I was at Chapters recently and picked up a magazine called "The Wired". I thought it had some pretty neat ads, so I figured I'd post some. I also re-discovered a Japanese magazine (Street Jack) I had brought back from Japan a couple years ago and I'm going to share its amazing Adidas ad.
"The Wired" Ad 01
I thought this ad was pretty interesting because, although the image drew me in right away, I never would have guessed that it was an ad for Ford. After reading the caption it really connected the picture to the brand for me.
I was thinking that this was an interesting relation between something our graphic design principles textbook said and how the principles are used in real life. The textbook mentioned how type can forever alter the meaning of an image and vice versa. When you, as the viewer, see the text as a caption for an image, your imagination is harnessed by the designer. Two completely unrelated things (or somewhat related things) can become metaphors for each other or even create a connection between themselves that wasn't thought possible before the text was added. I think this advertisement is a good example of this.
I was also drawn to this advert because of the image. Personally it appealed to me. It's not that I particularly like the colours or anything - it just struck me as an interesting image. It also made me wonder what on earth it could be an advertisement for. Relating the words ghosting on the lips to the voice commands of the car was a brilliant touch in my opinion.
So does anyone else agree that if the logo and catchphrase were not present you would not understand what on earth this was an add for? :)
"The Wired" Ad 02
I chose this 'ad' (more like title page!) because I liked the typography used. I was also really fond of the coloured lines going across the page and containing the contents near the bottom! The wrap around the 'E' in the middle is one of my favorite parts.
This ad has particularly good hierarchy starting from the most important -the title- to the 'Test" font and finally to the contents and the written paragraph at the bottom left of the page.
What do you guys think? ;)
"The Wired" Ad 03
I just loved this: "Call China now for Just Pennies". There is a traditional Chinese building made of pennies above this phrase. It's really straightforward but I think that that's the best part about it. Before your brain gets too far analyzing what you are seeing, the ad tells you straight up that no analyzing is really needed! The 'trailing' pennies also manage to give it that organic feel that everyone seems to like so much. They look like they are placed randomly but you can see at the top they look like the stairs down from the building and turn into almost pebble type objects leading you down the 'path' to the phone at the bottom. The flow of the ad is well thought out and executed.
Honestly though, my favourite part is how small the conditions are on the bottom of the page :)
Japanese Magazine Adidas
So these are a couple of advertisements from a Japanese magazine for Adidas. I thought this was a good example of multiple pages carrying a layout and colour theme throughout. Adidas is such a influential brand that most people are likely to recognize the three stripes in relation to shoes and clothing almost immediately. I liked the playfulness of the first page with the paint being used to paint the stripes in front of the girl. This then follows through with the boy painting the stripes on the next page spread. It's also a good example on the first spread of using the middle part of the page in a way that enhances the picture without ruining its integrity or effectiveness.
The pages mostly use bleed but I liked the change on the third page with the blue box instead suspended in a thick white margin. It allowed the picture not to merge and create an awkward shape with the blue box on the right hand page while adding an 'exciting' and 'different' element to the layout.
I know people won't be able to read this one, but I hope you still enjoy it!
So that's my post for today. I hope I find some more designs that inspire me~
Hopefully the snow will end so I can go for some investigative walks :)
