Habitat nods back to a nostalgic era of elegant wall advertising

Habitat’s latest campaign features wall murals with a subversive twist, reminiscent of the golden age of advertising.

Outdoor ads have been having something of a comeback of late, with creative deployments popping up around the world in increasingly zany ways.

Habitat is the latest brand to embrace the medium’s quirky iteration, this time by doing something new that harks back to the days of old.

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Habitat and agency New Creative Arts have crafted a series of bespoke 3D billboards, seen across Birmingham, London and Manchester, including household items scaled to eye-popping sizes, with the tagline “Love Design. Love Habitat.”

The designs mix modern techniques with classic, wall painted stylings and 3d adornments. By making the products the hero of the show, the brand is drawing our attention back to its core offering. One even showcases the brand’s lamps, with a light emanating from its gargantuan shade.

Our take

Advertising is a temporary medium by and large, but a glance upwards in many a historic street in the UK will reveal coveted brand relics of past eras, often showcasing companies such as Bovril, Guinness, or long-forgotten store names. Indeed, this author’s grandad’s rental car company, Autohall, still has its logo jutting out from the Kings Court building in Hammersmith, despite being out of business since the 70s.

Advertising on walls harks back to Ancient times, with the Egyptians using tall stone obelisks to publicise laws and treaties. The printing press, meanwhile, brought with it all new opportunities for wall-based creativity.

Designated billboards have generally been the go-to home for outdoor advertisements since the 20th century, with standardised sizing and easy erection (steady) making it convenient for brands to get involved enmasse.

There’s something special about the permanency (or illusion thereof) of printing directly onto a wall, giving viewers a reassuring sense that the company depicted is anything but temporary. (Although it does seem unlikely that Habitat’s decidedly exposed furniture replicas will last more than a few weeks in broad daylight.)