Not
everything in advertising has changed. Typography
is still an art.
In the
days of Ye Olde Marketing, typography
was a labor of love as art directors worked with typographers and keyliners to
put the copy in exactly the right font, size and placement.
Here
in the 21st Century, of course, all this can be edited on a
screen. But it still has to be done, and
done well.
Here
are two examples from the Out-of-Home advertising medium – one sublime, one ridiculous.
This Is Your Typography
I’ve
admired the Colorado tourism billboard, shown at right, for the past couple of
months. It’s a beautiful snowy landscape
that dramatizes the Centennial State’s natural beauty.
What
really struck me, though, was the typography.
The line of copy separates its six words in a way that further dramatizes
the landscape and – if I may – the benefit.
How. Sublime.
It. Is. To.
Be. Small.
Bravo.
This Is Your Typography on Drugs
Our
next example might have been forgivable coming from the state that just
legalized marijuana, but ironically it comes from the product whose original
recipe included the coca leaf.
Diet
Coke’s new campaign has
had a lot of negative publicity, and I don’t mean to pile on. The point is that typography mattered a lot.
“You’re
On” could have been a terrific line for Diet Coke if it wasn’t adjacent to the
brand’s logo, which in and of itself is very intricate typography.