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!