Austria
With a series of video portraits, TV journalist Sibylle Tiessen takes us on a captivating journey into a world full of exciting projects, cultural diversity and authentic stories on Mallorca. Supported by TUI, the TUI Care Foundation and Majorca Daily Bulletin, viewers learn more about the island from a whole new perspective, from inspiring stories of locals to social, artistic, ecological, scientific and political aspects.
Episode 9: "Every poster has a story in Mallorca"
"This is where I grew up and this is where I run our fourth-generation family business,” says the 46-year-old Mallorcan Belén Aguiló. Together with her 45-year-old brother, she runs the print shop Imprenta Nueva Balear, which was founded in 1913 and was celebrating its 110th anniversary last year.
While her brother works in the print shop, Belén Aguiló takes care of the administration, social networks, orders and management. Her customers include boutique hotels, high-end luxury shops and restaurants. In addition to posters, they also print menus.
Business boomed, especially in the 1960s and 1970s with the start of tourism on the island. "The tour operators wanted to do more advertising for the island and needed posters and invoice pads.” Little by little, digitalisation came in. Belén's father kept the old, high-quality machines, but bought new ones that were not too expensive. "This combination of tradition and innovation is very enriching for all of us," she explains. Today, the company employs 14 people.
During the pandemic, Belén and her family had to get creative. "We printed posters for hospitals on the island. And we created masks with different motifs and kept our heads above water. That was a tough time," she recalls.
The print shop has since recovered from the crisis. "Business is going very well. People are focussing on quality and high-quality prints. The retro style is back in fashion. I'm very happy that people appreciate the traditional more than they used to." There is work all-year round. "As many hotels and restaurants are now also open in winter, menus and advertising posters are also needed all-year round."
Anyone who wants to see for themselves what goes on in the print shop has the opportunity to do so. Imprenta Nueva Balear offers guided tours. "There is a story behind every poster that you can't find in Google. It is passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth."
Find out more in the video:
