Bushells Tea window display

This instruction sheet was provided to shopkeepers with the coloured cardboard components of a window display for Bushells Tea. Established in 1883, Bushells was one of Australia’s earliest and most successful brand names.

Prior to 1870s most goods had been sold in bulk but improvements in production and packaging technology meant that tinned and boxed goods slowly began to replace bulk products. Packaged products could be branded with the company name and differentiated from their competitors. Shopkeepers were promised extra profits due to the quality and promotion of Bushells products.

In this display Bushells claims:

You get more cups of tea from a pound of Bushells Blue Label so that it costs you less to use than ordinary tea and you get the finer flavour.

The display comprised five components which were arranged to produce a three dimensional diorama showing the tea being picked in exotic Sri Lanka or India and drunk by a happy couple sitting at a comfortable table in Australia.

The display dates from 1920s to 1940s and was produced by the O’Brien Publicity Co. Sydney. It is currently on display in the What’s in Store? exhibition at the Powerhouse.

Post by Lynne McNairn

Collection: Powerhouse Museum (94/214/1)
No known copyright restrictions.

Tags: advertisements, advertising, black and white, Bushells Tea, retailing, shop displays, Window displays, window dressing