The most famous poster advertisement of all time
Market research has concluded that even with the colossal growth of digital media, online and on mobile devices, the price of advertising in print remains much more costly / more valuable as it allows a broader canvas for designers to express their creativity, giving them the opportunity to show off their most exciting and interesting work for receptive audiences - and hopefully sell a lot of stuff as a result!
Good advertising goes way beyond delivering information. It stirs desire, belief, and aspiration, and leaves a message that stays with us. In honour of those dexterous designers and marketing moguls, we have compiled a list of the most memorable poster ads . This short selection considers the impact of the ad on the brand, and what it was that made them so iconic. They’re creative and most essentially, they capture the essence of the brand and the imagination of the reader. Enjoy!
CALVIN KLEIN - KATE MOSS AND MARK WAHLBERG
Bruce Webber, fashion photographer in the early 90s, captured in black and white what it was to be young and sexy, shooting sales of Calvin Klein underwear off the charts. This advertising campaign is truly iconic, as it was responsible for beginning the trend of designer underwear, and driving it to where it is in the fashion world today. Fresh-faced and topless, this campaign introduced us to Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg and his assault into the Hollywood A-list and Kate Moss, acting as a springboard and propelling her career to the truly iconic British figure that she has become.
VOLKSWAGEN - THINK SMALL
An oldie but a goodie. This print advert from the 50s completely overturned what was expected from car advertisements, during a time when the best cars were assumed to be big, fast, and probably over compensating for something . The Volkswagen didn't really fit the bill here, being small and slow. However, the Think Small campaign managed to transform the Beetle into the piece of motoring history it is today. By going against the norm and being completely honest, warts and all ('Presenting America's slowest fastback), readers were drawn in to read more.
ARMANI - DAVID BECKHAM
There is a lot of creative thinking that goes into selling an idea to a consumer, but perhaps less so if you’re selling underwear! The classic recipe for a successful underwear ad campaign is as follows:
- One very current, super-fit model/actor/singer/sports star
- Plenty of flesh bared
- Sultry black and white moody photography
There you have it! Nobody does it better that legendary Italian fashion house Armani, and with their 2007 David Beckham campaign the company saw turnover more than treble to over £32m.
WONDERBRA - EVA HERZIGOVA
With the right kind of advertising, a small idea can become huge, and the Eva Herigova ad campaign for Wonderbra is a prime example. The ‘Hello Boys’ campaign in 1994 was developed by Trevor Beattie and achieved success of epic proportions. A simple but racy ad, this embodied the brand completely, speaking to the audience as a vision of aspiration.
Wonderbra quickly became an essential item for women. Of course, men were also big fans of the campaign, which was responsible for a number of car accidents where large billboards were located. An iconic piece of media, Eva Herigova’s Wonderbra campaign remains one of the most unforgettable underwear advertisements two decades on.
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