Some main characteristics of an advertising poster are its attractive design, striking text, brevity of what you want to convey or the rational use of color.
A poster is one of the tools that exists to advertise an idea, company, person, product or service.
The poster consists of a sheet of paperboard, paper, PVC, cardboard or other material, on which images and / or text are printed in order to communicate a specific message.
The most common objective of this type of resource is commercial, but it is not the only one. There are also informative, political, cultural and religious posters.
The message of a poster is usually accompanied by other advertising resources since it is usually part of an advertising or propaganda campaign.
The layout and design of the posters respond to a strategy to capture the attention of a specific audience.
In fact, a quality indicator of a poster is the effect it produces on its target audience, since its purpose is to inform and make memorable the brand, idea or product it promotes, calling a specific action to its audience.
Poster is an Anglicism admitted by the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy to refer to posters that function as a means of artistic expression.
Depending on their artistic value they may be of great interest to private collectors.
9 important features of the poster
Text
In a poster the main premise is to capture the attention, but another very important premise is that the text is read and understood correctly.
This requires the text to be of adequate size within the poster.
It also requires the use of typography that can be read quickly and easily. The most popular fonts for this type of material are: Times New Roman or Arial.
Some recommend that the font size always exceed 24 points.
The orientation of the text in Western culture is from left to right, generally. Although sometimes the designer takes licenses as to this rule to take advantage of the surprise factor.
It also happens that some orthographic or syntax rules are skipped for the same purpose.
The text is usually very little, but if it includes many words these are usually placed with vignettes. It is important that the main idea can be located at eye level.
The poster usually includes a title or copy that summarizes the main idea or slogan of the advertising campaign.
Adapting your content
The adaptation of the content of any advertising material is crucial and this does not exempt the poster.
The publicist is obliged to know his audience very well so that the message is appropriate to the age, sex, culture, educational level and even religion and political tendency of his audience.
If a poster is intended to attract the attention of children, the design should include bold colors and very clear images, for example.
Likewise, it is common to prefer positive messages. However, what is fundamental is that the approach is done respecting the values and customs of the target audience of the message.
A poster can contain a very positive message, but if the culture of the audience is decontextualized or respected, it can be misinterpreted and cause damage to the image of the brand, company or person who promotes it.
Brevity
Another characteristic of a poster is that its message is quite brief.
The image is usually the main protagonist. Especially, from the last decade of the twentieth century.
The idea is that in 20 seconds, on average, it is possible to read all the text contained in the poster.
Original design
The design of a poster can elevate or sink the message you are trying to communicate.
The poster should be designed with a logical sense. We must always assume that whoever sees the poster has very little time to do it either because he is walking or in a car.
It should also be assumed that the poster reader will see it in the order you want so your design should guide and facilitate that reading.
It can be inspired by previous designs or the one used in other formats, but creativity and originality are ideal.
Shocking images
The image is the vedette of the 21st century, but from long before it has been a pillar of publicity.
The mixture of illustrations and photographs, can be the ingredient of a large poster.
The images should reinforce the message and explain it almost without text support, on its own.
Of course, its symbolic value matters, but to guarantee its understanding by the public, the text appears"closing the circle".
Rational use of color
Color is another star factor inside the poster. Its function is to give context to the main message.
Although the use of contrasting colors is favored, the rule is to use those of the corporate color palette of the brand or those associated with the feelings and emotions that are intended to provoke.
Monochrome posters are not effective, but the use of color can not be abused either. Its use must be strategic and with a lot of sense of aesthetics.
Descriptive
Although it seems obvious, it is important to include among the characteristics of the poster, the descriptive dimension of it.
And is that it should state and highlight the main attributes of the idea or product being advertised.
In this sense, clarity and referentiality must be taken into account. In fact, the information that is included should be relevant in that description.
Convincing
The"story"that the poster relates must be plausible enough to persuade your audience to carry out the desired action.
Arguments, visual or textual, must convince the audience that the idea is true or that the product is the best.
Has a goal
Although this list presents it last, and it may seem obvious, this is a fundamental characteristic: there is always an objective in the preparation and publication of a poster.
In this sense, each of the elements that are included in the, should aim at and contribute to that goal.
Finally, it is essential that all elements included in a poster are consistent and consistent with the message to be transmitted.
References
- Black, Valerie (2013). Retrieved from: posters-west-rand.blogspot.com
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (s / f). Retrieved from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Olachea, Occi (2013). 5 tips to design a striking advertising poster. Recovered from: paredro.com
- Sleight, Deborah (2009). Features that make a poster Interesting. OMERAD and Michigan State University. Retrieved from: omerad.msu.edu
- wikipedia. org