Hand Rudi Erdt used a lean approach to design: flat colors, simple shapes, and bold typography. While Bernhard focused on the product being sold, Erdt took a less literal approach in his designs. His poster for Opel automobiles, for example, doesn't show a car. The face of a man with driving goggles and a cap on his head is placed above and behind the brand name. Nothin more. People tend to connect with people better than with objects, so featuring a person in a design can lead to a more emotional connection.
Erdt was skilled at integrating type into his layouts. Although he doesn' shaow a car, he suggest its presence: The letter "O" is at a larger scale than the other letters. And it's a perfect circle, like a steering wheel. It looks like the man is driving the car that we cannot see. A visual device that associated the brand name with a steering wheel helps people remember that Opel is a car company.
Printer Hollerbaum and Schmidt signed Erdt to an exclusive contract, along with other progressive designers like Bernhard, Julius Klinger, and Julius Gipkens. Erdt designed for clients like Manoli and Probelem cigarettes, and Nivea skin care. During World War I, he designed several projects for Germany, including posters for war movies for the government's film committee. He died at the young age of 35 from tuberculosis.
