The elements of graphic design in everyday items.
Identifying elements of PR design is essential to creating work that reflects a brand's image. Today, I looked for the critical elements of PR design in items I see everyday. Here are a few that stood out to me and the design elements they use.
The Stanley Cup
In my opinion, this is THE most talked about item this year. However, I don't see many people discussing their logo. Upon further research, the Stanley logo is a mythical bear created by the Stanley founder. When looking at its design, the Stanley bear utilizes symbolism and metaphors which help tell the brand's personality. In design, symbolism and metaphors help aid a company's ability to spread their message through other images and associations with those images. The playful bear is throughouly thought out, and easy to identify. The bear represents adventure, toughness and the ability to persevere. This logo helps create brand consistency while also telling Stanley's story about adventure and fun. To a consumer coming across the logo, they may take the time to investigate the Stanley logo, and read the brand's story. This is important to the brand and also the creation of the design.
Photo from Raegan Benda.
2. Lenny & Larry's
Lenny and Larry's is one of my personal favorite PR designs. Given their target market, their ability to connect with their audience through the use of design is something extremely commendable. Specifically with their new protein bars, Lenny and Larry's uses balance particularly well. Balance in design is the idea you can offset one part of design with something else. Lenny and Larry's ability to balance their logo is extremely effective here. Their large, sometimes overwhelming logo is easy to see on top of the square, simple picture of the treat inside. On such a small piece of plastic, the design looks and is appealing because of its ability to take a large, sometimes awkward logo and place it on top of a simple shape. The design is interesting because of the large logo of the two faces, but also because of the picture of the actual food inside the wrapper.
Photo from Raegan Benda.
3. Chick-Fil-A
We all know and love the classic Chick-Fil-A logo. On top of its famousness, the Chick-Fil-A logo is one of the best when discussing minamalism and white space. Minimalism and white space in design is the use of simple shapes and the space around it to make up a single object. Without the space between the lines in this logo, it would be a large, colored in bird. The use of white space in this logo adds a level of simplicity that is easy for audiences to understand and identify. When thinking about the fast food audience, Chick-Fil-A's primary consumers are on-the-go. Having a logo that is easy to recognize and understand is important. Their use of white space adn minimalism ensure anyone coming across it knows exactly who's it is.
Image from Raegan Benda.
4. Cheeze-It Grooves
When someone thinks about "Cheeze-It", they think about the color red. Color is one, if not the most important aspect of PR design. Color can create certain emotions and reactions from an audience baced on the message that design is intending to tell. However, on their new "Cheeze-It Grooves Zesty Cheddar Ranch", I'm not sure they use color efficivley. The word "zesty" implies something spicy or almost extremely different. Those feelings, to me, do not scream the color blue. Also, the classic red "Cheeze-It" box is in direct opposition with the color blue on the color wheel. Instead, I may have used a different red or even yellow to brand their new flavor of "Grooves". Their branding here seems confusing and inconsistent in comparison to their normal "Grooves" flavors.
Photo from Raegan Benda.
5. Old- Spice
Old-Spice deoderant is also a logo I would consider extremely well known. However, this specific "Oasis" scent does an interesting job of separate branding. Specifically speaking about typography, the Old-Spice logo is the same as usual. Typography in design is the use of fonts and lettering to create consistency between the design and a brand's image. In this example, the typography choice on this special edition deodorant is tactical. When someone thinks about an oasis, they may think about a calming, relaxing time somewhere tropical. The simpleness of the font chosen to represent this reflects these feelings almost perfectly. Paired with the scent itself and the other additions of this design (palm trees, cream coloed bottle), the typography used here is extremely effective. While still being paired with the classic typography of Old-Spice's products, the design choices here can re-brand a new product while also maintaining the current image of the brand.
Photo from Raegan Benda.
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