Positve Advertising

During my assessment of the design Industry in Shrewsbury, my attention was turned to a relatively small building in Abbey Forgate. My coming into possession of their business card painted a picture of a long established company that is not afraid to laugh at itself. The copy on front of the card displays the necessary information as expected, but a brief description of Nick Spiteri (Director)on the reverse reveals a short and personal analysis of his character that is charming to read.

The Website
The business card led me to feel that Nick Spiteri and Positive Advertising were friendly and accessible, so I guess that it performs its task in that department. In turn I decided to get online and visit their website. Here is a screen shot of the homepage (below)


Just as we have been advised to present our work digitally, the site is simple and utilises white space as a tool to ensure there are no distractions from the messages online. The simplicity of the website offers the visitor a pain free route to discovering whatever they have visited for, a functionality that I hope to emulate on my website/portfolio.
The work chosen to greet the viewer on the homepage appears to be the latest big brief that they have completed. As well as picking convincing work, it is nice as a resident of Shrewsbury to see work that I recognise from my travels around the area. I have chosen a selection of simple campaigns that use wit as a subtle tool to send the viewer a message in a memorable way. It is this intelligent use of wit that does not indulge the designers, but delivers the message within a few seconds of looking glancing at it that inspires me to achieve this result.

NHS is a big client and using this image on the homepage will help to reassure prospective clients of a professional and trustworhy service. The simplicity of this poster echoes much of thir work. The idea of displaying what is suggested as an unemployed 'couch potato' using a TV remote as a symbol of their trade, and showing the same person in a uniform of a nurse is a rather obvious solution, but uses this as a tool to translate its message. I often hear that designers can be their own worst enemy, trying to justify their wage packets with over elaborate cryptic messages that present the target with a task of unravelling the idea in which they are unwilling to spend time doing. This piece shows how a simple message can be displayed with simple imagery and in turn the message is simple for the viewer to decode as they glance at the poster. After all, if we stood staring at every poster for minutes at a time, We would be late for everything.

This result advertising the Shropshire Star's sponsorship of the RAF Cosford Show is exquisite. It is a prime example of using wit and simplicity that not only makes one smile and becomes memorable, but also shows the informal, funny side of the Shropshire Star. The white space ensures there is no distraction from the perfectly prepared image of the ever-recognisable paper aeroplane.
The final piece (above) completes the set in terms of showing Positive's simplistic style. Again it is simple wit used in a way that we can all relate to, and lets face it, the person that has never encountered the infuriating task of untangling wires is a rare on indeed. Using this as a metaphor for solving other frustrating problems is once again, simplicity at its finest.
Positive Advertising show experience and intelligence through wonderfully executes messages. The minimalistic style underlines how the communication of the message is number one. This is supported by the quality of idea in the work which allows no need to employ the flashy elements that a lack of wit may require. The wit in the work is mirrored in the copy on the website; which serves to paint a picture of friendly professionals, that work for an accesible company, that produce high quality work.
With this blog entry in mind, it goes without saying that I applied for work experience at Positive Advertising. Unfortunatly, they have neither the resources or time to accomodate for students, but researching the company has set a benchmark in mind for my future work.
If you want to check out the website, click here

Jack Wills

I know what you're all thinking... I'm not gay, I just like the catalogues! As far as a clothing catalogue goes, Jack Wills are in a class above the rest with the artistic photography and elegant design.

The two examples that I have included are of completely different size and composition. One contains articles on cultural topics, while the other dedicates more pages of priced goods. Although they both contain considered photography, the manner in which they are layed out in the composition of the book differs. The one remaining house style feature that is present on both catalogues is the sharp sans serif type that manages to be both bold and elegant on the page. The paper stock is very similar also, a thicker matt paper that feels expensive to the touch. These differences are another example of the originality of the pieces as catalogues, while giving the feel of exclusivity with every edition.

Eduardo Recife

Recife's textured, grungy images are as intruiging as they are artistic. His website series 'misprinted type' display his creative talents with beautiful typefaces and irresistable imagery.

Recife has designed many interesting typefaces that are often artistic and quirky. I strongly recommend looking at his latest work by visiting here.







































With a name less famous than his style, few art and design students will be untouched by Eduardo's abstract influence. It is a testament to the appeal of his work that sees it appropriated so heavily in modern design.