| Creator | Herbert Leupin |
| Printing year | 1938 |
| Sheet size (cm) | 102×64 |
| Printing technique | Intaglio |
| Printer | Ringier & Co. |
| Condition | B+ |
| Asking price | 0 CHF |
| Categories | Switzerland, Watches & Optics, Books & Press, Winter Posters |
Herbert Leupin was barely 21 years old when, at the end of 1937, he won the competition to design the poster for the 1939 Federal Shooting Festival in Lucerne. However, his comparatively fresh-looking design was not executed, as the political situation in Europe had worsened in the meantime to such an extent that – as part of the «intellectual defence of the nation» – a more conservative design by Ernst Hodel was printed, which focused on readiness for military service. Nevertheless, this did nothing to change the fact that the newcomer Leupin had made a name for himself within a few weeks.
Inspired by this success, in 1938 he appeared unannounced and with samples of his work in the office of the director of the National Tourist Board, which he actually left with the task of designing a poster with which the board could attract winter sports guests also abroad to Switzerland. Leupin’s fusion of clock and winter – his first tourism poster, mind you – still sparkles with esprit and joie de vivre today, and director Adolf Guggenbühl was accordingly delighted to acquire the copyright for 800 Swiss Francs (today that would be just under 7000). The motif eventually appeared in over 80 newspapers across half of Europe and was printed as a poster in five language variants.
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