Les affiches Picon

In 1992, we had the opportunity to buy all of the material from the Picon distillery (Switzerland) including its stock of advertising objects and posters.

In this industrial wasteland, we discovered a large amount of advertising objects, labels, leaflets, advertising signs together with antique posters. It is with great pleasure that we present our photographic archives, a testimony to the economic power of this brand.

During 150 years, the Picon company produced a multitude of posters, which were designed by artists such as Georges Scott, Gaspar Camps, Sepo, Achille Mauzan, Noël Fontanet, Georges Campbell or Bernard Villemot.

Many of these posters are impossible to find today, but some are still available.

Discover below how a medical decoction would become a major international group of alcohol distributors.

The young Gaetan Picon, of Italian origins, was born in 1809 and began his professional life as an apprentice in a distillery in Marseille. In the beginning of the 1830s, he joined up the French army and served in Algeria.

Gaetan suffered from dysentery, through the drinking of contaminated desert water, as did many of his comrades and also caught the malignant fever malaria.

At this time, he heard about a household remedy, made by the infusion of oranges and quinine and combined these with his knowledge of alcohol distillation. He then concocted a mixture of fresh and dried oranges added to alcohol which was flavoured with quinine.

As with all great inventors, Gaetan Picon first tried his invention on himself and was 'healed'.

Today we know that 21° proof alcohol purifies water and vitamin C from the oranges combined with the quinine lowers fever. As with other brand names such as 'Coca-Cola' or 'Schweppes', Amer Picon began its career as a 'medicine'.

News of this miraculous cure grew in the French Algerian community and sales increased. Gaetan Picon began the production of the drink and it gradually won the reputation of being both a digestive and thirst-quenching.

A great brand of aperitif, which would make a fortune for its creator.

Gaetan refused to present his Bitter at the 1862 International Exhibition competition in London, however, the mayor of Philippeville sent a hidden case of the drink for the competition. Amer Picon won the bronze medal and so began its international expansion. Several factories were then built to ensure the production at Levallois, Bordeaux, Marseille, Geneva, Barcelona and Buenos Aires.

Picon is usually diluted with water or fizzy water before drinking.

In 1931, the Picon company diversified its production and launched a new drink called "Pikina, an family aperitif made with French wine".

The company also developed Curaçao Picon (red) and Curaçao Triple Sec Picon (white), then Pastis PEC. Picon was also mixed with beer and became the celebrated Picon Bière (Picon Beer)

This is from the famous scene in the film 'Marius' called 'the four thirds', by the playwright Marcel Pagnol, played by the memorable Raimu.

Picon would further be immortalized numerous times by the Seventh Art.

Circa 1925

Magnificent Art Deco poster for the Parisian metro.
Printed in lithography on 4 sheets.
Dimensions 235 x 315 cm.

In 1925, the Italian artist Sepo (Severo Pozzati) designed this maquette for a poster of a cubist waiter.
The maquette is dated 1925, although the drink's brand has not yet been added. (Sepo par V. Strukelj, p142)

Severo Pozzati, also known under the pseudonym 'Sepo' was an Italian painter and sculptor. He moved to Paris to took over the direction of the Parisian branch of the celebrated advertising agency 'Maga' of Bologna.

Sepo was principally inspired by Leonetto Cappiello, Cassandre and the Cubism of Pablo Picasso. In 1926, Pozzati left 'Maga' to work with several other advertising agencies such as 'Star', 'Publivox' in Geneva, 'Ricordi' in Milan and even 'Chapuis' in Bologna. It acquired an international reputation, notably for his posters for companies such as 'Noveltex', 'Amieux', 'La Régie Française des Tabacs', 'Lustucru' or 'Picon'.

Finally, it was through the Publivox studio in Geneva, with which Sepo regularly collaborated, that the Picon company would produce this funny and celebrated Art Deco poster.

A cubist waiter sprays a syphon bottle of water.

The combination of red (the usual colour of the brand) on a flashy bright orange background is unusual for the time and was surprisingly modern.

From the beginning, Picon was drunk neat or with fizzy water from a syphon bottle.

< Cardboard ad cut in the shape of a Syphon bottle which can be clipped on to a Picon bottle.

Affiche suisse >
90 x 128 cm.

Slide for projecting ads in cinemas

< A small test bottle

Water carafe >
Picon, healthy, enjoyable

< Large size poster
160 x 120 cm

A slide to be used in cinemas to advertise Amer Picon.

1/3 of Amer Picon

2/3 of hot water

2 sugar cubes

"We have started drinking Picon in Camp 1 at an altitude of 5,200m... I made hot Picons for everyone according to your recipe. The effect was remarkable; not only did everyone feel revitalised, but it was also so pleasant that immediately the sceptics became followers and I had to ration it!"

A good Grog!
Take a hot Amer Picon then!

A bartender seems to 'juggle' with glasses, a pot of hot water and a bottle of Picon on this comical poster by the Swiss graphic designer from Geneva, Noël Fontanet.

For this poster celebrating the company's centenary, Georges Scott, the famous painter of the French army, depicts a proud cavalry officer who abducts a Muslim beauty and wields a bottle of Picon in place of his sword.

The scene takes place in Algeria, the land of oranges where Gaetan Picon invented his aperitif 100 years before.

This image will later be used as the company's logo. Today the 'Messalina' has disappeared as the image was improper.

The company wrote: "An aperitif with old French wines, with a very pleasant taste and the fullness of an old wine where you like to find a slight hint of bitterness brought by the oranges and the quinquina. An all-natural aperitif, without any aromatic products. To be served at room temperature or with two ice cubes."

On this famous poster by Roby in 1934, 2 oxen, one red and one white, pull a cart full of red and white grapes.

With this aperitif 'for the whole family', less sour than the Picon and with less alcohol (only 17°), the company targets women in its marketing campaign.

The company also produced Curaçao Picon (red) and Curaçao Triple Sec Picon (white).

"Luxurious Curaçao Picon distilled at 40°, to drink alone or within a cocktail."

Due to their sweet and sour taste, these white or red Curaçao are easily used in different cocktail preparations. It was perfect for the new taste in alcohol that took place during the roaring twenties.

"Of all the digestive liqueurs, the Curaçao Triple Sec Picon is the most difficult to make because it requires harmony and finesse. A perfect alcohol, a first-class sugar, and above all carefully selected oranges are essential to obtain a top-class liqueur. The peel of these amazing fruits is processed and distilled by specialists. This is how a great liqueur is born, whose perfume and finesse are refined after a long maturing in oak barrels",

wrote the company in an advertising leaflet.

"Finally Madam, the Curaçao Triple Sec Picon will become a must once you have tried it in your baking or in your cooking: pancakes, soufflés, creams, sorbets... will take on an unmatched flavour."

Curaçao chocolate
sweet box >

The company promotes a mix that is really appreciated in the North of France and Belgium: the famous Picon Bière (Picon Beer).

The Picon Bière also became cult in movies. In 'Un singe en hiver' (1962), Jean-Paul Belmondo drowns his nostalgia for Spain by drinking Picon Bière and Zezette’s lover gets drunk with the same beverage in 'Le Père Noël est une ordure' (1982).

In the sixties, the company produced a new bottle: a 'special Picon Bière, formulated to go well with any type of beer'.

Drunk mainly in the north of France or in Belgium, Picon is mixed with beer by the bartender. The company also produced already mixed bottles 'Picon+Bier' for the Swiss German market.

Two oil paintings on wood, for a restaurant.

Old advertising Picon Bottle
A dummy model

<Rhum St James poster,
before its acquisition by the Picon company

The well-known Cappiello poster for Vodka Relsky >

"A PEC is a PEC!"

The pastis PEC was also another product created by Picon & Cie in his factory in Levallois. It was "the oldest Pastis from Marseille", Gaetan Picon’s homeland.

The company wrote: "The pastis PEC remained true to itself… without losing the soul of Marseille, its accent, its sun, its taste and its qualities make it the Pastis of the Canebière."

In France, le pastis PEC was distilled at 45° and in Switzerland at 40° depending on the law.