John Showell of Product Approvals needed a PDF design of substance. One that was easy to send, easy to read and easy to print. On top of that it had to hit a home run to his new U.S. target audience. Conceptstore carefully crafted a PDF to show a strong bold difference yet one which was professional and classy without being too overbearingwhilst reinforcing teh Approved Products Brand.
Preparing for the grand launch of Dee’s Shoe Repair in Dagenham Essex, Mr Dee needed to market the grand opening fast & furiously. Fusing all graphic design with the pre-existing shopfront we created a selection of printed materials from flyers to business cards in time for teh launch.
Followed up by a second round of flyers during a street carnival Mr Dee’s shoe repair has set its place firmly in Dagenham.
Congratulations on the new shop Mr Dee.
Then you may have been captivated by colour. We all take it for granted but colour gives us our very way of life. Without at least 2 different shades in this world we would all cease to exist but there are in fact billions which we see everyday.
Colour is basically a hue mixed with white light (saturation) to provide a tone. To get more technical, a colour is measured in wavelengths according to the sensitivity of the human eye.
Generically humans have three colour cones in their eyes being Red, Green & Blue, (RGB). Each cone mixes itself with the other to create a final colour depending on the hue of an object, the amount of white light shining on it and the way the brain processes the image. (like mixing paint).
As humans we’re all individual, with different colour, shape, length, hair, eyes, faces, bodies etc.
In the same way one persons colour cone capability is different to another and its been said that no 2 people in the world will see one colour in the same way.
Likewise some tribes in Africa cannot see the colour blue, whilst Alaskan tribes have over 15 variations for the colour white.
In some cases a persons colour cone capability maybe slightly lower then normal creating colour blindness.
Although we can as humans can visualize billions of colours, computers at one stage could only generate a small fraction of that percentage. Most screens operating on a 32bit system generate 16.8million colours which is more then enough but with todays technology a computer (64 bit) can now keep up to speed and surpass our colour capability.
Colour is a powerful and valuable tool which generically carries emotions for all of us. They can create a new emotion or rekindle a past memory, either way they can be used to make a communicative and personal link to us subliminally.
Did you buy that Apple Mac or the Ipod?
Lusted for that red Ferrari even though you may not have driven one?
Opened a store card and bought those black shoes?
Professional design is an investment into your business and like any other investment its intended to make you a return.
Sure it maybe a risk but your self employed, you’ve already taken one of the biggest risks of your life. We thought that would be the only risk we take but guess what, it was only the first of many in order to succeed.
Heres a real life example.
For the past year, every one on one meeting I’ve attended, I’ve taken with me a corporate brochure professionally designed by myself and digitally printed by one of my suppliers. Its high end stuff, A3 folded to A4, 300gsm + matt laminate.
I leave this with the client and after they give it a brief once over they add it to their quote request. “How much for a batch of these as well?”
It that case think past my example to your business. What would a professional logo, website and corporate materials do for you? An image of trust and quality helps to bring in and secure deals. It builds a relationship with the potential client before you’ve even met them.
“Never judge a book by its cover” yet “first impressions are the biggest”.
The point I’m making is if you make the investment, be it a calculated risk, you will reap the rewards. It doesn’t have to be expensive, you can start off small and see the results for yourself.
Facts taken from the design council.
Subliminal marketing is a technique which uses graphic design elements to communicate a message subconsciously. It uses deep connotations and stereotypes that exist in society to tap into the audiences mind and ultimately reinforce a sale.
Subliminal marketing is a common technique appearing in almost every piece of marketing we see and you’ve probably utilised it yourself (without knowing.)
- When you visit a business based website and see groups of people dressed in suits, smiling, that’s subliminal marketing.
- When you buy a magazine with a pretty airbrushed woman on the cover, that’s subliminal marketing.
- When you see a tv advert for a new car driving through countless empty roads, that’s subliminal marketing.
It comes in every form of media from print to web, packaging, logos and magazines to movies. You could say that it’s graphic design at its best.
It has an old successful history and used on a daily basis with good intentions. We don’t actually take the time to look and study every advert (like the ones above) because there so monotonous and obvious that they’ve become apart of our daily lives but subliminal marketing also has another subliminal level, one where the strategy quietly delves into a taboo subject and questions can be raised.
Subliminal marketing its also:
- A way of targeting someone you wouldn’t normally advertise to.
- A way of surpassing obvious immoral associations whilst your are actually making those associations with the brand
You may not notice the controversial implications made because they were far too subtle or they weren’t targeted at you but more often then not, they are there. In these cases it can create conspiracy theories, controversy and intrigue. The clever design and strategy can be a form of subliminal marketing itself, making viewers seek out the advert and actually ask themselves “Is the subliminal element actually there?”
Maybe the human mind works too hard, maybe it was a just a coincidence, or maybe not.
Judge for yourself with the advert below.
Example:
Captain Morgan Rum – Print Advert in the 1990’s
First Glance:
This is an advert I found pretty much at random (American music magazine) because it looked like it had room for discussion and it does have much more impact in reality, printed on a glossy A4 sheet. At first glance it seems like a great photo of your typical bar scene with great graphical design. It was placed in magazine with over 100 pages and at least 50 of them were adverts so the idea is that the reader will casually skip from page to page taking a quick glance at the advert before moving on. All the elements suggest that Captain Morgan means “Good Times”.
On a subliminal level -
Is it just me or is the whole advert just a little sinister!
If your were to specifically take out Captain Morgan and his hat, the advert would have a different (happier and casual) feel but the branded elements themselves bring in an eerie approach.
Captain Morgan – Clearly drawn and positioned to look devious:
- Smothered in Red
- Devilish goatee, moustache and eyebrows.
- Peering downwards from the top
- Hiding behind the page
- Ripping down the page
- Devilish grin
- Voyeuristic
- Entering the real world and temptingly holding the bottle in an almost pouring gesture
- Looks like Hook
- Wearing a pirate bandanna (criminal)
Red hat
- Placed on the lady not the men (Targeting ladies, or is it?)
- Not drawn in, its real but not in the original photo, it has been superficially placed there afterwards (no shadow round the
back of her head, no affect of the hat on the ladies hair)
- She wore the hat on her own accord (its her hand on top of the hat)
- Her hand has been composited in (superficially) like the hat itself
The scene
- 2 guys, one girl (usually and typically it would be even numbers)
- The photo has been saturated (not to black and white but almost)
- The only vivid colours are those of the brand
Although at first glance it’s a relaxed setting with smiles all around, on closer inspection, the girl seems to have a tensed smile whilst looking down at the drink maybe suggesting some hesitation and falsity.
The common image of a curtain with bricks in the scenery is a popular setting for nightclub/bar’s giving that retro/stylish, modern bar scene, yet the perspective of the brick wall is wrong. It has been superficially placed in and gives the idea of an outside alley with the shadowy background immerging into the curtain.
Lastly an out of focus glass appears at the bottom suggesting that you, the viewer is also there watching everything; (even Captain Morgan) which no one else sees.
Text – The Captain was here.
Written in red with a calligraphy relaxed style, it appears friendly and fun but also connotes the type of font you would use to create horror. Like wise the phrase in conjunction with the elements brings something a little creepier to the ad. “The Captain was here”, almost like its out of a horror movie. Short, simple but highly interpretable in several ways.
Conclusion
This could all mean nothing except that Captain Morgan is the bringer of good times but upon inspection you cannot deny the alternative messages and mood that’s been created.
Almost like Captain Morgan is the devil with an ulterior sinister motive, creating temptations with his two helpers.
It also asks the question who is the advert actually targeted at?
THE END
There is a long list of subliminal marketing materials which cause intrigue whether it be good or bad. Walt Disney has been famed for it (in a negative light), Apple done it and my favourite modern example is the Territorial Army adverts which is smothered with subliminal messages.
Next time you see an advert, packaging, a magazine or even a movie, look for the subliminal messages.
Colour
Type
Layout
Persona
Language
Images
Composition
Icons
Narrative
Mood
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