Point Park School of Communication IMC

Cry babies?

Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:03:53 +0000

The USA is the only country in the world where comparative advertising is allowed. I can remember for as long as I care to, how I always looked forward to the continuous “trash talking” between Ford and GM, especially when it came to these two companies’ trucks. Well, it would appear that GM has gone too far this time, according to Ford. Ford tried to obtain a court order to prevent GM from showing it Silverado commercial during Super Bowl 2012. I chose this commercial to be the best of the 2012 crop (and trust me, I believe there were a bunch of outstanding spots; in fact, I believe it has been a very long time since we saw TV spots like these).

Check it out and lets have your opinions!

Advanced Desktop Publishing – Alex Jurtye

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:41:22 +0000

A layout is the arrangement of type and graphics on a printed publication. A good layout should serve the purpose intended by the designer, organize the information and graphics in order to create a visual path for readers to follow, and attract the attention of readers. There’s no one right way to create a good layout. In this assignment, students utilized Adobe InDesign to do a five page layout that included the cover. Also students had to execute text wraps, style sheets, and text alignments. Alex did an excellent job of using Point Park as a feature story, and used some very nice line art for the cover and inside spread. Good Work!

Advanced Desktop Publishing – Maria Norris

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:10 +0000

A logo design should be eye catching and simple. It should be designed using simple color and text. Logo designs can be created by the business itself using software or if the company lacks the expertise to create the logo design according to their standard then the business could hire professional logo designers to create the logo. Here is a good example of how Maria Norris took the X-Box 360 logo and brainstormed some different concepts eventually using the logo in the center as the final design. All work was done on Adobe Photoshop.

Even the Pope

Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:33:16 +0000

And his cronies are now getting worried about the Benetton ads. Thanks to Alex Juryte who brought our attention to these controversial campaigns and who will be leaving us at the end of the fall semester to pursue a new career with her hubby in NYC: we will miss you and PLEASE stay in touch!! Check this out!

IMC 315 – Advanced Desktop – Jurtye

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:56:19 +0000

This assignment was to take an existing beverage label and redesign it in its entirety. Alex went a step further and came up with her own wine company and label that includes two different concepts to choose from. This project was built in Adobe Illustrator which includes images, typography ingredients, barcodes, and size by volume. Alex went on to place them on bottles to get a further sense of realism. Also was built in Illustrator. Excellent use of imagery, typography and color. Keep up the good work Alex!

IMC 306: Norris

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:05:24 +0000

This assignment was executed using a digital camera on a tripod. Along with the actor (Maria) positioning herself in various expressions, gives this composition a well balanced visual path along with a sense of depth and perspective. This was done in Adobe Photoshop utilizing Layers, The Eraser tool, Brush sizes, and Transparencies. Very pleasing to the eye!!

IMC 306: Juryte

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:39:51 +0000

This is a cd cover done by Aleaxandra Juryte in the Desktop Publishing (IMC 306) course.

CD Project
The objective for this CD assignment was to create a theme that met the Artist genre and title concept. Imagery and typography is paramount to convey the message and mood to the viewer. This project was built in Adobe Illustrator while enhancing images in Photoshop. Along with applying a track listing, barcodes, and record company logos, gives the final piece a sense of realism. Excellent work Alex!

IMC 306: Borzik

Heather Starr-Fiedler — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:35:48 +0000

The following is an example of a project from Jamie Borzik, IMC 306, Desktop Publishing.

Business Card, Envelope, and Letterhead
The objectives with this assignment, was to take an existing business card (Huntington Beach Surf Shop) and redesign it entirely. Once a layout concept has been approved with the correct design theme, then that same theme is also applied to a Letterhead, and envelope. The element of color in this particular design speaks volumes. Nice job Jamie!

Benetton pushing the envelope?

Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:00:18 +0000

by Alex Juryte, first semester IMC student.

Founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton, the eldest of four children, born in Treviso, Italy he began hand knitting small sweaters and sold them to local stores in the Veneto Region. He opened his first store the in 1966 and three years later in Paris. The company’s business remains a clothing line and they have marketed themselves as “United Colors of Benetton”.

Much controversy has come with the international fashion house with the use of offensive graphic images to sell their product. Their most controversial pieces followed when they hired renown photographer Oliviero Toscani who was given carte blanche by the Benetton Group.

Toscani ads (some published here) contain striking images and unrelated to any actual products being sold by the company. Look at these ads depicting a variety of shocking topics/subjects that caused an outcry all over the world.

The unwashed newborn baby with umbilical cord attached resulted in more than 800 complaints to the British advertising Standards Authority during the 1990s.
Other images reflect a black horse mating a white horse; a priest and a nun about to engage in a romantic kiss; a bloodied t-shirt and pants with bullets holes from a solder killed in the Bosnian War. The only resemblance to the company is the logo.

Is it fair to say, that Benetton pushed the boundaries of advertising marketing? Do we agree with the message that Toscani was trying to portray or isit considered “JUST TOO MUCH?”

Let’s have your comments guys!

Advertising is powerful

Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:15:20 +0000

Cultural differences As you know we have discussed at great lengths in class. And then, I stumbled upon this the other day. This was the final broadcast of Springbok Radio that was such an important and popular station. It died in 1985 after 35 years on the air. Maybe it died, because it did not have any more advertisers? As I have said: No advertisers, no future! You are part of the most important part of marketing … without you NOT A SINGLE medium can survive … YOU are part of a game where advertisers spend in excess of $6,000 PER SECOND!

You are powerful, not the media. Without you, the media cannot exist! Newspapers are folding left, right hook and center, because they could not find anymore advertisers. In 2008 over 500 magazines died … you want to know why?

Remember, Hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet? One of the most successful campaigns ever … see how it was adapted for the South African market. How Coke employed The Dealians, a South African pop group. Sit through the two Afrikaans commercials (Chappies = chewing gum, 2 for one cent!) Old Spice … crossed so many boundaries with the help of Carl Orf’s Carmina Burana. Look at SAA (South African Airways), the only airline. Compare it with what we do!