For my reverse engineer post, I found this very aesthetically pleasing ad from Coca-Cola:
This is where I found the original design:
CONTRAST:
The way this ad utilizes contrast well is in two different ways. First, the color scheme was see here is a great example of many different contrasting colors and shades within a confined space. The stark contrasts of Coke red with the green, for example immediately draw our attention to those specific parts of the ad. Another way the ad shows contrast is in it’s use of different fonts. Everyone is familiar with the cursive logo Coke has, so to see that font along with the straight almost calibri font is a great use of contrast.
REPETITION:
Repetition is clearly seen in this ad. For one thing, we see the repetitious use of the shape of the Coca-Cola bottle shape. We also see the repeated use of the Coca-Cola words across three of the four bottles. If we look closer, we can see that in the first two bottles, the liquid is flowing in the same direction. And in the other two, the same is true, just with an opposite direction. It evens out the design. As well, the repetition of the fonts is another example.
ALIGNMENT:
The aspect of alignment is used well in this ad between the “punchline'” text and the “slogan” text. It makes good use of making sure that things that are similar are easy to associate with one another, even though they may be far apart from one another. Since they are aligned in almost a straight vertical line, there is a direct link that attributes the slogan “choose happiness” with the word “good things” with the punchline.
PROXIMITY:
The placement of the bottles next to each other is a great example of proximity in this ad. As the book states, things that are similar should be close to each other, and this ad fulfills that beautifully. It is easy to see the four flavors of Coke in a straight line and you get a nice look at them all. As well, the logo in the bottom right corner is using the same principle to showcase the four flavors and the type-face logo all in one place.
COLOR:
The thing I love about this ad is the brilliant use of it’s colors. The red and white of the original Coke bottle is a great use of color, but as well, the green Coke life bottle is a great way of using complementary colors. It follows the same idea as Christmas colors in that example. Red and green may seem like an odd color combination, but with Christmas stuff and with this Coke life bottle, it works out very well.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, this ad from Coke is a great design that uses the principles discussed in our readings. It’s interesting that the article with the ad is talking about how this was part of an overhaul marketing campaign for Coke when consumers were confused at what different varieties of Coke there are. With this ad’s use of proximity and repetition, consumers can now see how many basic flavors of Coke there are while still being aesthetically pleased with it’s colors, contrast, and alignment.
COMM130 