A chewing gum-inspired ad
This is my first 1/6-page ad to be published in a trade magazine in a couple of months. As an amateur graphic designer and typography lover, I enjoy working with type, shapes and layouts. My first attempt was type only, using only 2-3 fonts max and 2-3 colors max. I wanted a symmetrical yet attention-getting ad. A draft is found in the bottom graphic below.
After a few days of feeling unconvinced with my first two drafts, I was musing on alternatives as I was unwrapping a stick of chewing gum. And it hit me: most people chew gum or are very familiar with the brand (Wrigley's). So I decided to emulate some elements of the Wrigley's Extra Spearmint packaging. You will find some of these familiar elements.
Of course, I didn't want to use the word 'spearmint' or spearmint leaves, so I chose the green apple. The main challenge was to supply the proper background that would give oomph and balance to the ad.
For this ad I used the following software packages: Art Text 2 (Mac), Illustrator and Photoshop CS5, and Adobe Acrobat X. I also used Suitcase Fusion 3 (Windows) to manage and select the fonts.