Design Production for Print//Ambient Media.

Researching ambient media for my design production for print promotional material- in attempts for inspiration for my own outdoor advertising and ways to attract and persuade my audience to attend the film festival. Also need to (not forget!) consider my target audience- incoporating a youthful, attractive design which incorporates a distinctive cinematic feel (incorporating some of Wes' camera angles, perhaps? Rostrum, Wide Angle, etc).\
I feel one of my personal weaknesses throughout my projects so far at University has been my creative thinking- I really want to push my concepts and visual communication for a more innovative design outcome.
(See my future design developments, and how this relates to my project on my Design Practice blog)

DEFINING AMBIENT MEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_media

AMBIENT MEDIA started to appear in British media jargon around 1999, but now seems to be firmly established as a standard term within the advertising industry. It is the name given to a new breed of out-of-home products and services determined by some as Non-Traditional or Alternative Media. Ambient media advertising can be used in conjunction with mainstream traditional media, or used equally effectively as a stand-alone activity. The key to a successful ambient media campaign is to choose the best media format available and combined with effective message.

However, ambient media advertising is only a small niche for advertising agencies of overcoming traditional methods of advertising to get the attention of consumers. Ambient media in a larger scale define the media environment and the communication of information in ubiqutious and pervasive environments. The concept of ambient media relates to ambient media form, ambient media content, and ambient media technology. It's principles are manifestation, morphing, intelligence, and experience.

The following are some reasons for the growth of ambient media:

• A decline in the power of traditional media.
• A greater demand for point-of-sale communications.
• Its ability to offer precise audience targeting.
• Its general versatility.

Ambient advertisements are effective means at pushing a brand message in front of consumers and can develop even better top of mind recall within target audiences. This provides the ability to advertisers to maintain brand awareness created by other advertising efforts. Ambient media can produce mass attention in centralized locations, or directly interact with consumers during normal every day activities.

Examples are messages on the backs of car park receipts, on hanging straps in railway carriages and on the handles of supermarket trolleys. It also includes such techniques as projecting huge images on the sides of buildings, or slogans on the gas bags of hot air balloons. Ambient media in the field of advertising are often mixed with ambient media developed based on ambient intelligent technology.

EXAMPLES OF PRINTED AMBIENT MEDIA 

http://trendthink.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/06/ballet_classes.jpg

Sweet and simple idea for the promotion of Ballet classes- the distinctive pink colouring of the poster with the perforated and the spread perforated tag work brilliantly as a visual communication for tutus, and a great promotional design- both practically, and in terms of being a talking point. Wonderfully simple yet conceptual.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HC4E-Y6CzpY/TG5dvG6z5KI/AAAAAAAAAS0/SY4oLgEvA-Y/s1600/BOARDdrinkNdrive-412x291.jpg

A great promotional advertisement for the "Don't drink and drive campaign"- a toilet test for your beer googles- whether or not you can stand up straight long enough to pee in a straight line! Great tongue in cheek, humorous approach to an otherwise serious, high impact message.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVYHnlrFioAdwtgmgf2poMQFeNqEerThyphenhypheno3Y117HWT6rOorfhfBwsS9GDU2xLxxLbUconh3eYW5K0ivGgdhCKkdECkdZi0jHurIPe5Sk25tqMhnSDySCLECQwAMnh38SP3avplB3hFsY/s400/dance-school-advertising.jpg

Another great advertisement for ballet here with a life-size vinyl of a ballerina in a revolving door, here demonstrating the dance abilities that the dancers themselves possess. Sweet, simple and memorable- a great utilisation of otherwise mundane work space.

http://www.thecyphersagency.com/blog/2009/01/23/what-is-ambient-media/ 

Humour is such a great influence when advertising and creative media is concerned- providing a great talking point and something truly memorable- as all good advertising is. This source of ambient media for dental implants at a bowling alley is no exception- fun, interactive and, as aforementioned, very memorable.

http://www.cpb.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/kitkatbench.jpg

Great location and use of materials here by superbrand KitKat, with their slogan "have a break, have a kitkat" being ever so relevant on a park bench, where, of course, breaks are a given. Really creative and subtle- this would certainly raise a smile. Great creative concept.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HC4E-Y6CzpY/TDSJEMUveBI/AAAAAAAAARs/pq86lqbbJKU/s1600/oreo_elevator.jpg

Another great example of fun, interactive printed media, here, by biscuit manufacturers Oreo- where they readily promote the "twist it, lick it, dunk it" slogan (dunking into a large glass of milk... of course). Here, the printed vinyl is spread over two surfaces- the milk being at the bottom of the lift/elevator container, and the Oreo biscuit at the top- each time the Oreo returns to ground level, it gets a good dunking. Fun, creative advertising.

http://www.roadads.co.uk/pressandnews/PosterAwardsKelloggs.jpg

Oo-err. A great double-entendre by cereal manufacturers Kellogs- their transport HGV lorries (notoriously intimidating large/dominating motorways) with their All Bran fiber range- yes, you might have trouble passing the lorry, but with All Bran, you won't have trouble...passing... (ahem).

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_LVFhkEy_g9Cd1AjMaCsqnTCA4w20j-J6eTtJYNoZCfPX5fNkCkmrC1SdkKOgI8LOAmyV61bCu6VCy-X4WscZ0USVAnRCQ-x2XMiimh9MVNubwWRdfJO0E6YZvSCsFbaEzJKHe0RxCi4/s400/tyskieweb2.jpg

Simple effective advertising for beer brand Tyskie- working wonderfully to wet the taste buds for their alcoholic drink on bars, restaurants and pubs- grabbing one of their beers has never been so simple.

http://www.frederikhermann.com/uploads/pictures/vijay_sales.jpg

Simple yet wonderfully effective placement of props and utilisation of existing materials for this barbecue advertisement- again, humour is used as a power mechanism for visually communicating a message, and used with great panache.

http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/images/wwf_paper.jpg

Perhaps my favourite example of ambient media from my examples sourced here, this advert for WWF (world wildlife foundation) uses a simple die-cut print finish to address their key environmental awareness message- the hand (paper) towels also providing a great spot colour to effectively, simply, yet boldly, communicate to their audience.