If you're looking for a lunch-time distraction in central London tomorrow, you could do a lot worse than popping into McCann London's atrium and catching the last day of the exhibition.
Heath Robinson was a famous illustrator and cartoonist in the early 20th century – a creator of fantastically overcomplicated industrial machines for often mundane tasks.
He also did a lot of advertising work. His inimitable style was easily recognizable, but what we found interesting was that in his editorial illustrations, overly complicated machines could be read as a critique of industrialisation, while in his advertising work they became marks of quality.
Zaid Al Zaidy, CEO of McCann LondonHeath Robinson's eccentric style captured the imagination of the public in his age and it's great to be able to celebrate his legacy with such a synchronistic exhibition.
This is the first ever show of his work in advertising and includes illustrations for iconic brands such as Great Western Trains and Shredded Wheat – current clients of McCann London – alongside Daimler Cars, the original occupants of our Grade 2 Listed Art Deco headquarters in Bloomsbury.
Our building also bares an uncanny resemblance to the architecture in his work and we've consequently taken this opportunity to build one of his wacky inventions in our atrium. It's great to be supporting the Heath Robinson Museum who are opening a dedicated gallery next year.
The William Heath in Advertising exhibition is at McCann London, 7-11 Herbrand Street, London, WC1N 1EX, from 10am-5.30pm until Thursday 22 October. Here's a preview of some of the work you could see.
