Thursday 30 May 2013

Graphic Work: Poster Advertisement

To further express my futuristic theme, I thought it would be a good idea to do some 2D graphics work. Having researched the underground itself, it's very cleverly lined with advertisements and posters promoting products, businesses and events. I figured it would be good to also make some form of advertisement posters from my own environment, as not only would add to the 'essence' of that sort of public scene, but I could use it to further accentuate my theme. 

I looked at some existing examples that use the futuristic concept. Ironically enough, I found some good 2D advertisement posters from the film Wall.e. It was interesting to actually see how these posters reflect the actual environment they're set in. The art is bold, simple shapes, colours and minimal texture/tonal work. Very minimalistic posters that have a strong impact on their theme and environment. I think the posters from Wall.e perfectly represent the visual style of the film and also how compliment the 3D art.

Here are some examples from Wall.e:







Actually from looking at these 'futuristic' posters, it's actually intriguing how much they look like older forms of advertising. Now I think about it, a lot of films and video games with a futuristic theme used this method of 2D art a lot. As if the original simplicity of historical advertisement is back in fashion? It's interesting to see how old and new come together so powerfully.

Here are some examples of War time posters in comparison:


Each of these posters use a combination of bold colours,  shapes and text. They are each very minimalistic in their design, but full of information and impact. I think this technique is used a lot in either present day, or futuristic themes as ideally the most effect posters are the ones that say a lot without 'doing' a lot. This actually reflects a lot of the examples I've researched and how they're environmental designs are simplistic. However, the use of bold colours and shapes are what ironically make the most impact.

After seeing the visual impact of both comparisons, I decided to make my own posters to potentially fit into my environment scene.

It took some time deciding what sort of posters I should make. However, after reflecting over my BA7 research I came to a few conclusions:

. Travel
. Food/Drink
. Health

These seem to quite common in the underground environment. Something that is effective and informative to commuters. 



For my first poster I decided to focus it on air travel. With the increase of travel opportunities and services, I felt it would be relevant and suitable in an existing transport environment. I decided to make the poster a light blue and added various white clouds to create a 'sky' like feel. I also decided to add a blue plane icon with white cloud surrounding it. This gives the impression what the poster is about without the need for any text. I did however add some typography just to add to the visual information. I chose a thick font and added a white depth shadow to make it appear bolder. I also made the word 'light' thinner and positioned it just above the rest of the words in it's own cloud. This adds more feeling to the word and also generates visual appeal whilst connecting it with the rest of the poster. I then came up with the word 'Flyte' which is literally a connection of the words Fly and Light. The purpose of my poster was to highlight a fictional low budget airline that is easy on the environment, stress free and nice to the pocket. Using Flyte is a way to express an airy, stress free airline that was made to make everything better and easier. Using a sky type background is purposely used to calm the viewer and make them feel 'lighter'. I finally added a little slogan to the title to further accentuate the stress free concept. 'It's about the Journey' comes from the well known saying 'It's not about the Destination, it's about the Journey'. So it gives the impression that using this airliner will be potentially better than your holiday!

With air travel being the most stressful form of transport, I thought making a poster like this would be powerful and effective, especially in a busy travel environment such as a subway station.




My second poster concept was focused on the topic of 'health'.  Life in subway stations is busy, stressful and often a very rushed, chaotic environment. Commuters are running late and tourists want to get to places fast. Life in general is sped up and often leaves gaps in our health that are needed to keep us going throughout the day. Usually things like breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Food and drink is an essential part of daily life and we as humans need those vitamins to keep us going. With that concept in mind I developed the idea of an all in one capsule or vitamin that contains your entire 5 a day worth of fruit and vegetables. So no matter who you are, where you are going or how late you are, take one of these all in one capsules and you need not worry for skipping eating or drinking again! An easy soluble solution to a rushed lifestyle, I call it the 'vitaLIFE'. The capsule actively helps to hydrate, replenish and energize your body whilst you're on the go. Providing you with all the essential minersla and vitamins needed to lead a healthy lifestyle. 


Using this type of concept, I believe would greatly appeal to people, especially those part of subway environment. It's quick, easy and efficient which is exactly what people need on the go. To excite the mind of a viewer, I decided to keep the image very basic, based from my previous research. I used blue once again as a calming back drop and then a lighter blue for highlighting. I used three brushes, a sun ray brush, cloud brush and a scratched effect brush. I used these to build a bright an calming scene, whilst adding a bit of texture to make it stand out better. I then designed the capsule in two shades of green to further add to that 'calming' feel. I used the sun ray brush and put it on a layer behind the capsule, whilst littering the base of the poster with various opaque clouds. In doing this it gives the effect that the pill is rising out of the clouds and shining just like the sun, therefore making it bolder and appear more natural. I also made up the logo 'vitaLIFE' to add a branding to the capsule to authenticate the product to it's audience. Also something like this doesn't exist in a present time, at least not efficiently. So this also expresses my futuristic theme.
 

 
For my final poster concept, I came up with the perfect concept that I know appeals to a lot of the public, especially commuters...A good cup of coffee. However, this time for my design, I wanted to refer back to a traditional method of advertising, similar to that of war time. I used the same concept as my capsule, but for this time for a coffee bean. Using the same brushes to highlight the product. The product in this particular poster is that of the 'Megabean', an enhanced coffee bean that is made to have more flavour and last longer. With that fictional and futuristic way of thinking, I then developed the logo 'Nextspresso'. Next as in the future and 'spresso' for the coffee, therefore meaning 'Future Coffee'. I decided to make an old cartoon character to make the poster look more traditional based on research. However, I added a small futuristic touch just to express my theme better. I made the character look like a 1940's 1950's working class gentleman, but with an LED powered cyborg eye, so although I have traditional methods of advertising included, there is still an element of the future based on the character's appearance and concept of the product. I used the colours red and orange to not only make the poster stand out, but also give it that traditional feel. Overall I am really pleased with the outcome and think it represents a futuristic yet traditional theme.







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