PROJECT RATIONALE
Project Rationale The aim of this project was to discuss and explore the place Typography has in Advertising, past and present. The development in typographical design has grown exponentially since the creation of the computer, and this has greatly altered the use of type and the written word in all forms of information output, and particularly in Advertising. The use of type in Advertising has always been important in putting the message across directly and immediately to the audience. The way in which typography is presented affects the entire tone of voice for the Advertisement and for the brand itself. In more recent years brands have been moving to use hand drawn/ rendered type design to create a personal and more human connection with the consumers. This was shown using McDonald’s as a case study. To see if typography does affect a consumers view of a product and brand, I created a series of promotional posters for one product McDonald’s’ The Big Mac. The posters are identical in design, but each has its own typeface, following the general classifications discussed in the essay. An in-depth questionnaire was created and given to a focus group of eight individuals alongside the seven posters. The findings are documented in this booklet.
Top Left: 1964 Big Mac Centre: 2009 Big Mac Bottom Left: 2009 Advertisement Bottom Right: 2014 McFlurry
McDonald’s Advertisements The basis of the case study of McDonald’s was to look into the development of their advertisements over the past fifty years and how the typography has changed. These four images are the ones referenced, and show a clear transformation from a serif font in 1964 to a hand rendered design in 2014.
Typography Classification System Due to the large amount of variations now available in type design, classification systems are a lot more general. This is the system discussed in the essay.
Blackletter The original font created for the Gutenberg Press in 1454 was an imitation of hand writing at the time.
Old Style The first serif typefaces were Old Style. These serifs were often bracketed or slanted. Hairlines were thick meaning no clear definition between the anatomy of each letter. Letters were slightly angular.
Transitional A more defined style than Old Style. Serifs are clearer and straighter. The letters were all centred and straight, with the hairlines more defined with weight.
Modern Large and abrupt contrast between thick and think strokes in letters. Serifs were either flat or balled.
Slab Serif A style of font created for advertising. Serifs are blocked and bolder. All letters are consistent in weight with no large contrast in strokes.
Sans Serif A style of font with no serifs. Designed in the Modernist era, sans serif fonts are clinical and created for function before form.
Graphic A classification of all other fonts which are more recent and are decorative, illustrative, image-based etc.
‘handlettering
- the original kind of typographic expression is naturally more informal and artistic, offering human dimension and individual personality.’ - Heller & Thompson
Personalisation through Typography Within the past few years there has been a move by large brands to experiment with hand drawn/rendered typography in their advertisements to create a more personalised appearance. These are brands that have been around for quite a while and have and established brand and audience, however with new competition continually appearing with fresh ideas and appeals, these larger brands are working to make themselves seem more friendly and personal, despite the large scale of them.
Top Left: 2009 Ford Fiesta Top Right: 2011 Nokia Bottom Left: 2013 McDonald’s McCafe Bottom Right: 2014 KFC
THE POSTERS & RESPONSES
Does the typography help put the message across immediately? A: Yes. B: Yes, it should be able to if it is designed well. C: Yes. D: Yes. E: Yes, because you automatically read the language in your head being spoken, replicating the features of the font. F: Yes it has a large impact on the tone of voice with its portrayal. G: Yes because it explains the product immediately. H: Yes, definitely, because it has a voice behind it which you envisage when you read the poster, so it can be friendly or not.
Does the typography have an influence on your decision to buy the product & why? A: Definitely. Some don’t go well with the product image so would put me off - shows McDonald’s don’t know what kind of message they want to get across - don’t understand their customers. B: Yes, because it has to be eye-catching and personable to be able to sell. C: Yes, as it conveys a message about the product, it’s origin and where it comes from. D: Not me personally. But other people may be more attracted to something that is personal. E: No it doesn’t. It influences how the product comes across but it is more the choice of words and description of the product that encourages the purchase. F: Yes, I think the typography has the ability to make a product seem friendly which would influence my decision to buy it over something else. G: No, even though the type may stand out to me, I find the image and the description are the elements that persuade my purchase. H: Yes it does because if I don’t like how the poster looks, it makes me think negatively about the product.
Does the layout of the poster have an influence on your decision to buy the product & why? A: Yes. The larger header and image on all of them give me a clear impression of the product - I know what I would be getting. B: Not really. There are no variations so I can’t say. C: Yes. Aesthetically pleasing design is more attractive, which makes me more likely. D: Yes. Seeing the image big would because it is the thing I’m buying. E: No it doesn’t. It just influences how long it takes for me to get all the necessary information about the product. F: Yes if the product is quite prominent then I will probably be more likely to be influenced and to purchase it. G: Yes, because it explains the product immediately in a quick way. H: Yes, the more attention it takes to read the poster can sometimes be a good thing if it’s eye catching, but if it’s not and you have to take longer to read it and understand it, it’s annoying.
Poster #1 - Blackletter The view of this poster was unanimous in all participants. The typography is difficult to read and very Germanic/medieval in its appearance. The heading is unclear, with participants points out that ‘BIG’ looks like ‘BAB’ due to the way the letters have been created. The body copy is also illegible due to the amount of it and size of it. It is joint in being seen as the most inappropriate for the product of the ‘Big Mac’, and is the most unfriendly design due to the illegibility and style of the font. As well as this it is the least likely to convince a consumer to buy the product. One participant commented that they found it interesting to look at because of how unorthodox it is. This makes it quite eye catching to them as it is not something that is seen often.
feedback: negative
Poster #2 - Old Style The feedback for this poster was mostly negative. It is joint least interesting to look at and most inappropriate for the content. Reasons for this is down to the tone of voice that was put across with the use of the typeface. Participants agreed that the typeface was too serious and old fashioned. It was also said that the type does not have much of an impact and did not support the image well. There were positive responses in that the type was classical, sophisticated and stylish, giving this tone of voice, however the negatives far outweigh the positives.
feedback: negative
Poster #3 - Transitional This poster was generally overlooked and the least commented on by participants. This was due to the fact that this poster is very similar to Poster #2. Overall this poster got a more positive response than Poster #2. Comments were that this poster was quite neutral, which is clear in the feedback given. In rating the posters from least to most eye catching, it is never least or most, always lying in the middle five places. However there were still comments that mirrored Poster #2 in that this poster was not fit for the content and does not support the image well.
feedback: negative
Poster #4 - Modern Feedback for this poster was relatively mixed, with participants either reacting positively or negatively to the design. However, like Posters #2 and #3, the majority of the feedback was negative towards the way this type works with the poster. Positive comments were that the type is classy and elegant, giving a sophisticated and stylish tone of voice. In contrast the negative comments were that it is the least eye catching poster and the type looks out of place with the product it is promoting. Negative comments were also made about the typeface choice for the body copy, as it is too hard to read from a distance because of the thin hairlines.
feedback: negative
Poster #5 - Slab Serif The feedback for this poster was mixed, with varying views on the positives and negatives. While some participants liked certain features, others chose the same features as negatives. While some participants were positive about the typeface, making comments such as it makes an impact, is cheerful and friendly, others commented that they found this boldness aggressive. One participant commented that it was similar to what McDonald’s had used before, while another commented that they thought it was similar to what Burger King use. The positives about this poster are that the message is put across clearly due to the large, bold font used. It mirrors the product well. Overall this poster had a more positive response than negative, especially in the way the font mirrored the product and stood out.
feedback: positive
Poster #6 - Sans Serif This poster is the easiest to read due to the simplistic and clear style of font. It is bold, loud and puts the message across immediately due to how the heading stands out. However, negatives were commented on as some participants found the heading to be overbearing and unprofessional. Another negative was in the choice of font, which is seen as boring, but for the same reasons as why it is the easiest type to read, because of the simple typeface. One participant commented that this typeface lacked character and was very corporate. On a positive note it was also agreed that the large heading also makes the image look larger and had more impact. One participant also commented that they felt the type was not pretentious and was friendly. It was agreed by all participants that the body copy on this poster worked the best due to the simplistic typeface.
feedback: mixed
Poster #7 - Graphic The overall consensus for this poster was that the hand drawn typography makes the poster the one which catches the eye the most, as well as being the most interesting and most friendly. As well as this, it is the most likely to convince a consumer to purchase the product, and is seen as the most appropriate for the content and brand. The hand drawn style is also engaging and appealing to viewers. The effect of a chalkboard and having the opacity of the type lowered makes the heading less bold and less in your face. The humanised style and personal touches create a friendly appeal as well as a homemade quality, which is also welcoming, playful and creative. One participant commented that it felt familiar. As a negative point, the font of the body copy can be hard to read as it is scripted. It was also commented on that the chalkboard effect on the text dims the opacity and makes it less striking than the other posters.
feedback: positive
RESPONSE CONCLUSION
Response Conclusion It is clear from the feedback that the views of each poster differ, and that people react to the posters in different ways. While some views were shared between a number of the participants, there was not one answer that was unanimous with all participants. This shows that personal opinions and views have an impact on the way in which advertisements are seen. Some people take interest in elements to the design, while others disregard these completely and make decisions based on other factors. The feedback has shown that the participants reacted negatively to the first four posters, the blackletter and serif typefaces. The reasons given were generally about the fact that these style of typefaces just did not suit the product. This shows that the viewers have a subconscious association for a product, something which is clear when something as well known as the Big Mac is used as the subject. It is clear that viewers can see when a typeface just does not fit in with the rest of the advertisement, which does put them off. Another comment to make on association is that a couple of viewers automatically recognised the typeface for being in use somewhere else, for example, the typeface used on Poster #4, Didot, is also used on Vogue. Poster #5 has similar type to that used by Burger King. Another finding to note is that with posters #2 and #3, these two were nearly identical in typefaces, and feedback reflected the fact that one was essentially ignored next to the other. While both did receive feedback, poster #2 received much more thorough feedback, while the comments made for poster #3 were either a copy or it was disregarded completely. This plays into the idea of the fact that viewers get bored seeing the same thing over and over again, as discussed in the essay. The feedback also shows that while some posters may be easier to read or put the message across immediately, these are not necessarily the ones which are favourited by the participants. For example, Poster #6 was the easiest poster to read, however the majority of opinions were that the type used was visually overbearing, and is quite corporate in its appearance, lacking character.
The majority of the positive feedback was given to posters #5 and #7. Poster #5 received feedback that the style of font was friendly, but also bold and eye catching. The participants reacted positively to the hand made style of poster #7, and while it did not necessarily come top in all answers, it is the poster which the majority agreed would most likely convince them to purchase the product. It is also the only poster which all participants felt was appropriate for the content. Participants also agreed that it was the friendliest poster due to this hand made style. Viewers are looking for character and something different in advertisements. This is clear with the reactions to posters #5 and #7. This character is something which differentiates an advertisement and creates a connection with the viewer. The reactions to the posters do show that typography does have an impact on a consumers view of a product, and their want to buy the product. The hand drawn style of poster #7 received the most positive feedback, with the comments made on how friendly it was. This shows that the idea of personalisation through typography is clearly effective and does make a product and brand more approachable.