There’s no better way to get an audience excited for an upcoming film than by releasing a series of incredible movie posters to catch their attention when they’re on their way to work or driving by a billboard. The most effective poster designs don’t need much detail, instead simply hinting at details of a new release and the film’s content or putting across a strong visual aesthetic – it’s all about clever print marketing! There were some incredible film posters released to promote the best films of 2013, so let’s take a look at five of the best…
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
While the film was never going to be as good as the original, the poster had fans everywhere so excited about its release that they were demanding it be shown in cinemas early, and yet all it showed was a close up of Ron Burgundy’s moustache. The caption at the bottom of the poster read: ‘It’s Kind of a Big Deal Coming Soon.’ Fans of the first Anchorman film could tell who the moustache belonged to a mile off, while others who did not know the film so well were intrigued by the focus on such a peculiar (and impressive) facial feature. The poster didn’t even state the title, but this example of clever print marketing was enough to create a buzz around the impending release.
When people first caught sight of the poster for the docufilm Blackfish they presumed it was going to be a narrative feature, probably similar to Jaws, but this time about a killer whale. The poster was almost all black, apart from the looming white features of an orca facing forwards and the caption that read: ‘Friend. Outcast. Killer.’ It certainly looked like the poster for a horror film, but in actual fact the film was a documentary about how killer whales are mistreated and can turn violent when kept in captivity. The simplicity and ambiguity of the poster meant that potential viewers were intrigued, attracting more of an audience than a documentary could ever normally expect. Another clever example of print marketing.
Not as popular here in the UK as it was in the US, what we like about The Heat’s movie poster is that it went back to basics, using a hand-drawn ‘80s style image. Full of colour, incredible detail and featuring a wild yellow font, the poster was certainly eye-catching and actually made an average comedy look as though it was going to be an epic film! With the majority of film production companies always looking to develop new and innovative ways to capture their audience’s attention, this poster proves that the old ways of print marketing are still just as effective!
A film set in a future world where people are able to become romantically involved with their computer operating systems, you’d expect the poster for Her to feature all the usual sci-fi tropes, but in actual fact, Her is a romantic tale, as is suggested in the beautiful promo poster. An attractive close-up of Joaquin Phoenix (who plays the lead role), dressed in a simple red shirt against a vivid red background, the poster is impossible to miss and hints at the content of the film through the lovelorn look in Phoenix’s eyes. This poster is evidence of just how effective colour can be when it comes to print.
There’s something about the vast emptiness of space that is both horrifying and captivating in equal measure, which is why the poster for Gravity had such an influence on people’s decision to go and see the film. Featuring the image of what can barely be discerned as an astronaut floating in the middle of empty space, the picture instantly has you searching the poster for more information. The typography chosen for the poster is also pitch-perfect, the spacing between each letter emphasised to make the image appear even more daunting.
With so many fantastic film posters from 2013 boasting such a wide range of techniques and styles, we can’t wait to see what 2014 will bring. If you’ve been inspired by any posters you’ve seen and are keen to create just as good an effect to your print, why not get in touch with the design team at PMG today? We can put our heads together and come up with something incredible.