Since I am usually castigating people for creating crappy signs, I thought I'd share some imaginative pieces of billboard art --- and one example of pavement art!The legendary poster artist John Gilroy (famous for several decades of Guinness ads) once told me that the criteria for designing a billboard when he began working in advertsising was that the image should be instantly recognisable - and understandable - by anyone seeing it from the top of a passing 'bus...
Well, of course, all too few of today's poster designers who've grown up with TV and glossy magazine advertisements - seem to be aware of (let alone believe in) that rule. However, these advertising hoardings are very probably striking enough to stop any passing 'bus dead in its tracks!
If any of the photographers responsible for these images, run across this blog entry and let me know, I'll be sure to give credit where credit's due!
7 comments:
All very good but I see someones left the top off the Tippex AGAIN.
They're certainly striking but I find some of them annoying because I don't know what the heck they are supposed to be advertising - karate wear, bubblegum remover, near disaster cricket matches?
Adverts can be so important, because I find that if they really annoy me I tend to remember them and not buy the products.
BOLL WEAVIL - Spot on!
LisaH - It's interesting, an ad that is memorable but doesn't do it's job (i.e. sell you the product) really isn't very successful advertising - however amusing it might be.
For the record, these ads are for: Bic Razors; a karate club; Benjamin Moore Paints (the sky provides an ever-changing paint sample); Cingular phone service; bubblegum (brand not known); Kinkos White Out.
I'm with Lisah: I got the razor, the phone thingy and the Tippex, of course (which is brilliant), but the others were so obscure, they're more annoying than anything else...
But then again, I'm not sure it is actually Tippex. I remember another brand back in the 80's...!
Love the paint swatch. That's inspired.
Guinness for Strength! I love those posters (and the product's not bad, either!).
Speaking of signs, I just posted a fun one I came across in Wellington.
RYAN - Very funny sign, well spotted!
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