By: Minju Kim 11R s13510

EXISTING CAMPAIGNS; RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Example 1-

Volkswagen; ‘Think small’

Bernbach’s Volkswagen ad; launched 1959

- Effective use of white space- Product itself is small and distant- Black & White- Simplistic, minimal- Poster itself reflected on the product’s benefits of its compact size and affordability

These poster ads for the 1962 Volkswagen campaign are brilliant on a visual level; the contrast of empty space causes the subject to immediately stand out from the page. There is an emphasis on the undersized Beetle and the fine print at the bottom introduces the advantages of having a small car in tasteful, concise language. I like the fact that these posters prioritise simplicity over complexity, and I think the minimalist take is what makes these posters so effective.

Example 2-

Nike; ‘Just do It’

Wieden + Kennedy’s Nike ad; launched 1988

- Use of slogan- Catch phrase - Effective branding; became trademark- Simple black and white colour- Bold font

The ‘Just Do It’ slogan for Nike was meant to capture the overall culture at Nike, and express the willingness to take risks. Through this slogan, the company came to represent not just an athletic brand, but also embodied a certain lifestyle. I think that this promotional campaign is very successful and still lives through generations because it encapsulates everything people feel when they are exercising in a short and sweet phrase.

Example 3-

‘Got Milk?’

‘Got Milk?’ is an American advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of milk. First printed in 1993, it has become one of the most recognised and respected ad campaigns. I think that the idea of the milk-mustache, often formed when drinking a glass of milk was excellent as it was relatable. The main selling point of this campaign is the appearance of famous actors, athletes, musicans, tv-hosts and other celebrities in the movement.

Visually; - Clever caption in fineprint at the bottom of each ad - References to occupation of celebrity in the ad - Reoccurring ‘got milk?’ logo - Simple portraits

Example 4-

Kony 2012

Short film and promotional material created by Invisible Children, Inc. - Released 2012

- Strong impacting colours - Symbolic logo- Bold block text

The Video

- Tells the personal story of Jacob Acaye- Concludes by urging viewers to join its publicity campaign and help the cause by taking action now

Kony 2012

The Video

Kony 2012

Positive Aspects;

- Excellent cinematography; wide use of different camera angles and techniques e.g. wide shot, close up, pan, zoom etc- Simple but effective music - Smooth and fluent transitions- Effective use of footage breakup devices e.g. countdown, long shot of Earth- Repetitive use of strong phrases that reoccurs throughout; ‘Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come, the time is now’ - Lots of interviews that introduce versatile viewpoints- Slow, easy to understand, hooking narration

The LogoKony 2012

- Stylized form- Donkey symbolises the Democratic Party and the elephant the Republican Party, overlapping to form the middling white dove representing peace

All the posters and merchandise made for the Kony 2012 campaign were very visually impacting as they all incorporated the same shades of red and black with hints of blue and white. They also effectively used, much like Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign in example 2, a short catch phrase; ‘Stop at Nothing’ which helped to hook the audience. Another significant reason I felt this campaign was successful was because of the bold, but stylised font that made the message and essence of the motion clear and also worked extremely well with the colour palette.

The Posters/Merchandise

Example 5-

More charity posters

These are two of my favourite charity posters that I came across during my research.

Oil Spill - I liked this charity poster for oil spillage mainly for its creative use of typography and its simple two toned palette. The black text, curved to fit inside an invisible border that makes up a water drop I felt was very aesthetically appealing, and is a technique that could easily be recreated through the warp tool under filter > artistic in Adobe Photoshop. The bold black against the turquoise backgrounding text also made the main message pop, working well with the graffiti like nature of the font as well.

Shelter - I liked this charity poster for the homeless shelter because of the simple but bold colour choices and the minimal portrayal of the sleeping bag made up of words in an empty space of orange. I think that the white drastically contrasts with the bright orange that immediately draws the eye. The trail of words in the middle of the poster that formed the outline of a sleeping bag is very impacting, especially with the emphasis with larger font size on more important words and phrases.

Sum up -

After analysing existing examples of successful promotional campaigns, I have decided that my final product must include;

- Eye catching colour palette (2 ~ 4 tones, including bold tones mixed with black and/or white) - Visually effective typography and selection of font- Simple composition, use of blank space- Use of a short catch phrase