Nicolas et Glou-Glou

Nicolas was—and is—one of the major wine dealers/distributors in France, and in 1922, the head of the family firm, Etienne Nicolas, asked Dransy to design a poster to show that the company delivers directly to your home. The delivery man, given the name Nectar, became one of the most popular and instantly recognizable images on the walls of France, and was used in dozens of variations. The image was the inspiration for later posters by Iribe, Loupot, and Cassandre, among others. This design, however, is based on the original image of Dransy’s, which the Poyet Frères agency supplied with the name in blue on top and a different color (yellow) for the left side bottles; hence the subscript “d’après Dransy.”

Here, the delivery man, Nectar, is joined by his latest companion, Glou-Glou, who appeared in at least five posters in the campaign. This two-sheet version is d’après Dransy (from a drawing by the artist).

Text from Rennerts Gallery