Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Design Gallery, Designing for Change section 1, South wall

Poster

2009 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

When the Daily News newspaper was shut down in Zimbabwe for criticising Robert Mugabe's regime (claiming the Government were responsible for rigging elections, crushing the opposition and causing poverty, disease and economic collapse) the paper's editor started The Zimbabwean as a newspaper in exile. To raise awareness of the paper and drive sales, the South African based advertising agency TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris developed the Trillion Dollar campaign comprising of billboards, posters and flyers printed on Zimbabwean bank notes. The campaign highlighted the fact that Zimbabwe's hyperinflation had rendered them worth less than the paper they were printed on. The campaign represented an innovative and subversive use of materials to provide a powerful graphic representation of economic disaster. The campaign also won numerous awards around the world, including Africa's first Black Pencil award from the D&AD, an annual competition aimed at rewarding outstanding design.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
letterpress
Brief description
'It is cheaper to print this on money than on paper', letterpress on Zimbabwean bank notes by TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris for the Zimbabwean Newspaper, South Africa,
Physical description
letterpress in black printed on Zimbabwean bank notes
Dimensions
  • Height: 996mm
  • Width: 745mm
Marks and inscriptions
IT IS CHEAPER TO PRINT THIS ON MONEY THAN ON PAPER
Credit line
Given by TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris
Summary
When the Daily News newspaper was shut down in Zimbabwe for criticising Robert Mugabe's regime (claiming the Government were responsible for rigging elections, crushing the opposition and causing poverty, disease and economic collapse) the paper's editor started The Zimbabwean as a newspaper in exile. To raise awareness of the paper and drive sales, the South African based advertising agency TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris developed the Trillion Dollar campaign comprising of billboards, posters and flyers printed on Zimbabwean bank notes. The campaign highlighted the fact that Zimbabwe's hyperinflation had rendered them worth less than the paper they were printed on. The campaign represented an innovative and subversive use of materials to provide a powerful graphic representation of economic disaster. The campaign also won numerous awards around the world, including Africa's first Black Pencil award from the D&AD, an annual competition aimed at rewarding outstanding design.
Collection
Accession number
E.1083-2011

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Record createdNovember 19, 2013
Record URL
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