Tiki in adverstising

Tiki was very popular in advertising during the middle of the 20th century, as Americans became more infested in travelling to Hawaii and nearby islands. Airlines used exotic designs to encourage customers to make  a 'visit to the nearby paradise'. On their adverstising posters, Hula dancers beckon from the island waiting to serve the American customers, with the 'clipper airline' in the background.

The design above makes use of Tiki style  for a CD of 'Exotic Instrumentals' showing a  a cheekily  dressed wahine in the front of exotic leaved woods with the slogan 'Hawaii calls to you'. This is a typical  example showing that wooden, carved sculptures and women were the most used motifs  in tiki advertising. The flowered dresses of the girls and the carved sculptures are like an instant reminder of a relaxed holiday were beautiful women care for your  wellbeing . They are the Icons of the advertising Posters from  the 1940s to the 1960s.

Advertising, influenced by Tiki was often also  for Tiki themed Bars, Restaurants or Hotels. They tried to take people from their daily life into a  little hawaiian paradise, using all the iconic images that are related with this life style. Bamboo, dark wood, carved sculptures, Palm trees, jungle music and pretty wahines were the essentials.

I think sexuality played an important part within the phenomenon and increased the interest even more in  it. As it has always been an effective way to advertise all sorts of products or services it worked well for Tiki too. Bar posters, Holiday adverts or Album covers  often show a good looking waitress, wahine or similar attracting mainly male as well as female customers.

During the 1950s emancipation of women was minimal as it is still often nowadays, men usually decided for their women where they were to go  during their  leisure time, so that was another aspect that made the concept more successful than it would have been had the imagery been more general in nature.

The exotic fantasy of  Wahines has been in the minds of Western men since the polynesian island were discovered. The image above  shows pictures of models posed as wahnie  featuring everything a mans mind relates to the cliche of being on a foreign island - beautiful and willing women, wooden carved sculptures and hawaiian flower necklace.

A typical waitress outfit for tiki themed bars, lightly dressed with dark hair decorated with a flower posing next to one of the special cocktail mixers , tiki is known for.

A men's magazine called 'Taboo' in 1950, showing a Wahine look alike in a leopard print bikini.