I was in the supermarket with my two year old daughter a couple of days ago. As we walked past the entertainment department she shouted across the store, “Look Daddy, Avatar.” She’d noticed this poster. She really is her father’s daughter! My little anecdote proves how beautifully simple yet memorable the Avatar poster is. If my toddler can connect the Na’vi character to the name of the film then anyone can. A strong visual narrative can make a lasting impression on your audience in a split second. It creates attention. What can we learn from the Avatar poster then?
Be brutal. Too many elements confuse the eye and therefore the brain. Keep pruning until you have just what you need to tell your brand story.
Be unique. If you have a visual equivalent of a blue-faced alien then use it! If you don’t, consider how to use what you have in an unusual way.
Be consistent. If you apply your simple visual formula time and again you create multiple impressions.
I’ll leave you with a bit of blurb by VCCP, one of the country’s most successful agencies, who believe in visual narrative. “Great brands have always understood the importance of visual narrative – this is how Guinness, Rolex, Coke, Levi’s and Apple have earned their iconic status over the decades, and this is how Gap, Nike, O2, Dyson and Samsung are earning theirs now. Somehow, the less they say, the more we seem to know about them.”
I couldn’t agree more.
If you’d like to know more about how I’ve used these principles of art direction for award-winning campaigns in the past please get in touch. Give me, Alan Kittle, a call on 07732 148 280 or email alan@bwrao.com
