A Theater Turns 30 + Safe to Fly: Latest Advertising 2023 Entries

Catch a show or a flight with these smart Advertising 2023 entries that use clever choices to entertain and reach their audiences.

TALISMAN is an international visual storytelling and design studio that recently teamed up with the non-profit Baltimore-based theater Everyman Theatre to celebrate its 30th anniversary. As part of its celebration, Everyman produced six live stage and streamed plays to show for its celebration season. To promote both, Talisman conceived a innovative design approach to engage and excite viewers. Titled “Everyman @ 30” (above), each of the six posters represent one of the plays, and are made up of gorgeous 2D illustration designs bursting with vibrant colors, giving each poster its own unique look.  

As you look closer, however, you’ll see something unexpected: hidden messages in each poster. These messages work as ‘easter eggs’ identifying themes, plot twists, or motifs that appear in individual shows that offer season subscribers and theater lovers joyous moments of recognition and revelation. When the posters are placed together, they act as puzzle pieces, revealing the hidden 30 that moves throughout each poster in homage to the celebrated resident company members who are seen throughout the productions each year. Created thanks to the hard work of animator Mathieu Maillefer, composer Joe Kye, and designer and illustrator Jacob Kemp, this design offered a fun and engaging way for viewers to celebrate the Everyman Theatre’s 30th anniversary by encouraging them see the plays. To watch the full animated reveal, check out the video at Vimeo.

Next up is “GFIA Fly Safe Outdoor Campaign” (above) created for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. As people add airline travel back into their lives, some may feel uneasy at the thought of airports and flying for hours in close proximity. This was a challenge facing the airport in the early months of 2021 when air traveling was resumed, so to ease the market back into air travel, Gerald R. Ford International asked the Michigan-based advertising agency Extra Credit Projects to raise awareness of increased health and safety efforts.

To meet this objective, the agency created a billboard campaign inspired by non-stop flights to Destin, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, artfully integrating everyday items that have become fixtures in many of our lives during the pandemic. One Florida billboard incorporates a facemask as a hammock between two palm trees, while another in Colorado utilizes disinfectant spray to simulate snow for a snowboarder. Both billboards also feature a luggage tag with Gerald R. Ford International’s logo and a slogan that reads, “Stay safe. Fly foward.” The team’s goal was to reach or exceed 70% of passenger numbers compared to the airport’s record-breaking 2019 year, and they did for nearly every month of 2021, ending the year with year-to-date total passenger travel numbers trending at approximately 86% of 2019’s record-breaking numbers.

July 26th is the final deadline to submit your work to our 2023 Advertising Annual. Visit graphis.com to learn more!

Author: Graphis