How to Cook Ontario Vegetables – Ontario Foodland News, No.3, Typsettra, 1978

The third full-page newspaper ad created by Case Associates and Typsettra for Foodland Ontario appeared in January 1978. It promoted the use of Ontario-grown winter vegetables and canned goods under the banner How to Cook Ontario Vegetables.

As with the earlier ads in the series, the typography required precise control. Creative director Denis Case and designer Bill Yip worked closely with Les Usherwood at Typsettra, whose hand-lettering gave the masthead the feel of an old-fashioned magazine. Even the deliberate inconsistencies in the typesetting were part of the design, evoking the often clumsy layout of early newspapers. This collaboration typified a broader shift in Canadian advertising during the 1970s, where agencies continued to set creative direction but turned to expert typographers to shape how those ideas were visually realized. For more than two decades, Typsettra was one of Toronto’s most trusted advertising type shops, and Usherwood earned the confidence of many of the city’s top art directors. – Rod McDonald