Symbols Vs Words

For my presentation I am doing a study about the use of text and image in comic books. I came across a very interesting book by Scott McCloud, called "Understanding Comics".
The book features various aspects of comic books studied in detail but illustrated and explained like a comic script.

Scott explains how if symbols or things like symbols (groovy lines etc) which our mind relates to are drawn with precision, words might not have to be used in comic books at all.
He explains that when drawn appropriately our mind derives the right conclusion from a set of images without the need of referring to words.

It is also a commonly known fact that most regular comic book readers do not need text to understand the comic once they grasp hold of the character and tone of the novel.
I think that this information can be used in presentations and advertisements to a large extent, rather than just comic books, and I think it is used. But, we just view it differently or call it attention to detail.

Olympics symbol : Kids

 These are the designs that I came up with for children's olympics. I thought that the designs should be simple and to the point, also the original logo shouldn't loose it's value or charm, because the main association here is with the olympic games.

The first image is the original design along with balloon ends, to make the rings look like symbolic balloons. Why balloons? Well, kids love balloons. Also, the first mental picture that most people have when they see a balloon is of a kid, or sometimes the memory of being a kid, hence I chose to develop this design.

The second image popped up in my brain, after some experimentation. It's the olympic rings made out of candy or lollipops. At first I was not going to make the lollipops look like rings, instead, I was going to spare them their original form, but because the rings are the olympics symbol, and I think some sort of authenticity should be maintained,  I stuck with the rings.

UNDERGROUND!!

I don't know whether I am jinxed or is the tube service really messed up, cause it seems to be running perfectly when I am in no hurry to get anywhere, but the moment I am late for anything, there seem to be some "minor delays" on the lines that I need to use.
I don't want to be complaining but, it feels like it's been happening too often lately. I have been in London for two years now, and really it does have an impressive transport system, but, it's had that for a long time now. My point here is that it's not growing, yes, there are repairs and all of that going on, but a real achievement would be perfect service when there aren't any repairs going on. The tube's been around for quite sometime now, I am sure the brilliant mind's behind it have had enough time to brainstorm.

Copywriting.

"Aristotle said there are basically only three ways to bring someone around to your way of thinking. You can do it by appealing to his logic. You can do it by appealing to his emotions. Or, you can do it through a presenter who is trustworthy, authoritative or charismatic. Three main routes. That's all. I can't think of a single good ad, good or bad, that has ever found another path to reach its audience." ( An Inconvenient Truth For Copywriters: How to write headlines and why your career depends on it. http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/2007/09/23an-inconvenient-truth-for-copywriters-how-to-headlines-and-why-your-career-depends-on-it/.) 

"That wasn't chicken."

  This is an excellent article and not only for copywriters, for everyone who wants to influence people by what they think and know and say and LIE ABOUT. :) While reading this article, I was aware of the sad write-ups we see these days and the brilliant ones that we don't. I am sorry to have posted so many pictures with this post but each one of them is SO good. I wouldn't mind posters of these in my room. They'd crack me up all the time, yet all we see it- "Loreal- cause you're worth it." :O I do understand that most advertising is only effective when repeatedly exposed to the viewer, but some people have got to take that a little less seriously. We don't get to hypnotise people, it doesn't work like that!!!

The tequila ad, is so very simple, yet I think everyone can relate to it without thinking twice. Most of these ad's for that matter aren't pertentious or desperate, or even offensive, but they work. 

Typography.

 Most of the times while writing up a formal document, we just 'know' where to use bold, and where to increase the font, and which  typeface feels right. But, I am a big believer of the fact that psychology is the abswer to all questions ;) .. so after the class on monday I looked it up, after some research I found my answer. According to this article we recognize words from the shape that they make (known as the"Bouma Shape")and not by letters that create the word. This article studies this theory through different experiments and comes to the conclusion that this theory that has been going around since ancient times is actually quite true.
(http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ctfonts/wordrecognition.aspx)

I also understood more about the presentation of a document, depending on the kind of impact it would have on it's viewers as a whole. I think, it's important for typographers or even advertisers to over analyse their work, because it's important to know more about your work or even about it's presentation than the client saying, " well, I think 'this' would work better."

Chewing Gum and posters.

 

I have been walking around in London and noticing chewing gum stuck on posters in a less than successful attempt to be amusing by some people. I was just walking by one such destroyed poster this evening and thought that chewing gum companies could make a bundle out of just putting up a poster with their name on it.

We need so many more of these!

When I came back home and researched a bit on the subject, I found out that such posters existed, but now they don't so much. I think such posters should always be around cause let's just face it, it's easier to stick gum on a wall rather that wrapping it up in paper. Also, it's effective advertising, but only if companies are smart enough to take advantage of it.

Sometimes I am scared to lean against a wall, cause I am afraid of gum sticking on my hair. And it's not just on posters its everywhere, chairs, pillars, bus stands... and I think all these places would make wonderful venues for advertising chewing gum.

Punch magazine.

A poster by "Punch" magazine.

On our visit to the V&A last time the only thing that caught my eye apart from the witty posters by the 'private eye' was a poster that said that private eye only had one other competitor "Punch", which sadly shut down in 2002 due to lack of funds. At the museum we learnt a lot about private eye and the kind of work they thought worked, and for me it did work... but I thought, since they had only one strong competitor I should look at some of punch's works too and see the difference. If 'Punch' was the only competitor it must be good right? and it was. The poster above is pretty old, but it still works, n I think it always will. Like 'Private eye' Punch also put the truth out there in a way that it didn't offend most people, on the other hand made them aware of the harsh truths of society and themselves at times.

Now I think the private eye has become much bolder and stronger because, now more people are willing to give truth a chance. I think there should be more magazines like the private eye and I think they should be more popular.