The Design Museum of Chicago has reached back into design history for a landmark advertising campaign developed by a Chicago corporation; the curators have recreated it as a modern-day exhibit of imagery shaped by new voices and current cultural and political changes. The exhibit—Great Ideas of Humanity: One of a Series— is on view at the museum, 72 E. Randolph St.
Great Ideas of Humanity is a modern adaptation of the advertising campaign, Great Ideas of Western Man, developed by Container Corporation of America (a Chicago corporation that no longer exists) in the 1950s and ‘60s. The ads, which today might be called brand awareness or institutional advertising, used bold, experimental artwork to visually interpret written ideas, but did not advertise a product or service. The full-color ads appeared primarily in magazines through about 1975. Great Ideas of Humanity expands on that idea by bringing in new voices and artists and taking broader perspectives that reflect the current culture.
The exhibit features about 50 Great Ideas posters, each of which illustrates an important idea or slogan. For instance, “Believe in Truth” quotes historian Timothy Snyder with an image of two African American Olympic athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, with fists raised in a human rights salute. In another politically oriented poster, designer Kevin Moreland uses a quote from Howard Zinn: “You can’t stay neutral on a moving train.”
A poster by Design Museum executive director Tanner Woodford creates a calligraphic style image, using an Emily Dickinson poem, “Hope is a thing with feathers.” Another poster by Tré Seals quotes poet Gwendolyn Brooks: “It is brave to be involved. / To be not fearful to be unresolved.”
Like the original CCA series, a committee selected quotations that carry resonance and lasting meaning. The 2025 committee was made up of Benjamin Benus, Lauren Boegen, and Garland Kirkpatrick. But this time, the voices are more expansive. Poets, students, and emerging thinkers bring new language into the mix, reframing what a great idea can be. Each selected quotation is interpreted by a designer or artist. The resulting works ask us to think critically, to consider the ideas we carry forward, and to remain open to those still being formed.
You can see the full array of Great Ideas of Humanity posters—about 140 in total—on the Great Ideas website.
The Great Ideas of Western Man concept was created by Container Corporation chairman Walter Paepcke. CCA art director Herbert Bayer commissioned major artists and designers to illustrate selected ideas (chosen by a committee) of the greatest philosophers, writers, scientists, and cultural, religious, and political figures of history. The Great Ideas campaign lasted 25 years and included more than 190 ads. The company known as Container Corporation of America has disappeared into a series of mergers, acquisitions and corporate bankruptcies. See examples of the original ads and read more about Great Ideas of Western Man.
Great Ideas of Humanity: One of a Series— is on view at the Design Museum of Chicago, 72 E. Randolph St., through Monday, August 4. Admission is free; the museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
All photos are by Chloe Brown, courtesy of the Design Museum of Chicago.
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