Analysing Newspaper Poster Campaigns.

Looking at the front cover of the Liverpool Echo, it is clear that both the paper and it's poster adverts share similar conventions.

It is evident in the above images that all the forms of media contain a red/blue element to their design.

This on-going theme and colour code gives both the newspaper and its adverts their own colour characteristics, and also links the two together.

The adverts also contain the Echo’s title and in all images, it is clear that the consistent font has been used throughout, and with the added liver bird allows the posters and the paper to share an overall identity.

The above images are all advertisement campaigns for the Guardian newspaper.

It is clear that all the adverts share a similar theme. They are all very simple in nature, sharing the blank white background and share a multicoloured element in front. They all provide a statement that allows readers to understand their involvement with the newspaper itself, allowing them to be part of a debate and being able to read more than one view on a particular topic. This inviting statement, being in a range of bright colours, will draw readers in to this uncomplicated straightforward advertising campaign.

The creators of this poster advertise through colour and through eye catching, simple designs.

The above images are poster campaigns for the Metro newspaper. The images are three very similar adverts and all share identical colour themes, blue and red, similar to the Echo and also similar to the Metro’s logo.

Each advert however has it’s own pun and humourous related cartoon image. The taglines on each advert are all esstentially normal statements however, their corresponding images provide a witting pun effect. This provides an entertainment factor and will draw more viewers and interest more to read the metro.

The creator of there adverts uses humour and simple cartoon entertainment to attract their audience.

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The current adverts that I have looked at and analysed all share something unique within their own range, whether it be a certain colour code or certain theme. Most of them also have very basic simple designs which also have a greater effect by being eye-catching and fairly interesting.

The Echo adverts however are not as simple as the others but still convey an interesting aspect to them, including photographs of several unique sights of Liverpool, which will attract locals to the poster and then to the paper.

I like the idea of having a very blank and simple design, as it will be less complicated. I will begin to plan my newspaper's poster using my idea's gained from previous posters.

Second Page Final (And Focus Groups)

Second Page - First Draft.

The image to the left is my first draft for my second page. It is evident that the current draft images shows lack of detail, colour and text, purely because it was simply a layout plan, to be used for future construction.
This draft does change as development continues as I held yet another focus group.

I left the space to the left as I firstly thought about adding an advert or another story, maybe a side story.

The weather idea came to me during my planning, although I have not used any weather details in my final product, I used Google's Weather to help plot my draft.

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This is my second draft. It is evident that it differs highly from my first. Only the main story and contact box remained the same. I began construction and inserted these two articles first as they were the only two I was confident about.

I decided to make the lottery numbers smaller as I thought they took up a lot of the space at the bottom which contrasted their importance. I moved them to the left as I decided that a full information column on the left would be suitable.

Due to not being able to lift images, I decided that I would leave out weather information as the only possible way I could include it would be provided as text only.

I chose to include a contents box, a 15p off voucher and a mini-story to fill my remaining space. These factors all play a part in creating a suitable second page. During analysis of other second pages, I noticed that content boxes were included in many of them and also mini stories.

I only saw a voucher once in a front page during analysis, but the idea remained during construction.

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Focus Group

I held a minor focus group to discuss my current draft.

They agreed that every time the colour blue is used, it is a different shade, and we agreed that they should all share the exact same shade.

We decided that the content box was not using the wrong colours, but was simply using them in wrong way and that it should be a white on red layout.

Finally, it was decided that the font used for the lottery details should be changed to a more modern font to match my corresponding theme.

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Changes from Focus Group

To the left is the same image with the minor changes brought up in the focus group.

I changed the colour blue in both the mini story and also the contact box to create a more modern colour theme similar to my front cover.

I changed the contents box to create a similar look as the front covers masthead.

Finally, I applied the same font to all text on the page to link it all together and create an identity for my newspaper.

Front Page Final (And Focus Group)

The image on the left is my very first draft. It is visible that it lacks detail and content as it was just a layout to work on during construction.

I have used lifted images in this draft such as the Christmas advert and the River Island advert, however, these are simply decoys to help me determine what will go where.

My headline displays 'Local TV Star Story.
This was just another decoy headline as I knew what my main story would be about.

The Facebook blurb displays a very blank look, however during my construction I will be making it look more interesting.



This is my second draft, which is almost complete.
It includes all my finished articles and images.
There are a few changes that have been made from my first draft, such as the swap of the 2nd and 3rd articles. As I was using the Facebook story on my second page, I thought it would be more interesting to have it as a secondary story blurb for more emphasis rather than the third story.

FOCUS GROUP

I held another focus group to help decide what was liked and disliked about my product. Here is what their views were;
-The date is wrong compared to the top advert.
-The ONE sport blurb and the River Island advert get cut off a little.
-River Island is a brand and I should create my own shop.



This is my final draft.

I have changed the Christmas countdown so it stands out more using the colour green.

I have changed the Sport blurb and Bottom advert so they look even and nothing is cut off.

I have also invented my own shop; 'World of Trend' so that no real brands have been used on my paper.
I corrected the date on my paper and also added 'to go' onto my Christmas countdown, so that it was clear what the it was counting down to. I have now completed both my front page and second page and can use my designs to help create my poster.

Advert Construction

I have created an advert for an invented shop called 'World Of Trend'.

The shop is aimed at teenagers proven by the word 'trend'.

Below is how I began constructing it. I used the current teenager shop 'River Island' as a guide to help me construct.

I then used a christmas themed 'green' colour along with a snowy blue and white to make my final advert look colourful and allow it to link in with my papers release time.

Constructing Final Pages.

I am currently in the process of constructing my front and second pages. I have not blogged recently as I have been using the time to create the final construction of my pages which have changed from my simple drafts created earlier.

I have almost successfully completed the two pages and will be fully finished very shortly. During my construction, I have taken or used my own pictures to accompany my stories.

Along the process of my construction, I have referred back to several parts of my research and planning to help myself construct accurate pages in terms of my target audience's interest and favour.

I have referred to my drafts and mock layouts in terms of plotting the location of the different pictures, stories and articles etc. I have also referred to my questionnaire which guided me through my decisions on the topics I had chosen for stories.

After completing my pages, I will upload them both as a blog post and explain my reasons for the articles that I have used, their location and things that I may have changed from my previous drafts.

After completing this part of my project, I will then begin to research into Newspaper posters and radio adverts, and then will be able to move on to planning and constructing my final pieces of the project.

Mastehead Final

I have fully designed my masthead using the title 'One'. Below is the image of my design.


I was influenced by designs, similiar to my own, such as 'The Echo', 'The Mirror' and 'The Star', who also use a white on red template. I stuck to typical conventions as it is a very eye-catching design and would be useful for attracting readers. I added black coloured dupicates behind each letter to create a shadowed effect for more impact.

My influence for the letter 'O' came from when I analysed the 'Echo', I learnt that having a logo (In the case of the 'Echo'; It was the Liverbird) creates an identity for the paper and makes it more recognisable. If my paper's name needed to be shortened for any case, using the letter 'O' with the '1' inside would still be able to portray the papers name and can also be used as a logo.

Stories

Main Story

Headline: LOCAL TV STAR’S DRUG STASH

Topic: TV Star’s house raided after suspicions of drug use.

Why I am using this story: TV stars are seen as idols, it would be a featured eye-catching story, especially for the front page.

The star from ITV’S hit drama ‘Shop Keepers’ has been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing late last night. Matthew Webb, 20, sat alone in his house in Rainhill when Police raided the semi detached building after anonymous witnesses noticed and recorded a suspicious van un-loading as they describe; ‘a few bags of grass’.
Webb denies all charges. However, mobile phone video footage is being analysed to prove eye-witness accounts of what they described as a drug deal. A police spokesman says “Mr Webb is currently in custody and is being questioned whilst a thorough search of the house is to be completed later today.”

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I researched similar stories concerning drugs such as this one. I chose to research similar stories as I have little knowledge about investigations of drug crimes.

Second Story (Featured on Second Page)

Headline: FACEBOOK MASS DESTURCTION

Topic: Facebook status about house party leads to destruction as unwanted visitors show up.

Why I am using this story: Facebook is very popular among my chosen target audience, it will be a useful topic to attract readers and may also change how teenagers use the social networking site, maybe influencing them to be more careful.

Story:

Home destroyed by shock fire after teen announces house party on social networking site; Facebook. 17 year old Lucie Wilde planned a house party at her home in Whiston whilst her parents were on holiday for the week. After details of the party were leaked on Facebook, several uninvited youths trashed the house leading to a major fire before fleeing the scene.

It was several hours before the get-together began that one of Wilde’s friends posted a comment on Facebook revealing details of the party and the fact that her parents were away which she explains she meant as ‘a joke’. A young male, 19, currently in custody denies involvement in the ‘Skins’ style destruction. He claims that they left quietly when asked, hours before the fire started. Wilde claims that around fourteen young teenage males, dressed in tracksuits, gate crashed the party, stealing the alcohol provided for her and friends that night.

Fire crews were called to the scene at 11.30pm to extinguish sudden flames that erupted quickly. No known causes have been discovered yet however specialist investigators will return to the property today as they work to establish the cause of the blaze.

Police suspect that arson is the main cause as Lucie states that several of the teenagers spent time in the bedroom, which is now destroyed, a few minutes before smoke was discovered. Wilde’s parents have been contacted and Lucie is now staying with her sister, 22, who lives with friends in Leeds, until her parents return.