Hut-Weber Hat Company

This is an advertisement for a German hat company called Hut-Weber.  I’ve seen it numerous times on the web.  The concept was played out on the TV show The Office.  The purpose of the advertisement is to sell hats.  The tag line is: It’s the hat.  The hat changes the image of the man from the evil, sadistic Adolph Hitler to the charming, fun-loving Charlie Chaplin.  The indirect message is that you can change your image to a more positive one by purchasing a Hut-Weber hat.  The tag line is done in a simple san serif font, probably Helvetica, which is placed directly under the image of Charlie Chaplin.  The company’s logo is in the upper left-hand corner and has the look and feel of a tag that would be sewn into the hat.

The logo itself is fun and whimsical.  The typeface is an old-fashioned serif style font with an interesting twist – the base of the r is hooked at the bottom like an umbrella.  The artwork can be interpreted in two ways.  First, it can be seen as an abstract woman, in a black dress with white sleeves, holding a poster with a hat (okay, really abstract since she has no head).  Second, as a man with a shirt and tie, sporting a poster of a hat where his face should be (so, there is a headless theme going here).  I am open to any other interpretations – suggest away!

Back to the advertisement… The artwork is very minimalist using black shapes to represent the mustache, hair and the simple chapeau.  I was first attracted to the humor and ingenuity of the piece.  It sends a very clear message and I think it is especially edgy for a German company to use this imagery.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is the logo for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM).  The purpose of this logo is to raise awareness about breast cancer.  This logo has been all over town this month so; I downloaded the image from the Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.  The typography is a simple san serif font and it is used in a variety of colors and sizes.  The words National and Awareness are in a smaller point size and color (darker purple) than the other words thus emphasizing the words Breast Cancer Month.  The words Breast Cancer are in a lighter purple and Month is in the color pink – which is associated with the pink ribbons for the cure slogan.  The artwork is quite appealing: soft, feminine, and uncomplicated.  It shows three women in silhouette in various shades of purple which symbolizes that the disease can affect any race.  The logo also shows that this is the 25th anniversary of NBCAM.  I was attracted to the message, colors, and straightforwardness of the piece.  It is an effective logo for this 25th year of NBCAM.

Dove Anti-Frizz Cream

I saw this ad on a website called funnyads.com.  It is a witty advertisement for Dove Anti-Frizz Cream using the lovely locks of Marge Simpson.  The design of the ad is a before and after shot of Marge.  In the before shot, Marge looks concerned about the volume and piled-high style of her hair.  After using Dove’s Anti-Frizz Cream, she looks relaxed and happy with her smooth, soft, flowing hair. 

The layout is simple and to the point.  It is not cluttered and makes good use of white space.  The logo for Dove is in the upper right-hand corner of the layout and the product is in the lower right with the explanation across the bottom of the page.  Marge dominates the ad with her before and after shots.  The text says (black/bold text shown in the ad):

“New Dove Anti-Frizz Cream.  A new movement in hair is here.  Turn unruly hair into foxy momma hair.  New Dove Anti-Frizz Cream with our Weightless Moisturizers makes hair smooth, shiny and doesn’t leave it greasy.  Welcome to blue heaven.”

 Beneath the text the product’s slogan is shown in lower case in light blue:

“unstick your style.” 

All of the text is located next to the bottle of the product.  The font is a simple san-serif style similar to Ariel. 

I was attracted to the piece because of its humor and bright colors.  I think the ad is a fun, fresh and highly effective advertisement and I have never seen a full episode of the Simpsons – so it probably has broad appeal.  It makes me want to buy some Anti-Frizz Cream especially since it worked so well for Marge!

Kill A Cigarette and Save a Life

I was searching around on the web when I came upon this innovative advertisement put out by an anti-smoking campaign.  Its function is to show that smoking results in death.  The black and white photo pictures a lovely young woman holding a cigarette.  Smoke from the cigarette creates an eerie hangman’s noose and rope engulfing the woman.  The message is clear – smoking kills.  At the lower left of the ad is a small message/title which states “Kill a Cigarette and Save a Life. Yours.”  The font is in the style of Times New Roman.  The type is a rather small size.  It and the actual message is not as important in the design as the photo.

I was attracted to the ghostly look of the smoke noose – it looks deadly and beautiful at the same time.  The tendrils of smoke circle high above her.  They open and swirl in various spots around the “rope” of the noose.   The smoke is tight and circular at the knots but it still maintains a shear, airy quality.  The actual noose around her neck appears more solid with weaving tendrils rotating at her neck.

This advertisement is very well done in a very spine-chilling way.  Again, the message is clear – smoking kills…

V. Picasso logo

This logo is part of an advertisement for V. Picasso, which is an excellent local restaurant with a Spanish tapas menu.  The ad was published in the Community Concierge Magazine Fall 2010 edition.  The font used for the logo is very similar to Pablo Picasso’s own signature.  The abstract artwork is reminiscent of the simplicity of Picasso’s line drawings (e.g. The Dog) and the colorfulness of some of his popular works (e.g. The Dream).  The subtitle, tapas bar and lounge, is in a lower-case, san-serif, playful font.  The light and airy musical notes, located to the left of the “o” in Picasso, show that the restaurant also has musical performances.   I like the modern approach to the logo and the ingenuity of using a font similar to Picasso’s own.  Upon further inspection of the line drawing, the wine glass could also be a fishing line (they serve fish extensively on the menu) and the other object doubles as a fish, a cut of meat and perhaps even a guitar.  It is a light and energetic image.