These gold and silver winning posters capture the attention of potential audience members and consumers.
The beauty of a masterfully designed poster is that it can be a call to action – an advertisement for products or an invitation to an concert or festival – but ultimately becomes a piece of art that can stand alone. Some of our past winning posters from Canada serve as a great example. “Halloween” (ABOVE, LEFT) for Harley-Davidson Canada by Art Director Lisa Phuong and writer Coleman Mallery takes advantage of the fact that October brings both Halloween and the end of riding season for motorcycle owners. The striking assemblage of motorcycle parts in the shape of a skull reminds riders to update their bikes during the off-season. Their approach for this poster was related to us: “This image had a double meaning to Harley riders as there was already an iconic skull synonymous with the brand – the Willie G Skull, designed in the early 1930’s. The design payed homage to the long-respected badge, while being relevant to the theme and goal we were aiming for.” On the other hand, Sean Carter’s “2017 Vancouver Writers Fest” poster (ABOVE, RIGHT) invites Canadians to an inspiring writers festival with the tagline, “Reimagine Your World.” With an action packed image implanted into the silhouette of a man’s head, it quickly relates that the work of great writers allows readers to navigate new worlds.
Other winning posters from our neighbors to the north have used typography as their focal point. The title and contents of Steiner Graphics’ poster says it all: “Words Matter” (ABOVE, RIGHT). In fact, the poster itself is a reminder that our dialogs, whether personal or political, make an impact on our society. The metal letters can be seen to symbolize the weight of our words. In Underline Studio’s “Everyone, El Salvador” (ABOVE, LEFT), this striking poster was created to “raise funds for Pro-Búsqueda, a Salvadoran human rights association that searches for children who were disappeared during the civil war and commemorate the victims of massacres that took place in El Salvador.” Designer and Creative Director Fidel Peña, Creative Director Claire Dawson, and Photographer Paul Weeks were able to assemble a series of four emotional posters that raised funds and awareness about an important cause.
Submit to the Poster Annual 2020 Competition by January 22, 2019. Winners will have the opportunity to see their work published on our website, blog, newsletter, and social media platforms!
