A shocking Suicide & Run-Away Stars: Aspirins headaches with influencer marketing in 1930s China. This advertising poster from our collection tells of an incredible streak of bad luck for the German pharma giant Bayer during a both glamourous & troublesome period of history: 1/n Bayer was founded 1863 as „Friedr. Bayer et comp.“ in Barmen, Germany as a dyestuffs producer by Friedrich Bayer and Friedrich Weskott. The company’s links with Greater China date back to 1882, when it first began marketing its colorants there. In the early years,... 2/n

This early 1920s promotional mirror for Pirate cigarettes from our collection tells the unlikely success story of a Western product, represented by a marauding foreign bandit, to become one of the most recognized brands in Republican China: 1/9 W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and manufacturer formed in Bristol, England in 1786. It was the first UK company to mass-produce cigarettes. The company’s “Pirate” cigarettes were launched in the Chinese market in 1891 and most likely marked the earliest... 2/9

Pre-Roll Ads & Pen Diplomacy: The fascinating history of Parker pens in China. A 1940s advertising slide from our collection reminds us that video ads have existed for 120+ years but also tells the incredible story of how a brand once helped normalize relations with China🧵👇1/25 The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris. They used a device of their own making, the Cinématographe & the first ever created film titled “Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory” can be seen below. 2/25

Chocolatey Challenges: This ultra-rare 1915 Cadbury’s calendar advertisement from our collection, tells the astonishing story of the centuries-long struggle to sell cocoa to Chinese consumers. Follow along on a bitter-sweet journey through the history of chocolate in China... 1/n Although cocoa was introduced to Europe sometime in the 16th century it was not until the Industrial Revolution that new processes emerged which sped the production of chocolate & created an affordable mass market product. In 1824 John Cadbury began selling tea, coffee and.. 2/n

This intriguing 1928 calendar poster, advertising the „Beacon” cigarette brand, was not only created by the most versatile Chinese commercial artist of the 20th century, but also leads us to the story of the first & largest foreign-founded tobacco manufacturer in China... 🧵👇/1 The construction of the China Eastern Railway from 1897 to 1902 attracted many Russians to settle in the rapidly developing northern Chinese city of Harbin. Among them was Karaite-Jewish tobacco merchant Aron E. Lopato with his wife & two sons Eli Aaronovitch (1874-1936)... /2

The Chocolate Czars of China: This exquisite chocolate box from our collection unveils the exceptional story of Russian-Jewish immigrants who in the 1920s-40s built a chocolate production empire spanning across 4 factories in 4 Chinese cities & operating 7 outlet stores...🧵1/n The Chinese Eastern Railway, constructed by the Russian Imperial Government from 1897-1902, provided a shortcut for the world's longest railroad, the Trans-Siberian Railway, from the Siberian city of Chita, via Harbin to the Russian port of Vladivostok. Its southern branch.. 2/n

A Westerner with Swastika armband stands in front of a building with Nazi flags & is surrounded by Asian soldiers. What is going on here!? Sit back & enjoy an unbelievable story that has it all: The Shanghai underworld, Japanese, Jews, double agents & false advertising...🧵1/n From the inscription visible above the entrance in this photo, we can discern that the building in question is the Yunyao Electric Light Co power plant (永耀电力股份有限公司) in Ningbo, China. The coastal city in the province of Zhejiang lies around 200 km south of Shanghai... 2/

Omega watches have a 130-year long history in China & since the Roaring 20s relied heavily on celebrity endorsements. For this week’s post about an artifact from our collection we are asking YOU for help to identify all the glamorous icons featured in this all-star ad...🧵1/17 But first a quick background on the famous luxury watch. In 1848 a young watchmaker named Luis Brandt opened a workshop called “La Generale Watch Co” in the small Swiss village of La Chaux-de-Fondes. The business grew & after it was taken over by his sons, the Omega brand... 2/17

The Jintan Conspiracy: Advertising is known to use subliminal messaging, but this banner ad from our collection, tells the incredible story of a brand that not only shaped fashion trends but allegedly paved the way for Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 with a secret code: 🧵1/22 Hiroshi Morishita (1869–1943), founded the Morishita &Co Apothecary in Osaka in 1893. Shortly after in 1895, he was drafted for the Sino-Japanese War & deployed in Taiwan where he observed the locals taking herbal pills to reduce the risk of contracting diseases. Upon his... 2/22

Shanghai ’49 - Last brand standing: This stunningly illustrated 1933 ad for Federal cigarettes from our collection tells the history of the company Major Drapkin, which was one of the last foreign businesses to ever advertise in Republican China. Here's how it happened: 🧵⬇1/18 Major Drapkin & Co was a tobacco manufacturer founded in England in 1898. Its best-selling brand was The Grey’s, named after the Royal Scots Greys cavalry regiment of the British Army. The company eventually became part of the United Kingdom Tobacco Co which got listed on... 2/18

The Manchurian brand candidate - a movie star unknowingly caught up in soaped-up propaganda: This gorgeous & innocent looking “Honey Soap” advertising poster feat. actress Li Lili, actually tells the story of several dark episodes from China’s history... 🧵⬇ 1/23 To understand why we have to start from the very beginning: The idea of honey soap has its roots with Englishman William Hesketh Lever. Beginning in 1874, Lever’s wholesale grocery business had been marketing a soap called “Lever’s Pure Honey”. His main competitor... 2/23

Cookies, crime & lasting legacies: This inconspicuous biscuit box holds a story of Shanghai’s largest finance scandal but also enduring memories of one of its oldest consumer brands. The category-defining success story of a Western businessman in China you've never heard of: 🧵⬇ The crumb trail of Bakerite leads us back to the American J.D. Sullivan, who after serving in the Spanish War, came to China at the turn of the century & established the Denniston & Sullivan photo supplies store on Broadway (Daming Rd.) in the Shanghai International Settlement.