Meta | 1941

Meta, 1941, by Niklaus Stoecklin

This 1941 poster by Swiss artist Niklaus Stoecklin showcases a hyper-realistic depiction of a matchstick resting atop a Meta firelighter cube. The composition is minimalist, focusing solely on the matchstick and the firelighter against a plain blue background.

Designed by Swiss artist Niklaus Stoecklin in 1941, this poster advertises matches produced by Meta, a safety match manufacturer based in Zurich. The company was founded in 1934 through the merger of several smaller Swiss match producers to enable them to better compete against foreign imports. During the challenging economic conditions of the 1930s and the supply shortages of World War II, Meta matches came to be seen as a dependable, quintessentially Swiss product. Stoecklin's eye-catching design, with its oversized scale, dynamic angles, and bold colours, helped solidify this patriotic brand identity and successfully promoted Meta's matches at a time of national hardship.

Niklaus Stoecklin (1896-1982) was a painter and prominent commercial poster artist active in Basel. Trained at the Arts and Crafts School in Basel, he was a pioneer of modern Swiss graphic design in the 1920s and 30s. Stoecklin is considered one of the key figures who helped define the distinctive Swiss style, characterized by simplified forms, bold colours, and a flat, abstract visual language influenced by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and the German Plakatstil (Poster Style). Over his prolific career, Stoecklin created over 150 posters renowned for their formal inventiveness and expressive use of colour. While he designed advertisements for a wide range of products and clients, he is best remembered for his iconic designs for Swiss brands like Meta matches, Bata shoes, and Stewo paper goods.