Poster Power through Simplicity

My kids seem to have much more fun at school than I ever did. Today they were working on creating poster adverts. On the walk to school we came across some inspiration: a new poster from Argos (a shop with no stock on display: you order after looking at a catalogue in store or at home, or online)


This poster works well at several levels:

1. Single minded "big picture"

Effective posters have a single big picture that grabs your attention. In this case it is the demo of a relevant summer-time product: a great big water gun (which does look pretty cool). Argos have avoided the temptation to slap on lots of secondary messages, such as the price or the detailed product features.

2. DIstinctive brand benefit

I like the way Argos are building on a brand truth about being able to get the product you want straight away, a key advantage vs. pure online players such as Amazon

3. Brand personality

The poster does a good job at adding some personality to the Argos brand. Instead of just saying "Order online and pick up in store today" it uses the line "Order online today. Soak Dad today". This is a nice bit of "craft" in the creative execution that makes the poster more memorable.

4. Good poster placement

On a small note, this was a great spot for the poster, as its on the route to 2 schools where two or three hundred kids and their parents walk every day! And also on  prime commuter route to the train station.

In conclusion, poster ads are an area where the saying "less is more" really is key. Strip down the idea to a big picture and an impactful selling line that communicates a brand benefit with a bit of personality.

Comments

[Raela Drigger]

Another useful technique for posters is one that is used extensively in creative writing: show, don't tell. The poster is a framed unit. This existing limitation makes it more difficult to manipulate. Any small mistake could mean the failure of the whole ad!