(CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO VIEW)
Front:
Back:
1. This is a flyer for the "Dimensions" art show that's taking over the LookOut! Gallery all month. Its purpose is to attract RCAH students - to whom I'm guessing these ads were somewhat exclusively distributed - to this art show, which featured the work of both instructors and students.
2. The format of the front side is simple and catchy: the show title is sandwiched between two representations of comic art and ceramic sculpture, which are both featured in the show. On the back is a brief description of the show, when it's displayed and where it's at. (There's also my roommate's mailing address, which I decided to leave on for fun.) The flyer is printed on a card stock type of paper, which serves better than paper and the sturdier, more common card type (this is thinner). The size is perfect for the amount of information related - it's as wide as regular paper but as tall as one's thumb - and does not waste the reader's space or time. It is also in black and white, which serves as a basic and uncomplicated visual; however, a colored title or image on the front side would make the ad more grabbing. Also an issue is the title on the front - "dimensions" in a low-tech font with wide spacing and no capitalization. If a clearer, smoother font were chosen and possibly made bold or in color, it would be easier to the eye; the way it is presented is thin and almost awkward in format.
3. This text, among many, many other texts and advertisements and flyers was placed into my mailbox by the front desk. There is no postage so I'm assuming that they do this as a favor to the RCAH; this also means that possibly all Snyder/Phillips residents got this, not just RCAH. This is a wide advantage for those who have it, as it reaches an entire complex of students who are most likely very interested in the arts (and, yes, humanities). Unfortunately this also means that it has a ninety-nine-point-nine percent chance of being discarded as junk mail, because we students get so much of it that there's not a lot of tolerance for that sort anymore. Ultimately, though, I'd say it's more advantageous than not - the more you reach, the more likely you won't be thrown away.
4. As a whole I think this is a successful promotion for a local event and was probably pretty responsible for notifying the building of it. My center of gravity is no crap advertising: after all the flair and trickery of the busy, ill-designed ads constantly being shoved up my nose every day, an ad that is in black and white and just tells me what I need to know is so welcome that I might actually go to this event (hint: I already have). I am by no means obsessed with advertisements, flyers and promotions - though this class might push me in that direction - but I find myself unexpectedly angry at stupid, cheap or flashy advertisements that I see much too often around here. Remember that Pizza Hut flyer from last week? Either I have a growing anger control issue or this is a strong indicator that the average reader is sick of reading ads and something simple - something like this particular flyer - is what's going to work.
Again, the only qualms I have with this promotional flyer is the title font on the front and, I suppose, the font on the rest of the document (which is the same). This is a Courier-New-like font and is not appealing or easy to read at all. It repels me slightly; if I weren't required to tolerate it, I just might skim it and throw it away. One must keep in mind, however, that not all readers are as temperamental as myself when it comes to annoying advertising.
5. My moment to moment encounter with this text was as follows:
I checked the mail with my roommate and this was, along with some other stupid and pointless flyer, the only thing in it. There was of course a copy for both my roommate and I - which was quite the waste, might I add - and the first thing I did was scoff and throw both ads out. (Someone in this situation forgot all about her writing class. Whoops.) Rachel rolled her eyes at me for what was probably the fiftieth time that day and said after a quick skim that she was going to attend the event; I rolled my eyes back (but better) and said that I wasn't. A week or two later, I got this assignment and scrambled for a flyer; this one caught my eye and I actually ended up checking it out, accompanied by actual, mind-churning, action-inducing interest. I hope that my (now discarded!) attitude toward all ads is rare.
6. Assuming that the front is viewed first, the eye goes immediately to the small pictures on the left and right; the text in the middle is secondary, which is all right if the goal is to catch attention instead of interest. This flyer is unique in its double-sided format, which is a huge risk: if the reader is not interested, they will not flip over the ad and read the important information. Hopefully they are, hopefully they do! The opposite side is a bit more awkward in placement: the eye is drawn first to the RCAH logo in the bottom right corner and then to the mailing tag above it (ego always wins!); then, if interest is still intact, one will read the rest of the information from top to bottom, skipping around to the bold names and then absorbing the rest.
7. The key idea of this text is to attract and inform the reader very quickly: there is an art show at the LookOut! Gallery featuring comic and ceramic art, among other presentations; it runs for the majority of September at the annotated dates and is hosted by the RCAH. It is all put simply and effectively - too many ads lose their readers in flashy graphics and distracting, unnecessary text.
8. The usual questions a reader would have - what, where, when - are answered immediately on the back side. I honestly can't think of any other questions that might arise - the flyer takes care of them all!
9. My only expectation of this flyer was that it told me what I needed to know and did not waste my time with the annoying, all-too-common riff-raff that most ads drown in: my expectation was fulfilled. A reader might expect some kind of explanation of the show if they are unfamiliar with this type of event - for example, why it's showing and what it's like. Since most of this ad's readers are RCAH-ers, however, this is not that great a concern.
10. As stated before, this text assumes that the reader knows the general format of an art show; it also requires awareness of the location of this gallery. Again, as this flyer was probably handed out to mostly Snyder/Phillips residents, this will not be a problem. Personally, I had no issues with this information at all.
11. This flyer is so brief and straightforward that one does not really imagine a writer or voice unless they really try to. When forced, I suppose it was someone working for the RCAH - possibly a student, a faculty member or one of the leading artists themselves. The text itself has absolutely no personality - it is just facts and information and nothing else. This impersonal take might not attract certain parties, but again the simplicity is what the focus is upon and therefore it is not that big of a harm.
12. I imagine that the writer views the reader as a student who probably does not need flash in the format; it is not close but rather at a safe distance, leaving all interest up to the reader. Though it is good with the simple format, this may not catch as many readers as other ads might.
13. On the front side, the pictures on each side are in the foreground and the text between them is somewhat fuzzy and very much part of the background. The back side leaves a lot of white space, which is very strange for the center of the text. It draws the eye to the four corners of the ad, a clever and effective method for readers. There is no distraction or background on this side - it is all information and no fluff.
Altogether this is a very effective advertisement: it did not annoy this reader but kept things brief and casual. I'm going to keep this one for future reference.
