In this post I will be looking into various methods of advertising films, in particular the positioning of posters, and different the layouts, designs and sizes they can take. Below is a list of advantages and disadvantages for the platforms film adverts can be shown on:
Film Posters: Positioning Advantages & Disadvantages from GeorginaGilbey
Examples:
Bus Stop
District 9 (2009)
This bus stop poster for District 9 features an image graphic of an alien creature with a red line through it. The text below reads, "BUS STOP FOR HUMANS ONLY" and "REPORT NON-HUMANS" with a phone number and website. Since this advert is actually for a film, any who see it at the bus stop may be confused and intrigued, and the poster has an element of interactivity to it for this reason. The layout of the poster is quite bold, as the red is immediately striking and noticeable, while its shape is the standard portrait size, due to having to fit the bus stop's dimensions. From how the rest of the image is dark but the poster is brightly lit up, we can assume it has lighting on the inside so it is visible at all times.
Billboard
Deadpool (2016)
This billboard shows the protagonist/anti-hero 'Deadpool' with the tag line "JUSTICE HAS A NEW FACE", which suggests to the audience that there is a new superhero (although upon watching the trailer it will be clear that he is an unconventional character). Behind Deadpool's back there are two protruding handles of swords, which are separate from the rest of the board to give a 3D effect. Additionally, the colour scheme is made up of black and red only, making the billboard bold and eye-catching. From the image we can see that the billboard is positioned above traffic lights, which I think was chosen as drivers will often have to stop and they, or the passengers, will look up and see it.
Magazine
Spectre (2015)
This magazine cover for Total Film promotes the high-concept action/adventure/thriller, Spectre. The main cover line reads, "BOND MEANS BUSINESS", along with the film's title, which is the largest text on the page aside from the masthead. It also features a quote from the film's director, Sam Mendes. The main image is of the film's protagonist, James Bond, an immensely famous and popular character.
According to YouGov Profiles' site (https://today.yougov.com/profileslite#/), readers of Total Film are ages 25-39, predominantly male, and of the social classes ABC1 (upper middle to lower middle class). This means that the producers of Spectre likely made a conscious decision to feature in this magazine because they can directly target this audience. To test this speculation, I cross-referenced the data on YouGov Profiles for Total Film and Spectre, however, it gave US data for Spectre and UK data for the magazine, meaning the audiences were different, but I know that it isn't uncommon for American films to be advertised in British magazines and vice versa, due to the mutual benefits. Therefore, I still find it reasonable to believe that this particular magazine was chosen specifically because its audience may coincide with the film's targeted demographics.
Film Poster Sizes
Examples:
Bus Stop
This bus stop poster for District 9 features an image graphic of an alien creature with a red line through it. The text below reads, "BUS STOP FOR HUMANS ONLY" and "REPORT NON-HUMANS" with a phone number and website. Since this advert is actually for a film, any who see it at the bus stop may be confused and intrigued, and the poster has an element of interactivity to it for this reason. The layout of the poster is quite bold, as the red is immediately striking and noticeable, while its shape is the standard portrait size, due to having to fit the bus stop's dimensions. From how the rest of the image is dark but the poster is brightly lit up, we can assume it has lighting on the inside so it is visible at all times.
Billboard
This billboard shows the protagonist/anti-hero 'Deadpool' with the tag line "JUSTICE HAS A NEW FACE", which suggests to the audience that there is a new superhero (although upon watching the trailer it will be clear that he is an unconventional character). Behind Deadpool's back there are two protruding handles of swords, which are separate from the rest of the board to give a 3D effect. Additionally, the colour scheme is made up of black and red only, making the billboard bold and eye-catching. From the image we can see that the billboard is positioned above traffic lights, which I think was chosen as drivers will often have to stop and they, or the passengers, will look up and see it.
Magazine
This magazine cover for Total Film promotes the high-concept action/adventure/thriller, Spectre. The main cover line reads, "BOND MEANS BUSINESS", along with the film's title, which is the largest text on the page aside from the masthead. It also features a quote from the film's director, Sam Mendes. The main image is of the film's protagonist, James Bond, an immensely famous and popular character.
According to YouGov Profiles' site (https://today.yougov.com/profileslite#/), readers of Total Film are ages 25-39, predominantly male, and of the social classes ABC1 (upper middle to lower middle class). This means that the producers of Spectre likely made a conscious decision to feature in this magazine because they can directly target this audience. To test this speculation, I cross-referenced the data on YouGov Profiles for Total Film and Spectre, however, it gave US data for Spectre and UK data for the magazine, meaning the audiences were different, but I know that it isn't uncommon for American films to be advertised in British magazines and vice versa, due to the mutual benefits. Therefore, I still find it reasonable to believe that this particular magazine was chosen specifically because its audience may coincide with the film's targeted demographics.
Film Poster Sizes
The three most common posters in the UK are the one sheet portraits, quads and T-sides (which are fitted for buses). Below are some examples along with their dimensions.
One Sheet Portraits
On the left are 3 one sheet portrait posters I found. In the UK, the standard size for these posters is 27 by 40 inches, or 686 x 1020mm.
Quads
Here are 3 'quad' film posters. The standard size for these, in landscape format, is 30 by 40 inches, or 762 by 1020mm.
T-Sides
T-side posters, or bus posters, are very common and a popular choice in the UK because they can reach such a wide range of people in many different places. Evidently, they are called T-sides because of the shape they take on in order to fit the bus. The size of this poster is usually 3ft by 10ft.
Very good. Its always useful to consider these products in the real world setting.
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