Poster Analysis

To make my poster I needed to analyse posters to see what codes and conventions they use and how I can incorpararte this into my poster. I analysed different types of posters such as newspaper posters, billboard posters and different genres including posters aimed at selling music and I also looked at posters which were aimed at different audiences.

Poster 1:

Poster 1 is a music poster. It is aiming to promote Rihanna's new album 'Rated R'.

Codes & Conventions:

The poster has one large picture of the artist herself. It does not need to have more people to represent different genders as Rihanna will already have a core fanbase and unlike my newspaper she is not only selling a product she is selling her image. The poster is quite dark, which could reflect the type of music she has made, highlighting a possible change in style. Not only this but her image has changed, showing a physical transformation. The picture of her is quite large and the style of the poster could suggest moving away from her teen audience to a more adult contemporary vibe. The picture is placed at the top of the page- underneath it fades into compete black. Her name is highlighted in Red and is the only colour change from black and white on the poster. Underneath there is the additional information of which the album name and the release date are most prominant. Underneath their is additional information and company logos at either side of the poster at the bootom of the page.

Poster 2:
Poster 2 is a film poster and is promoting new horror film 'Saw 6'.

Codes & Conventions:
The poster has a black background which represents the horror genre the film is based in. The poster aims to echo the film. There is very little on the poster and the picture of a hand which is made to look like a glove doesn't give much away; instead it makes the audience think-questioning what could be happenig in the film. The image is important as it is the most prominant focal point of the poster. As the picture is just of a hand itself it could represent death and torture.

The tag line is placed just above the picture with the name of the film placed below the picture. The name is the most prominiant piece of writing on the page as it is in bold. The tag line and aditional information on the page are not bold although it is in white writing which contrasts with the dark black background and makes it stand out. The whole point of this poster is to keep people guessing.

Poster 3:
Poster 3 is a tour poster. It's aim is to promote Britney Spears' Circus tour.

Codes & Conventions:
The poster has a full image as its background, with the image of Spears' dominating the page. The poster has a circus theme with the background looking as if it is a circus tent. This is in accordance with the album. The top of the page has a heading which highlights her circus tour, with Britney's name the main focus of the heading. This is done as she hasn't toured in a while and also in accordance with the style it's aiming at. On the page their is a logo hoghlighting the 'guest act' and britneys album cover is placed in the bottom right hand side of the poster. This is a regular accurane in Tour Posters as tours aim at selling the artists products. Beneath the product their is the conotation; 'In Stores Now.'

Placed around the page their is a red line, this defines the poster, making it stand out.

Poster 4:

Poster 4 is an advertisement for 'Coca Cola.'

Codes & Conventions:

The point of this poster is to intertwine its slogan with its produce. The picture shows the product with different images coming out of it. The most prominant of which are two people kissing. The aim of this poster is to highlight people having fun and how the product fits into people's happy everyday lives. The poster is most prbably aimed at teenagers due to the fact that the pictures feature people playing basket ball and the image of the two people are of fairly young people with headphones. The poster has lots of different bright colours.

There is not actually a picture of the product, instead a sillouete is used of the bottle. This is fine though due to the fact that the name and bottle are both nationally recognised images. The slogan 'live on the coke side of life' is the most important feature, as it is aiming to sell the product. At the bottom of the poster, there is the company name in white. It is in the same design of what it is on its packaging and what is used in the companys television adverts. This is done to highlight the company adding a sense of continuity.

Poster 5:

Poster 5 is a 'McDonalds' advertisment. It is promoting its free wi fi service.
Codes & Conventions:
The poster is promoting 'Mc Donald's' new wi-fi service which is free of charge to those who eat there. The poster is simply done, with a picture of an airwave signal which is made with 'McDonald's' very own fries. The background is in red which is a colour associated with the chain. At the bottom right hand side of the poster there is the companys logo and its slogan 'im lovin it' is placed underneath this.

The poster could be aimed at teenagers; who are more technolgy based and of which a large part of 'McDonald's' core audience. The poster is simple. Also the fact the poster has no slogan makes the audience look and question the poster. Although the poster is not promoting it's food; the fact it is promoting the chain of stores and a new service is a good source of development for the chain, as most people already know what type of menu 'McDonald's' offer anyway.

Similarities and Differences:

Posters are used as a source of promotion in order for companies to sell their products. Although poster 5 doesn't actually promote it's products it is promoting its chain of stores, hoping that people will see these posters and in the end buy their products.

My Poster:

I like the design of poster 5 as the single image makes the audience think but the poster has connections to its store and image for example a heavy use of the colour red which is a prodominant colour for its store and its logo isn't that big; this could be due to the fact that the company is a large conglomarate company and so does not need it to be too large. I do like the design and layout of poster 3 with its picture and layout design. For my poster I would like a large picture of a group of 4 teens with a brick wall background. I also like the title as it is large and placed at the top where it is easy to see. This is similar as to how I want mine to look.