Event Poster

I am instantly attracted to event posters with bright colors-- they capture my attention and make me want to find out what this bold, fun event must be. Therefore, when I saw this poster for a Free Press Summer Fest outing in Texas I was instantly attracted to it. It's bright green and blue scenic drawing with bold pink bubble letters on the top yearned for my attention. I think this is key when designing an event poster. You must use colors that will capture a person's attention-- they would want to find out what the poster is for and therefore maybe come to your event because of it. The colors and design however, also need to represent the event or person or idea you are trying to get across. This poster was for an alternative/indie music festival and has a city-scape with people dancing in it. The bright colors work for this design whereas if it was for a heavy-metal music festival it probably would not have worked as well. Therefore, if you stay true to the person, band, or idea you are trying to publicize and use colors and features that will capture a person's attention, you will have an good event poster.

Bold Statements in Magazine Covers

I found this example of Esquire magazine with George Clooney on the cover to be quite intriguing. Not simply because George Clooney was on the front cover (i know hard to believe), but more so for the interesting design the company had taken for its front cover.

It is a great example of how black and white can make a bold statement. Clooney, the background, and all the type on the magazine cover are in black and white, giving the cover an edgy feel. What really captures a reader's attention, however, is the bright orange color the mag's title "ESQUIRE" is in. If you happened to be passing a magazine stand on the street, you would definitely notice this magazine cover.

Another creative angle I thought the magazine took was using a replacement image for a letter. The cover reads GEORGE in large typeface, but, as a reader, you cannot see the O in George as Mr. Clooney's head is taking up that space. This was a cleaver use of words, but also of the image they knew they would have on the front cover. It was creative in that they did not have to sacrifice space on the magazine cover; instead, they worked with the specific image they wanted to create a humorous way of presenting "GEORGE".

Overall I think this magazine cover is really eye-catching and has many elements that make it a really creative and clever design!

Corporate Identity

It took me quite a while to find a corporate identity, or a logo, that I really thought did a great job with its' colors, typography, and images incorporating the message of the company. I finally found the United Way logo and was very happy with the overall message it represented. The colors are all very nurturing-- they are not too harsh, but still standout because of their brightness. The hand with the person underneath also suggests their message which is a helping hand and caring for others.

The image itself is very subtle but encompasses their message as an organization that they are there to care for others. The image is not distracting, just enhancing. I think any viewer looking at the logo can understand the message conveyed by the image, and especially because the United Way's mission of improving the lives of others by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world can be visibly seen in this logo.

Bad Advertisement

The ad I chose for my design project this week was an ad for a photography company called Creative Works Photography. The ad had a very outdated picture of a wedding couple with big blocks of text with the only color being a slight splash of red in the background. I did not think the layout, typography, or color communicated that it was a creative photography studio at all. I think the colors needed to be changed to make it more updated and show off a level of creativity so show that their name really encompasses who they are as a company. I think the picture needed to be changed to a more modern and relevant photo. I think the text needed to flow better within the ad as well, so there were not just big bold chunks of text all over the page. I think this would definitely help the ad flow better and work well to communicate the message that Creative Works Photography is trying to give off to potential clients.

The Letter M in the World of Advertisements

We take the way typography enhances packaging and a products overall feel for granted. The font choice, the position of the lettering, the coloring and even more can make or break a packaging design. I chose to evaluate the letter M in various advertisements and packaging that we as Americans see all the time.

The first example I found of the letter M is the M from a Caribbean Rum bottle, Malibu. The font is a serif font and its very free flowing, lacking straight form with the edges not cut and dry. This gives off the feeling of an easy going, good time, which I think is a very prominent experience an alcohol company would want their company to give the impression of.

The second example I found is the letter M from a 3 Musketeers Wrapper. This font is very playful, due its balloon-like appearance. It seems almost little-kidish, which could appeal to young consumers and also to adult consumers who want to just take a time out from their busy lives to eat a piece of candy. Incorporating my last example, I do not think switching the fonts for the letter M of these packages would work. The fonts would not enhance the other product if switched. Each font works for its specific package, product, and purpose.

My final example of the letter M in packaging is from a Maybelline advertisement. This is a san serif font, with very straight thin edges and lines. This gives off the appearance of very classy and more upscale, which is a great persona for a make up to have. It is a very simplistic style but an air of sophistication to the product.

I think each use of the letter M in each packaging is well thought out and used well to enhance each product. None of the fonts would work as well if there were interchanged to be on another product. It's surprising how much each typography style has an impact on the product they are on, and how different one letter M can be from another.

Color in Different Cultures

In the United States, Red means STOP, Yellow means SLOW DOWN, and Green means GO. Have you ever thought what these colors mean in various other cultures throughout the United States. This is exactly what I took the time to examine this week. As a tribute to Valentine's Day, let us investigate the color RED.

In the Western culture, red has two meanings; mainly love and/or rage and anger. However, in China the color red is meant to mean a celebration. By following the link you would notice all the Chinese decorations are all in red!

In South Africa, the color red is the color of mourning. It is used at funerals or to indicate various sorrowful events for a family or individual. In India, red is the color of purity, which is very different from the United States, where purity is indicated by the color white. In a completely opposite perception, the United States considers red as associated with the devil, while in India, the color red is holy and is instrumental in customs and beliefs.

As can be seen across cultures, one color can mean so many different things. In advertising and marketing, we must learn how color is perceived by various cultures so we can create ads pleasing to all areas of the world if we ever have the privilege to work worldwide.

Color Schemes

I could have told you starting about 10 years ago that my favorite color scheme was lime green and bright pink. There was something about the combination of colors together that I found interesting and their vibrancy and brightness was an extra bonus. Come to find out lime green and bright pink are actually opposite each other on the color wheel, meaning they are complimentary colors. One real life example I found was the packaging on a Bed Head Hair Product called EGO BOOST. The bottle is bright pink, with a light green cap/pump. If I saw this product sitting on a self, my eye would immediately be drawn to it. Not only are the colors my favorite, but the vibrancy of the colors demand attention. This is an excellent marketing idea because consumers would be more drawn to this bottle than say a black and white bottle on the same shelf.

The color combination also adds to the overall perception of the product and brand. I would not look at the packaging and think "wow this is a pretty standard, boring brand of hair care products". The bottle makes it scream to the consumer that the brand is fun, funky and a brand for the more youthful at heart. Before learning about how much color impacts our thoughts on a brand and product, I would have never believed the color combination of pink and green could really change a consumer's perception of a product. However, now I see a color scheme can actually make or break the success of a product and a brand. MARKETERS BEWARE!