Creative ad for Sharpie
I have been taken a visual design class this semester at BYU-Idaho and the most recent project we have been asked to create is an advertisment for a randomly generated household product, I chose Sharpie markers. My target audience is either male or female, in a relationship, between the ages of 25-34. They would have a Masters or Doctorate degree earning between 40,000 and $59,000.
My design, even though you don’t see it, is rainbow firework explosion with the Sharpie markers off to one side. I didn’t post a picture of the actual project because I never heard back from the artist who took the picture of the firework. The headline was, “An EXPLOSION of color.” I believe my design would appeal to this audience because it is colorful and fun. It encouraged the reader to spark their creativity by using the product.
Design Analysis
The project specifications asked us to come up with an ad that used symbolic visual communication, avoiding literal visuals. We would do this by blending two or more pictures in Adobe Photoshop, and come up with an original headline, a sentence or two of body copy, and a call to action. We were asked to come up with three ideas that we could possibly create. As I started brainstorming ideas, I thought about what makes Sharpies special.
The first thought that came to mind was the extra fine Sharpies that I love to write with. So with that idea in mind, I came up with the concept of a package of sewing needles, but instead of needles it would be Sharpies. I loved the idea of this, but it didn’t really appeal to my target audience.
My second idea was inspired by the Thanksgiving holiday and it was going to be a turkey hand tracing with Sharpies as the feathers. This one would have been fun too, but once again, not quite right for my target audience.
My last idea, and obviously the one I chose, was the firework explosion and the perception that these Sharpie markers having a ton of color inside them just wating to explode. I really liked the idea of being creative, and the colors make it playful, young, and exciting.
I took this class so that I could learn the principles of design, typography, color and photography. With this design, even though it’s been rough learning how to use the programs, the ideas are there and I just need to practice them. I used the principle of contrast by keeping the background dark and the firework colors bright. For the firework explosion, I tried to match it to the colors of the Sharpie markers. I aligned all of the typography to the left and used only two fonts to keep it simple and easy to read.
Conclusion
As a final thought, I would say that this project has given me a better understanding of how Adobe Photoshop can be used to enhance photos and create new designs. It has helped me gain a new skill that with time and practice can give me better job opportunities with my current employer. Lastly, it has helped me to learn how to be patient with myself while learning new things. My new motto is going to be, “I can do hard things!”
A Year in the Life of Jenn 