EVALUATIONJess Hedley

WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL & AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF YOUR WORK?

This is my final can design for IRN-BRU 32, I have gone with my original initial idea of a “horror” theme involve creepy imagery and font. I originally went with a horror theme as I began this project at the start of the Halloween period, overall I thought this would appeal to my demographic of 16-24 year olds with the bright colour palette and innovative formations of imagery. To start with I had already chosen my font in my previous idea generation of “Bates Shower” for the main title, this font worked particularly well with the overall scary theme but with it standing alone against the yellow background of the can’s exterior I felt it looked out of place and unusual as the colours don’t really complement each other and would not usually be paired. I added a drop shadow to give depth to the exterior and also an outer glow, this gave it a slightly muted yet dramatic visual and also allowed the title to be more easily recognized on shop shelves.For “32” I opted for a different font as “Bates Showers” did not offered numbers as part of their font collection, I also believed if numbers had been available that it would of looked too crowded on the front facing. Instead I used a bold, impact styled font that was a more toned down version of “Bates Shower” yet still gave a clear distinction of what the product was. Other forms of context I could of used to show individuality of the product are a “NEW” sticker or indication of the flavorings in the drink. I did however include “ENERGY DRINK” in smaller caps so a customer was fully aware of the purpose of the product and that it would contain a higher amount of caffeine and sugar.

Behind “32” I also incorporated an auto-shape of a splat, I think this broke up the large amount of negative space on the front facing of the can. A good technical effect I used here was making the “32” layer the same colour as the outer background and adding an inner shadow, this gave the effect of the lettering been punched into the shape with the background visible through it – as I previously said, this added to the overall visual of a three dimensional effect. I decided to flip the majority of my text vertically as this allowed more room on the other remaining sides of the can. Also it is most typically seen on most drinks cans that the text is rotated vertically, for example Red Bull and Coca Cola.

I also included the tagline in a smaller sized text underneath the main title, I would of liked to of maybe wrapped the tagline around the collar of the can so that it was more noticeable. Or, even made it bigger and more apparent on the front of the can using similar effects used with the “32”. On the side of the can I used the same font as I used in my title, I searched “Man Silhouette” into Google and found a side profile image with defined features that would be easy to work with. I again used an outer glow to give dimension and depth and again, from a sourced site – I found the outline of a human brain which I then rotated and slightly warped to fit into the skull of my silhouette. I then used a plain white circle shape and layered a spiral over it to give the “google eye” effect that I had been originally talking about in my initial ideas. I used the warp tool again for the text on the

side face of the can, here I extenuated the tagline more and the fact that their were now thirty two ingredients in the new formula. I think the way I have aligned the text is successful as it leaves enough space so as not to overcrowd the design, but offers easy reading and understanding of the relation between the text and the image. I would have initially used photographic imagery for my can design but felt that it was rather more difficult and time consuming the lasso out the main image and make it flow well with the colour scheme of the can. I think using cartoon-effect images works better with my target demographic as it is simple, yet fun and offers a good concept to the overall design.

These are my final design for the poster campaign advertising “IRN-BRU 32”. For this I wasn’t originally going to use an alien theme, but wanted to try the split image concept with one side of the face being deformed and scary looking. Following online tutorials I originally went for a zombie/demon approach to portrait photographs taken by Martin Schoeller. These photographs were the most effective and easiest for me to use as he took a series of central compositional portrait featuring well know celebrities. The alignment of the viewfinder with the face allowed a symmetrical outlook which proves easier to work with when splitting the image.

For my first idea I used the brush tool, a orange colour tone and a lower opacity to go over the pupil of the eye. I then changed the layer style to “Soft Light” so that the definition of the eye was visible through the colorant, the bright orange is representative of the flavoring of the product and overall gives a “demon” effect. Underneath the eye are I used the “Burn” tool to give the impression of the eye being sunken in further and a tired expression. I also added a dark red colouring to act as veins around the lower eye area, followed by once again – lowering the opacity and changing the layer style to “Soft Light”. For this particular stage I feel I could of include more shades of black and oranges to give a scarier effect, as to me this seems to look like I have given the model a black eye and could be easily interpreted as promoting violence to the demographic.

First Idea

I used similar steps and tools with the rest of the face and create hollow crevices near the cheek bones and the bridge of the nose, I also darkened the lips to match the shading of the face and muted the vibrancy of the hair colour. To create the scar on her left cheek I started by drawing a fine line with a tone slightly darker than the original skin colour, followed by using “Bevel and Emboss”, using the “Inner Emboss” this allowed the line to sink inwards similar to a scar. I then blurred the line and lowered the opacity to give a more realistic visual of a scar along the face. I think aesthetically this looks interesting and dramatic to a consumer but could easily be interpreted as being a campaign for violent behavior similar to what is seen in NHS and NSPCC adverts. This overall would make it unsuitable for my target demographic of 16-24 and also doesn’t relate to the purpose of the product.

Personally, I think I could of adapted this poster further by using an image where the model is smiling to take away the negative aspect or lessened the intensity of the burn tool to take away the dramatic effect of harsh bruising against the skin. Using a green colour palette would of worked better with giving a zombie apparel and perhaps blackening out the eye area to fit in with the horror approach.

These are my final poster designs for IRN-BRU 32, the tutorial used for creating the alien effect were taken from online. I have followed the majority of the steps from this tutorial apart for warping the forehead, as I wanted the image to still remaining symmetrical and only make adjustments to the facial features. I think the overall aesthetic look of this set of posters is fairly realistic and I think I have worked well with following the steps to create the alien design.

Technical aspects of this design involved using the “Liquify” tool in Photoshop – after erasing out the inner eye – to warp the sockets of the eye to be unnaturally large than the standard human eye. I still kept the natural shape of the eye but enlarged it to fit in with the stereotypical appeal that we believe aliens to look like. In Photoshop, I also learnt how to use the “Healing” and “Spot Healing” tools to merge out elements of the skin. The healing brush worked better on wider scales, for example taking out the structure of the nose and replacing with flat skin, this didn’t have to be majorly neat as I would be changing the tone of the skin later in the edit. After this the “SpotHealing” tool worked with evening and smoothing outthe mistakes that were causedBy uneven skin tone or a dipin the skin crevices. For example,3’s freckles multiplied due to the large scale used of the “Healing” tool, but this couldbe easily fixed by masking outwith the “Spot Healing” tool.

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A good aesthetic quality to the posters and my web banner is the green skin tone I have used to give the alien effect to my portraits. I used the “Colour Balance” tab above layers to bring out the cooler

tones in the models face, this aloud the eyes to become darker and more hollow and the face to become paler. This meant when applying the green to the skin it sat more smoothly, by lowering the

opacity it allowed the colour to become more natural and overall enhance the effect of the alien transformation. Overall, I think I have worked successfully with various tools in Photoshop to create the mutation yet have allowed the structure of the face to remain constant so it can still be recognizable

next to the split image.

The font I have used here and for my posters is called “Alien League”, out of all the fonts in the sci-fi category on www.dafont.com, I found this to be the most modernistic and easy to read. I think

aesthetically this works better with more modern day interpretations of alien life forms, and could also be relatable to several demographics rather than just one. I changed the colour tone to orange to

represent the flavoring of the drink, but to improve I think I could of also included blue tones as orange and blue are the trademark colours for IRN-BRU and allow it to be easily recognized on the market.

Other positive factors about my web banners are that I have incorporated the Facebook, Twitter and mail icons which, if this banner was to be used on the website – would be hyperlinked to take a

consumer directly to the page in question. This offers quick navigation across the web and also to a wider demographic of internet users. The icons also take up a lot of negative space caused by the lack

of text, also the inclusion of the BARR logo alongside the model of the can. I also put “IRN-BRU” in a slightly thicker, more dynamic font so that the product was recognized easier and it is one of the first

elements the eye meets.

A good technical factor with this particular segment of advertising is the motion animation I created to link 3 web banner designs together as one. To do this I had to create several consecutive frames of the images gradually fading in and out of each other and then loop them together by selecting “Forever”. This created a constant loop of the frames gradually changing every 0.1 second which proves effective

when drawing added attention to the subject.

ARE YOUR FINAL PIECES FIT FOR PURPOSE?

I believe my final pieces are fit for the purpose of the campaign, as the brief specified – the intention was to “Build on the brands increasing popularity and produce material to re launch Irn-Bru 32.” I

have applied to this statement by including popular, well-known celebrities within the target demographic that would make the product more easily recognizable. The aim was to bring more of a wide scale audience’s attention to the product, IRN-BRU’s previous advertisements target younger audience around the age of 16-24 – these adverts proved very popular and generated a lot of fan

craze around the product.

Using a unique twist on the original plot of Harry Potter being wizards and witchcraft, I used a more modern turn with the use of alien life forms. Originally, I had planned to go with a “horror” theme based around the Halloween period during October when the project first started. I experimented with several “zombie inspired” tutorial online to see what worked best, initially the effects didn’t

give the overall visual I was looking for – then I found an “alien inspired” tutorials and followed the steps to achieve my final result.

The alien effect is cool and dynamic yet subtle enough for younger viewers that could get easily frightened. It also applies well to the modernistic theme of the “NEW” 32 ingredients included. I could have included more subjects to do with the new innovation of 32 ingredients, for example

including larger, bold text for the number characters. I could of also include UFO’s and other alien related props to fit in with the modernistic, space theme. It fits the purpose of the brief in rebranding

the product and taking a newly different approach to advertising, following in similar footsteps to Monster and Relentless energy drink campaigns.

ARE THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR WORK?

There are several opportunities to improve in my examples of work. Firstly, in my can design I think I should of used a more vibrant shade of orange rather than one that has slight yellow tones. The

trademark colours for IRN-BRU are orange and blue, therefore using a more intense orange alongside the blue font would make the product more recognizable in the market. I also think I should of used a gradient effect across the whole of the can to give it more dimension and depth, as the harsh blend of colours can often cause confusion when reading and also make the product be perceived as childish. Gradient often gives a modern aspect and a metallic visual to a product, which would definitely work

well with this sort of design.

To develop this, all I would need to do is go back to my “Background Layer” on the flat plan of the can, unlock the layer and change the “Colour Overlay” to “Gradient Overlay”. Here I would have to

choose what transition of colours to use, I think if I was to do this project again – I would use gradual shades of dark to light orange for this gradient. This will give the can a contoured effect and initially

more depth to the design.

Secondly, another aspect of my designs I could further develop is my posters. For the background think I could have made it more relatable to this space theme. For example, adding in stars or a night sky to fit in with the theme of space and aliens – or an outer glow around the subject to give a creepy illusion that is associated with aliens in the media. To do this I would have had to use the “Magnetic Lasso” tool and trace the outline of the subject, then inverse the selection and add and outer glow,

but with a lower opacity to mask the harsh line created by cutting out the section.

Overall, I think this would give a more dramatic visual to the poster, especially if I used an orange or blue glow to match my initial colour scheme. If I had the opportunity to go back and further develop

my ideas, I would of done more research into the alien appearance and previous advertisements featuring space and aliens, this would have benefitted me more in production as I would have a brief idea of how to approach the task and what would work best for my particular target demographic of

16-24.

WHAT AREAS OF PLANNING WORKED WELL AND WHICH COULD BE IMPROVED?

During planning and development I went through several stages of comparing and contrasting several tones of colour swatches and several forms of font to find what went best with one another and also what related most to the subject of the brief. I think I planned this out successfully and gave

myself enough examples to choose from for my final products, looking a previous IRN-BRU products I had a good

idea of what worked successfully and what did not.

Other forms of products I could have looked at was online merchandising as this is one of the biggest chains in the

market and is very important when creating a business/product. Online advertising would help me

understand on a wider scale, the overall demographic, the approach to the demographic and what people looked for in an advertisement. During my planning I could of related my own individual ideas to previous products generated by IRN-

BRU or other energy drink companies, I did take a lot of inspiration from Relentless – as I feel their overall campaign worked well with the inclusion of celebrities, to draw in the demographic. In my posters and web banners I include 3 of the Harry Potter stars which overall allows the product to be more easily recognizable in terms of the movie but also the

product.

I enjoyed turning the original concept of magic and wizards associated with Harry Potter to something more unusual

and different such as aliens. Some may find this approach confusing but others may understand, it all really depends

on the message that is consumed by individual members of the public.

WHAT EFFECT DID YOU THINK YOUR DEVELOPMENT STAGES HAD ON THE FINAL PRODUCT?

I think during my development I took in a lot more understanding of the target demographic, who IRN-BRU

target and their overall approach to the campaign. Allowing myself to make mind maps, swathes and flat plans gave me several ideas of how to approach my

campaign and what would overall be most successful. Obviously I could not go into too much detail with my development, but it allowed me to explore options of

where to go and what I may need to take into consideration to get.

I already knew that I wanted to go with the “horror” theme as this was in my initial list of ideas and was the one that I could branch off the most, creatively wise. I did experiment with some other forms of ideas outside of the horror theme, for example I constructed a poster

and a can design based around Scottish culture – to show that I had experimented and worked with designs that could be for different types of demographics rather

than just a single one.

I didn’t really put much detail into my Scottish themed designs as this was just a test of what could possibly

become a more fuller idea later on. I used several images and phrases typically associated with Scotland, as IRN-BRU previously released an advertising in 2012 with a similar theme that sparked nationwide interest but also controversy. I decided against this particular

idea as, me personally – I found this too stereotypical of Scotland and it’s culture and felt it would cause more controversial views than positive, which is not always

something that is wanted when releasing a new product.

From this small idea I started to think about what other ways could attract my demographic but without having to use e.g. inappropriate language or stereotypical language. I went back to my analyse of previous energy drink campaigns that had been successful in the media, and realized that Relentless – had proved

equally as successful as the 2012 IRN-BRU campaign by include rap star, Professor Green. I began to piece together how celebrities in the demographics public eye could be influential on product advertising, as it

brings in the hypodermic needle effect, when thinking that if someone as famous as e.g. Professor Green – was drinking Relentless then it immediately strikes in the brain to go out and purchase the product. But, again this all relates on the personal preference of the target demographic, their age and interests are in

strong correspondence with how the campaign is approached.

With this came the idea of looking in worldwide known photograph, Martin Schoeller – he created a gallery of 75 portrait images title “Close Up: Portraits 1998-2005” and went on to do several other portraits fitting the same theme further on in his career. What most attracted me to his work was the symmetrical composition of the face and the way that they shots were not posed or constructed, the intensity of the lighting and the way smaller detailed facial features were captured. I chose to use the cast of Harry Potter as the story, both book and film version – is known world wide and can be easily recognized if used in marketing. I also think these were suitable celebrities to use for a young demographic as they are recognized on a wider public scale compared to others, which then came with the twist to change how they are initially perceived to

something completely different.

Originally I was not planning to go with an alien theme, but after looking through several tutorials on the web and practicing, I found it to be the most realistic and also the most effective, warping the eyes and ears

gave a dramatic visual and a more modern twist on the design. It is however in no real relation to “32 ingredients” which I believe is a significant downfall in my design and, if I had, had more time – would have

gone back and altered to make it most easy to understand and recognize by the consumer.