Fromages Vignottes

Now, this is a confusing mural.
We see a speed-boat in an enormous Camembert-like cheese. The vessel carries two labels: Fromages Vignottes and MINI TRANSAT. What is the link with the brand?

And then: the warning signs for radio-activity! Left and right on the cheese-world, on the cargo and on the label with the brand name. I can't believe this is a regular ad. Is it an artwork inspired by Fromages Vignotte (without 'S') or an anti-ad from a competitor? Needs more research.

It was in 1934 that three men named Aboucaya, Lapeyre and Baillivet became asociates to form a dairy-farm under the name ALB. One of their products were the so called petit suisses (invented in 1850 in French Normandy by an employee from a local diary-farm who was born in Switzerland)). Petit suisse fromage is meant as a dessert cheese. The size of one serving in those days was twice today's standard size. It was Mr. Gervais who started industrial production of what was later called Petits Gervais.

After the second World War, ALB started competition against the popular Petits Gervais with their own petits Chambourcy. This name was choosen because the first of the founders had a property in Chambourcy (Paris region). In 1961 the brothers Benoit became the new owners of the company which was renamed Chambourcy in 1962. It became part of the large Nestlé family in 1978. The name was blanked out in 1996.

Chambourcy brand was brought back to life in 1998 when three investors bought it back from Nestlé. From now on it would focus on organic products (dairy and other).

La Revue des Marques published the Saga Nestlé (French; X.2000) with some paragraphs about Chambourcy.

Port-Salut was born in 1816.

The text C'est écrit dessus appears on the package in 1988 and it is gone again in 1991.

Port-Salut is, together with La vache qui rit, a brand of the Groupe BEL which dates back to 1865 when Jules Bel started to make cheese in Orgelet (F). The company moved about 20km away to Lons-le-Saunier in 1897, where headquarters still are. After the dead of Jules in 1904, his son Léon took over.

Website of the Groupe BEL with history and much more:
www.groupe-bel.com (several languages).