Trascendencia del patrimonio gráfico industrial en la identidad territorial del Gran Concepción

Abstract

During the first half of the 20th century, graphic design in southern Chile was not yet a discipline known as such, and design schools have not opened their doors, but still, there were communicational practices where skills typically attributed to the visual arts were used based on industry goals, positively impacting product positioning and customer loyalty. This integration of graphic resources in the strategies of the manufacturing industry was particularly important for the industrial pole of Gran Concepción. So much so, that today the most iconic brands of the history of the city, as well as their characteristic logos, labels and ornaments, are a fundamental part of its territorial identity and local cultural heritage. This article reflects on the relationship between the development of the manufacturing sector, the strengthening of local graphics and the mark that this association left on the collective imagination of the inhabitants of Gran Concepción of yesterday and today, understanding the historical, economic and socio-political context that favored it, and investigating the reasons why certain designs are so significant for this community.