Does Outdoor Advertising Really Reach Everyone and Everywhere?
The answer to this question is very simple. Regardless of the location,
the principles governing outdoor advertising design are identical worldwide.
They can be summed up in one sentence: minimum content and form, maximum impact.
All those that deviate from this principle are mostly ineffective.
Most differences in outdoor advertising are noticeable in the choice of location
and the way ads are displayed.
While traveling across the United States, I had the opportunity to visit California,
Nevada and Arizona, and see American outdoor advertising firsthand.
Compared to Europe, there's less of it in spaces between settlements,
with concentration visible in cities.
find designs composed of muted colors, using 2D elements,
and advertising carriers painted in earth tones.
They advertise local wineries, restaurants, and farms. All are minimalist in form, even though more than two typefaces were used in their design.
In Los Angeles, the hub of stars, posters are more contrasting. Designers use pure colors, bold sans-serif fonts,
along with humor and simple metaphors. Thanks to this, even that percentage of society
that doesn't know English can easily understand the message of each poster.
Pretty much everything is advertised, from beer to phones and movie premieres.
Outdoor advertising reaches practically everywhere. We can find it even in Mojave, near Death Valley. Of course, the messages are tailored to the needs that arise within reach of the few tourists.
Curious what can be advertised in a desert town where everyone knows each other? Residents advertise theaters, hair salons, fast food restaurants and churches, as well as the nearest shops.
The appearance of these ads leaves much to be desired. But they are put up informally by private individuals.
In Arizona, we can even see advertising structures that incorporate nature, in this case stones 🙂
Not far from Mojave, in the state of gambling and entertainment, we find outdoor advertising that mainly uses the latest technologies. Outdoor advertising in Las Vegas is primarily interactive, multimedia, well-lit and well-designed, perfectly integrated into the space of buildings and their windows.
This desert city can afford such luxury thanks to the construction and operation of the Hoover Dam. In Las Vegas and Nevada, advertising is unique. Due to the nature of advertised services: casinos, strip clubs, escorts with home delivery, concerts and all kinds of entertainment, it is intended and directed mainly at adults. It's often tasteless and direct. This is one of the factors why teenagers and children are rarely seen there. Below I present the most attractive ones.
American outdoor advertising, with its original structures, use of spatial elements, and application of modern multimedia technologies, can inspire Europeans to create carriers that go beyond standard forms. Europe, on the other hand, has an enormous cultural and historical background and has developed a language of symbols over generations that would certainly enrich the American approach to poster design.
