Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942) Italian poster designer Leonetto Cappiello is considered one of the greatest pioneers in the advertising industry. Often referred to as the founder of modern advertising, his unconventional use of bold, solid backgrounds with figures and brands is an approach still used today. His work covered a wide range of products and venues. Some of his most famous poster ads include, "Maurin Quina" the green tempting devil advertising absinthe, "Pates Baroni" the man enticing you with a heaping plate of pasta and "Victoria Arduino", a man catching a train while grabbing a hot cup of coffee.