The Informed Illustrator: Illustrated Typography In Advertising

Most often an illustration is of a visual subject, but it can also be a verbal subject such as a single letter, a word, or a phrase. An illustration of this sort can be a fusion of visual subjects with letterforms or the manipulation of letterforms using a pictorial technique, such as the suggestion of a material or illusionary perspective through rendering. It can also be the interpretation of letterforms through the use of an artistic method such as drawing or painting.

In advertising, there is a long tradition of typo-graphy being used as a sole element with no other form of visual. This underscores the belief on the part of advertisers in the power of the printed word. Now, more than in decades past, advertisers have come to recognize that by combining headlines content with illustrative visual interpretation an even more powerful and memorable result can occur. And that often times the strange and conspicuous appearance of this union of word and image not only increases comprehension and understanding, but also is highly attractive and entertaining for viewers. Even wordy illustrated statements that challenge a viewer’s attention span are successful at delivering an advertisers message.

The Examples

Although the examples below present a variety of media including conventional hand rendered imagery and digitally generated imagery, it is evident that both are having a steadily growing influence on advertising visualization. The convenience of acquiring existing typestyles and the ability to apply digital techniques and effects is being exploited by digital illustrators seeking unique ways of visualizing text. Conversely, non-digital illustrators are being sought out to adapt their natural, individualist styles to rendering text. The imagery created in both camps is having a profound influence on use of illustrated typography in advertising.

Agency: CHI & Partners, London, UK. Client: TalkTalk TV
Illustrators: David Turflitt, Rob Swainson.

Agency: Publicis Mojo, Sydney, Australia. Client: Virgin Active.
Illustrator: Serge Seidlitz.

Agency: Publicis Mojo, Sydney, Australia. Client: Virgin Active.

Illustrator: Brosmind.

Agency: Publicis Mojo, Sydney, Australia. Client: Virgin Active.

Illustrator: Serge Seidlitz.

Agency: DDB Canada Vancouver. Client: Vancouver Opera.
Illustration: Fredéric Mazzola.

Agency: Kitchen, Madrid, Spain. Client: LG. Illustrator: Benjamin Garcia.

Agency: McCann, London, UK. Client: Ethos Travel. Head of Art: Michael Thomason.

Agency: DM9Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Client: De Cabrón Chilli.
Illustrators: Christiane Pioli, Danielle Pioli, Ramon Lima.

Agency: Escala DDP, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Client: Procopio Ferreira Theatre.
Illustrator: Renan Bulgari.

Agency: BBH, New York, USA. Client: Seamless. Illustrative Designer: Bruno Borges.

Agency: Euro RSCG Chicago, IL, USA. Client: Pivot Boutique.
Illustrator: Rei Young.

Agency: Fischer America, São Paulo, Brazil. Client: Panasonic DVD Theater. Illustrator: Silvio Medeiros.

Agency: Y&R, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Client: Movistar. Art Director: Martin Stuart.
Artist: Unlisted.

Agency: Publicis, Mexico City, Mexico. Client: Home Depot. Illustrator: Rafael Morales.

Agency: Neiman Group, USA. Client: Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Illustrator: Joe Barry.

Agency: Miami Ad School, Hamburg, Germany. Client: Dulcolax.
Illustrator: Radhika Damie.

Agency: VML, USA Client: VML. Illustrator: Kevin Lee.

Agency: Jung von Matt/Alster, Hamburg, Germany. Client: MTV.
Illustrator: Andriy Vynogradov.

Agency: Leo Burnett Germany, Frankfurt, Germany. Client: Reporters Without Borders.
Illustrator: Álvaro Franca.

Agency: VML, USA Client: VML. Illustrator: Kevin Lee.

Food For Thought

The typographic campaign shown below produced for Brinox Cutlery presents an extremely interesting intellectual concept. The hyphenation of a word identifying a particular type of food serves as a metaphor for what can happen when an inferior knife is used to cut with. However, the visualization of the concept, displays a distinct lack of visual interest. It is the opinion of this author that the use of illustrative typography would have greatly enhanced the message and held the interest of a viewer more effectively.

Agency: DM9Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Client: Brinox.
Designer/Illustrator: Dudi Rostirolla.

The Informed Illustrator

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Illustrated Typography In Advertising

The Examples

Food For Thought

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