Alex Nunez
ENG1121
Posters
A poster is a brief idea displayed in the public as a form of advertising to promote an idea, product, or event put up in a public space for mass consumption. Posters were one of the earliest forms of advertisement. It was a means for visual communication to connect with the masses. This brought about a different variety of typography because posters were meant to be read in all sizes. Typography was also another form of communication, and its traces take us back to ancient Egyptian times where hieroglyphs were used. Fundamentally, posters became a key part of the advertising world.
What’s more, the idea of posters in the past was used to promote many political things like the recruitments of soldiers during wartime and were also used for propaganda, and the advertising of products to the public. Posters were designed to be both eye-catching and informative for everyone. Many artists got creative and found ways to think outside the box and connect with the public. These posters came in many forms and styles, they served their purposes, and they were meant to get our attention visually, no matter the size we will always stop or pass as we glance at a poster.
In today’s world, every business must be competitive. These businesses must go the extra mile to promote themselves and create an image for the company. This is where the ideas of posters came in, companies today must come up with different types of marketing and advertising techniques. That is why there are all sorts of poster styles.
One poster style is an informative poster. Informative posters tell us about a product or service that has recently been launched. These usually have large images with little information about the products/service they are trying to promote to the public. Depending on the product/service, they might include the location or website, you can check it out! These posters are usually found on the sidewalks, or train station buses even on the storefronts. This type of poster is the most common ones we see everywhere. Informative posters are always going to be fact-based to help the viewers to become more data informed.
The formative poster is the opposite of informative posters. These posters do not directly promote a product or service. Instead, they spread awareness about an issue like those posters you see on the subway about LGBTQ, HIV, wearing a mask, Black Lives Matter, colleges, or safety on the subway. These posters are also made during protests, which include different symbols to spread on what they believe is right. They can also be displayed anywhere in different sections they want to keep spreading their ideas! Posters like these are simple with minimal words and work well in creating brand or social justice awareness.
Ad posters are usually brand-based for promotional use and a good reason. These types of posters are intended to elicit strong emotions in viewers to motivate them to take action whether it’s to make a purchase, boost brand perception, donate to a cause, or change their lifestyle. Advertising posters, unlike other posters, are frequently created to include hidden messages, are rich with symbolism, and are meant to provoke, inspire, and motivate people. Ad posters are created to have a wow factor to them when compared to other posters and can be amusing, inspiring, and persuasive. Remember that poster that came out years ago “got milk?” yea that one poster had celebrities or cartoon characters promoting the consumption of milk and how milk is better with any sort of snacks.
Movie posters are used to market and promote upcoming films and serve as the cover for all promotional materials. These kinds of posters exist to generate a buzz around a forthcoming film or to help viewers to decide whether to buy tickets to watch one that is presently showing in theaters. But it also depends on the elements that are on the poster, use of colors, pictures, words to make the audience want to go watch the movie. For example, back to the Future, this movie poster includes many elements of time travel, from the characters on the posters to the famous DeLorean car to the typography style used in the title showing us an inkling of time.
We all love to travel, so travel posters were designed. Travel posters are unique and attracting. They are the few posters that can be both timeless and modern. The goal of these posters is to inspire luxurious views and encompassing the most attractive elements of a destination usually a key landmark of the place. For example, the Caribbean’s, they usually capture the essence of nature from the blue ocean to the beautiful palm trees and amazing sunset views. Another example that would be more modern would be a travel poster of Miami. Miami, Florida is depicted in this slightly more modern tourism poster as a lively, energetic, beachy vacation with towering palm trees swinging in the breeze.
Lastly, affirmation or motivational posters, these are really to influence you in a very uplifting positive way. These posters are used as art, which some people display in their homes or offices, or as tools to help people improve their lives, and they may be referred to again and again. Some can have designs such as quotes, catchy phrases, inspirational background images. For example, an inspirational poster that has an image of a lion in the background symbolizes
strength and courage. These posters are simple and straight forward with not much information.
With the advancement of technology, posters are still in demand and continue to be popular. They are used in digital art, billboards, or wherever advertisements see fit. When it comes down to it, there are a lot of distinct posters with many objectives. There’s no denying that a poster is a little but mighty communication medium for getting a point through, whether it’s to touch into the viewer’s emotions, inspire a call to action, inform and educate.
