Saturday, April 18, 2009

Classic outdoor ad: Hello Boys



Last week I scribbled down some principles I use when working on outdoor ads. And said I'd point to some examples that follow them.

'Hello Boys' is now famous for apparently causing traffic accidents back in 1994. Clearly it got attention.

And it follows the principles. Single image. Of a person (that you'd notice). Strong contrast in colour between image and background. Short headline. Easy to read. Well branded. Simple message. And loads of space.

3 comments:

Lisa said...

BRidgewater Centre in Arklow currently using a similar technique - wonder if tit's workin?

(whoops freudian typo)

xx

April said...

Creative aspect is often overlooked in outdoor advertising. Creative meant for print is often too "wordy" for any impact in the outdoor context. Do you think there is a magic ratio between image and print?

I also maintain an outdoor advertising blog at http://1outdooradvertising.blogspot.com and I'll like to share this post on my blog. May I have your permission?

Paul Dervan said...

hi April, of course. No need to ask.

On ratio of copy to image, I don't think there is a magic number but less is more, as long as comprehension is not compromised. You can safely assume that anything beyond the headline will not be read on large format outdoor.