Bad poster campaigns

 

To aid my research into poster campaigns, as well as exploring very popular and effective ones, it is also equally as important to explore badly designed posters to ensure I do not make the same mistakes. Starting with the poster in the top left created to advertise 'Sex Tape', I strongly feel the two main characters are displayed, intentionally in contrasting lights, effectively focussing upon the sexual appeal of Cameron Diaz that some audiences may be drawn to. Although the image of Diaz wearing skimpy clothes relates to the sexual nature of the film title, and essentially the plot of the film, when compared to her co-star, Jason Segal, who appears to be fully dressed, even including his socks, doesn't relate to the passionate nature of the film as Diaz is shown to do. The poster essentially suggests that the revealing nature of Diaz's photo is what will sell the film to audiences, opposed to the plot or the other main character played by Segal, as while it may generate a large interest in potential audiences by doing this, it can be seen to imply a female's appearance has a larger affect on an audience than a male's. Although this poster clearly details to the audience what to expect from the movie and the use of the two main characters trying to cover the title is used effectively to connect with the plot,  in my poster, I will consider both genders and not use one to exploit a different message than may offend potential viewers.

 

The poster in the top right of the X-men first class series of teaser posters advertising the film is boring through the lack of colour and includes very basic information; although this can be seen to emphasise the purpose of the poster as a teaser it could consequently have little appeal and generate little interest. Additionally the title is small compared to the image and date with also no tagline, leaving the audience with very little to significantly remember the film by. The only two images on the poster consist of a silhouette, a technique often used effectively in film posters, and part of a face which fades into the background. The very amateur-themed editing does not contribute to the message of the poster at all; if anything, it even emphasises the audience's confusion as to what exactly it going on in the poster and how it relates to the film, other than it could possibly be one of the main characters. From this, in my film poster, I will aim to make sure the editing is far from amateur, that the title is clear and that the content of the poster relates clearly to the film and does not leave the potential audience feeling confused given the links between the poster and the film.

 

In the bottom left is a better-designed poster than the previous two but still lacks intriguing aspects which successful movie posters hold. The background is very plain and the colour blue appears to have no reference to the film. There is no real 'capture' of the main characters, the potential audience could often be left with no 'feel' of what the characters could be like. The title of the film is clearly indicated as the main focus of the poster, but other than the main characters also featuring on the poster, there is no proper understanding as to what the storyline could be. I ended up watching the film to see how the poster relates to the plot and the only real link was that word 'Hall pass' that is used to refer to a period of time where either one, or both, partners are free to what they like without facing the consequences. Although the film poster in more interesting and effective than the previous two, in my own poster I will make sure that the content on the poster relates to the message of the film rather than leave the audience simply guessing.

 

The final poster in the bottom right is significantly older than the others so taking into consideration the stage technology was at, at the time is an important factor. The poster again, feels very basic, and although this can be an effective way of advertising films, you don't want the potential audience to be left confused or bored by the poster. The title is much smaller when compared to the image and even the tagline of the movie and fails to immediately capture the attention of the audience. The main image however, grabs the attention of the audience due to its size and unrealistic nature; the snake is a clear reference to the title but doesn't explain to the audience nor suggests what to expect from the movie, which could leave them confused to what the film is actually about. The tagline at the top of the poster is an appealing technique, but again, doesn't appear to hold any direct reference to the plot or message of the film. In my poster, I will ensure that all the images and words used clearly relate to my short film to avoid any confusing amongst the potential audience.