posted
Occaisionally, I tell people to look what companies with big advertising budgets are doing on thier signs. But I'm refering to negative space, colors, etc.
So I was thinking about this earlier, and it occured to me that maybe one reason big companies don't have alot of descriptive copy along with thier logos is because it projects the "We're so big and competent that everyone knows what we're about" image. Does this theory hold any water?
I realize that might not work for small companies, but I'm just thinking about the core idea here. Contrast it against a client that wants to list everything they do or ever did on thier signs. Surely someone that has studies and statistics on advertising knows something about this.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
My take... If you drive down a highway and you see a sign that says BELLES. Do you wonder what that means. If the sam esign said BELLES Chicken would it impact you as much? Unanswered questions plague me. Perhaps it is just being in the sign business that I notice them at all....
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
It's not that they think they are so big. But if they get one thing in your head that sticks in your brain, you will most likley remember it. If thier advertising is consistant, it will trigger in the store, market, restaurant, sign or whatever it is that will remind you of some clever line. If you connect with the line, you may connect with the product, even if days, weeks or months have past.
There are plenty of books on branding, and many of the ideas apply to small business. It is usually the customer is insecure that they need everything on the sign, or card, or brochure, when it is really humans that you really want selling the product.
There are great books on Identity and Branding. Some small some large, but good reading nonetheless. You might try Creative Latitude at this article:
posted
Thats one of the big differences between Ad design & Sign Design.
Sign Designers use words to get a message across
Ad designers and agencies use the image & layout to get their message across... more specifically the Creative director produces the direction/vision and the graphic designer executes the campaign ;-D
-------------------- -------------------- Dave Cox C2 Media Services (Formerly That Sign Guy) dave@c2mediaservices.com -------------------- Full Color Printing Posts: 295 | From: Sacramento CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
As Rick mentioned the huge corporations do tend to promote brand recognition - rather than a specific message or motivation to a sale of a specific product. The Nike logo is probably the best example. If you see just the swoosh (without any text) on signage you immediately make a mental connection with the company and their products. I've noticed that Budweiser is doing a lot of the same thing right now - using only their large "B" with the crown above it. I've seen it in print ads, on television and in signage. In fact, they just did it in neon here in Portland on a building that had been the local 7-up bottling plant for many years.
You'll also find the amount of copy/text on some signage - especially billboards - limited to the amount a person can read while driving by. The standard advertising rule of many years has always been to not use more than seven words. The amount of text on signage will often now be more than seven words in areas where there are often traffic jams - simply because the sign viewer may be stuck in one place longer and be able to read more ad copy.
- J.
[ February 27, 2005, 12:49 AM: Message edited by: Jeff Fisher ]
Institutional is when you see the big ol' sign. Coke for example. There is no copy. None needed.
Specific.. You go into the store and you see "coke but then you see the slogans and special offers etc..
Both are very important.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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