Cat - Tip-Top Bread Company Halloween Promotional Mask (1948) - Australia

This striking black cat paper mask was issued in 1948 by the Tip-Top Bread Company of Australia as a special Halloween promotional giveaway. Distributed directly through grocery stores and bakeries, these masks were used as a clever marketing tool to encourage brand loyalty among postwar families.

The design captures the wide-eyed, slightly mischievous look typical of 1940s Halloween graphics—part whimsical, part eerie. With bold lithographed details and the famous red eyes that stand out against the black fur, this mask reflects the era’s fascination with playful yet spooky advertising.

Tip-Top was one of Australia’s most recognizable bread brands, and their use of seasonal premiums such as masks tied them closely to community traditions. Children often received these masks with bread purchases around Halloween, wore them briefly, and discarded them—making original survivors scarce.

Historical Significance:

Issued in Australia in 1948 during the boom of promotional grocery advertising.

Features iconic black cat imagery, one of Halloween’s oldest symbols.

Produced on lightweight litho-printed board, fragile and rarely surviving intact.

Details:

Date: 1948
Maker: Tip-Top Bread Company (Australia)
Promotion: Halloween giveaway premium
Size: approx. 7" x 10"
Medium: Lithographed paperboard