Ideas for my Billboard

The minimalistic technique becomes eye catching to the audience and is much more straight to the point, rather than an over crowed billboard with too much to view at once and the simple design would have a much larger influence as the audience has longer to focus on a certain object, teenagers are my target audience so rather than over crowd them with information it would be simple and easy to determine the point of my product.


The placement of my billboard will most likely be a high street therefore it will be a 2D billboard. The focus of my billboard is to advertise my magazine which will be based on teenage fashion/beauty therefore its situation in a high street will be ideal and no need for it to be 3D, the high street is ideal to advertise my billboard for my magazine because teenagers are normally around the towns, shopping with friends and is the perfect place to catch peoples eyes and attention. My billboard will also be illuminated at night time with certain features being emphasised through the lights.

Simple but Effective

This billboard advertising Heineken beer is a perfect example of how a simple picture of the product itself can be effective. The billboard is straight to the point and explains the product in general. The three dimensional concept features a hand seemingly coming out of the background about to grab the bottle of beer. When I design my billboard I aim for it to be plain and simple and too the point.

This is another great simple yet effective billboard design. The add shows an overweight man tipping the sign over due to his weight, the billboard is advertising a fitness centre, therefore the contrasting image with reason for the billboard makes it even more eye catching with it being tilted.

I really like the idea of the contrasting image with the reason for the billboard and hope to use a similar idea with my own.

Analysing a 2D Billboard

2D Billboards

2D billboards, otherwise known as the original billboards are simply the plain images that do not have parts physically coming off of them. They are more common on high streets and train stations to avoid vandalism to the 3D billboards. They are still just as popular and just as effective in successful advertisement as 3D billboards, they are usually straight to the point and minimalistic with contrasting colours and large font, yet grab just as much attention from the audiences.

Piccadilly Circus

Billboards or “hoarding” started in Piccadilly circus in the early 1900’s, the signs used to cover the majority of the area but now only cover one building. The earliest signs used incandescent light bulbs; these were replaced with neon lights, as well as moving signs.

The earliest signs used incandescent light bulbs but then these were replaced with neon lights, as well as moving signs. The very first Neon sign was for the British meat extract Bovril. From December 1998, digital projectors were briefly used for the Coke sign, the first to be computerised. However the 2000s saw a gradual move to LED displays and it meant completely replacing neon lamps by 2011. The number of signs has reduced over the years as the rental costs have increased. Using these lights with the billboards attracts attention to the signs and makes them much more eye catching.

Liberia

  Few people read the newspapers in Liberia. The rest have huge public billboards at the side of the roads that tell them what the government wants them to know, how it wants them to behave.  Simplistic propaganda it may be, but if these messages do get across, the country will be a better place. These billboards create interest not just in Liberia but around the rest of the world also, therefore the billboard however controversial has done its job.

Analysing a 3D Billboard

3D Billboards

3D billboards are mainly situated in busy areas, mainly cities. They differentiate from the ordinary 2D billboards by standing out, literally.  They make what they are advertising much more interesting to look at, which means that they are talked about a lot more meaning that the billboard has fulfilled its purpose. 

Although much more expensive to produce than a 2D billboard, they create much more of a “buzz” and attract much more attention therefore creating much more business for the company.

Billboard Limiting Laws

In the UK, billboards are controlled as adverts as part of the planning system. To display an illegal advert (that is, without planning permission) is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £2500 per offence (per poster). 

All of the large UK outdoor advertisers such as CBS Outdoor, JCDecaux, Clear Channel, Titan and Primesight have numerous convictions for such crimes.

Not Always Commercial

Not all billboards are used for advertising products and service non-profit groups and government agencies use them to communicate with the public normally to obtain donations, volunteer support or to change consumer behaviour.

In 1999 an anonymous person created the God Speaks billboard campaign in Florida "to get people thinking about God", with witty statements signed by God. "Don't make me come down there", "We need to talk" and "Tell the children that I love them" were parts of the campaign, which was picked up by the Outdoor advertising association of America and continues today on billboards across the country.

1900's

In the 1900s, there was a boom in national billboard campaigns. Big advertisers began mass production of billboards for the national market. From toothpaste and soaps, to breakfast cereals and sodas, billboards were made to advertise in big bold pictures and images.

In 1913, the practice of filling "open boards" with public service advertising has continued to this day. During the war, there was a concerted effort from the industry to help in the mobilization. While in peacetime, the concern was focused on efforts to generally improve the way of life.

The Egyptians Influence

Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians used a tall stone obelisk to publicize laws and treaties and to celebrate and commemorate special events. This is the early form of outdoor advertising. With the advent of publication through the obelisk, people have their first advertisement. Political and more it may seem, but still advertising nonetheless.

Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising is advertising that reaches the public outside of their home. The public are constantly online where advertisements are pushed into their faces all of the time, so it is in complete contrast with broadcast and internet.

All billboards are competing for audience’s attention so they have to become eye catching however not distracting enough to cause a road traffic accident

The Final Decision of my Task

My final decision is to produce four pages from a regional magazine along with a radio advertisement for the magazine and a billboard advertisement for the magazine. This is because of the experience I already have in this area which will ensure I produce the best of my ability.

-The first four pages from an original regional magazine (if done as a group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house style), together with two of the following three options:

• a radio advertisement for the magazine;

• two hyperlinked pages from the magazine’s website;

• a billboard advertisement for the magazine.

 

What is a billboard?

An advertising billboard, otherwise referred to as a hoarding is a large advertising structure generally placed in high traffic controlled areas as to attract more attention of pedestrians and commuters.

Billboards help many businesses, especially small ones, in advertising and marketing products and services. When it comes to companies that do not have the money to spend on TV or radio commercials, billboards are the cheapest and it reaches far more people than any other form of advertising medium.

First Decisions...

Welcome to my blog, in this blog I shall be recording my progress throughout my A2 Media coursework.

My first task is to decide what option I would like to do for my coursework, the decision of what task I decide to uptake must be the right choice to suit me it must play on my strengths and not my weaknesses.

 As I do not have any experience in filming or editing films I have decided to rule out any of these options as I believe I will not gain the best possible outcome from the results of filming. However for my AS media coursework I undertook the task of designing a music magazine front cover, contents page, and double page spread. I was more than happy with the outcome of my magazine and strongly believe that this is one of my stronger options.

Taking this into account I have the following options:

-The first two pages of an original local newspaper (if done as a group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the newspaper, following the same house style), together with two of the following three options:

• a billboard poster for the newspaper;

• a radio advertisement for the newspaper;

• two hyperlinked pages from the paper’s website.

A newspaper would be different to what I have previously done so it would be a challenge, so I have been researching many online newspapers especially the Daily Mail online to get a sense and an idea of how they set out their pages and how they report on their stories.

-The first four pages from an original regional magazine (if done as a group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house style), together with two of the following three options:

• a radio advertisement for the magazine;

• two hyperlinked pages from the magazine’s website;

• a billboard advertisement for the magazine.

As I have previously done a magazine for my AS coursework I feel that this is one of the strongest options for me as I have the experience in this area already. I have been researching online magazines and physical magazines, looking at their content and their layout, I have also been looking at other students from previous years coursework that is available as examples online.