Archive for January, 2017

Back in late 2013, Motorola came out with their new smartphone, the Moto X. The company made sure that it highlighted the ability to customize the phone, making a big deal about it being “designed by you.” While the phone itself contained impressive technological advancements, the print ad that Motorola ran for the phone is probably even more spectacular.

In January’s edition of Wired magazine, Motorola had a spread that allowed readers to change the color of the phone. It’s as unbelievable as it sounded (and looked) — until you dive into the electronics hidden in the pages. Incredibly thin LED lights, pressure sensors, and batteries comprised this ingenious print ad. Each different color “button” had a pressure sensor under it, signaling the lights to change to the color selected. Readers could experiment with 11 different colors, and watch as the paper seemingly changed color before their eyes.
Interactive advertising experiences are becoming increasingly popular in a multitude of ways, as consumers are becoming more and more desensitized to the constant bombardment of marketing. Getting a consumer actively involved in the idea of a product can be the difference between signal and noise.

Creative thinkers often come up with the most abstract ways to express their art. JG Ballard, an English dystopian fiction author in the 1950s, created extremely cryptic and seemingly nonsensical billboards that did just that.

Ballard was an unusual character. He was one of the first New Wave science fiction writers; his writing style is so distinctive that “Ballardian” is an actual word used to describe novels. His novels, The Atrocity Exhibition and Crash (the former of which was banned in the US), drew sharp criticisms from a wide range of communities.

Before his career as a novelist began, Ballard put together a series of billboards which made no sense to viewers — until now. Appearing to be random words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs plastered on a billboard, they drew attention simply for being odd. The billboard series left even those who closely studied Ballard’s work scratching their heads. Recently, those scholars have discerned that the series may have been encrypted replicas of Salvador Dali paintings.

Ballard was a surrealism enthusiast, and Dali was his favorite artist. The placement of the words on the billboards, as well as the choice of words themselves, appear to match up with some of Dali’s paintings, including Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of a New Man and one of his most famous Persistence of Memory. In the billboard matching Persistence, there is a repetition of the word “time,” and a large “T-12” in the center of the board seems to reflect the clocks in the painting which point to 12. Additionally, the placement of the text matches up with various subjects in the painting, including the words “total bureau” being placed where a shape in sand looks like a desk.

Was this truly Ballard’s message with the billboards? We may never really know. His mind seemed to work in strange ways. One critic even said he was “beyond psychiatric help,” a statement of which Ballard was proud. Artists always find new mediums in which to create their art, and Ballard simply chose a way that we are still struggling to decipher.

Over the next few months we’ll be running a series on billboards that managed to catch our attention in striking ways. Whether they trick our eyes, have fun interactive capabilities, or simply make our jaws drop, the marketing departments of these companies knocked it out of the park.

Image Source: Ads of the World, Ads of the World

1- Anando: Milk Building

Getting kids to drink their milk can be a difficult task for parents. With all of the sugary, brightly-colored drinks and juices being advertised, plain ol’ milk can seem “boring.” Anando’s answer was to channel their inner-child and come up with this creative billboard. It shows the child pushing out part of the skyscraper. The ad channels the imagination of younger kids and hints at every kids’ dream of being a superhero. In this particular image, it blends so well with the sky that the illusion is almost perfect, definitely catching the attention of passersby.

2- Berger: Sky

This billboard, by the paint company Berger, is another great example of optical illusions in advertising. They made the corner of the billboard look like roller brush strokes, when in reality that corner of the billboard is simply missing. The matching hue of the roller is the finishing flourish to this interesting ad. We’re not quite sure how it would appear if it was cloudy or a different time of day, but it’ll definitely draw the eyes on a sunny day.

3- McDonald’s: Sundial

Putting an extremely creative spin on an ancient tool, McDonald’s promoted their breakfast menu with this sundial billboard. With the electric pole acting like a hand on a clock, it makes it way through choices like coffee, a cinnamon roll, and pancakes, not to mention McDonald’s classics. The simple but effective wordless design shows how you can kickstart your day with McDonald’s at any point.