Portuguese soda bottles:

hints of modernity in the label designs

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how Portuguese soft drink label designs were influenced by the aesthetic trends of the 1950s and 1960s. It explores the case of four national commercial brands, namely CIREL, RICAL, UPREL, and AUÁ, and how they graphically adopted the Mid-Century Modern movement. It also addresses the persistent imagery of industrial icons on labels and their respective symbolic interpretations during this period. The article aims to fill a gap in the history of Portuguese design, contributing to the understanding of the dynamics of graphic modernization within the country’s industrial and cultural context during the mid-20th century.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21747/21829748/cem21a5