Introduction
The paper aims to analyze the British Army recruitment poster “Your Army Needs You” (Appendix). As general information, it is essential to pay attention to the composition. In particular, it has a special role in the text. The largest inscriptions at the top of the poster are made so large that the viewer immediately looks at them. In my opinion, this effect was explicitly created and combined with the poster’s purpose.
In particular, these signs are caused by particular reasons that depict the ad’s background. First, the shortage of volunteers willing to serve in the U.S. Army underscores the need for the poster. As a result, it is intended to attract new men to the army and to make them pay attention to their duties and to the fact that the country needs them.
As the second point in the ad’s background, it is essential to consider the current social situation. In particular, it depends on teenagers and young people, who are profoundly influenced by modern trends, social networks, technologies, and other issues. Taking this into account, the authors of the ad decided to use commonly used phrases and words to draw the youngsters’ attention. Remarkably, the negative habits these people demonstrate in their activities were restated in the ad as significant advantages for the country’s army. Due to the appeal to the target audience, the appearance of the text, images, and colors, and the peculiarity of the composition, the primary purpose of the ad is to draw the attention of young people through verbal communication and its illustrative representation.
Target Audience
The ad is targeted to a specific audience. As stated earlier, teenagers and young people are the target audience. This conclusion is based on the fact that modern trends, such as social networks, have a greater influence on this category. For example, one of the most significant signs of advertising is “selfie addicts.” It is no secret that teenagers are prone to taking pictures of themselves to post on social networks like Instagram or TikTok. Consequently, these big signs at the top of each poster clearly identify the target audience of this ad.
Appearance of the Text, Images, and Colors
The designer of the ad used two primary colors to capture the audience’s attention. Red and black were used to highlight the primary and secondary information. In addition, the text has different sizes, which allows one to emphasize particular pieces of information.
For example, there are two vital components of the posters: the appealing, which is the type of activity of the imaginable person, such as a binge gamer, and the word You. These words trigger the person’s attention. After the task is completed and one is interested in the poster, they want to know what the ad is about. Consequently, other text pieces are smaller and contain more words. This part, such as “your army needs,” explains the ad’s intention.
Another crucial aspect of the poster is the presence of images. There are three pictures of soldiers who are depicted as brave and mature men. Presumably, this method is used to demonstrate how a teenager becomes a U.S. Army officer. In addition, this approach is intended to foster eye contact. It is well known that a person’s face is the first thing the audience looks at. Therefore, these soldiers make eye contact as they emphasize the importance of joining the U.S. Army.
Composition
To understand how the poster communicates its main idea, it is essential to consider its composition. Remarkably, it is made according to modern design standards that emphasize minimalism in detail, focusing attention on the most critical aspects. There are only two elements that are posed vertically in the poster: text and the image.
Moreover, the picture, as the most influential element, is placed in the center of the composition to make eye contact with the reader’s face. Notably, another vital point of the ad is that there are three posters in a row. Consequently, it appears like a job application poster where the potential candidates can find the most suitable position for them. This method tends to draw additional attention from the audience while achieving its goal of finding volunteers.
Conclusion
While summarizing the paper, it is vital to stress how the ad can be effective if various elements are used correctly. The considered ad has many advantages, ranging from the text and colors to the composition and appeal to the target audience. Using verbal communication elements, the ad directly addresses the target audience.
The pictures not only add a visual representation to the posters but also create eye contact with the reader. Given the complexity of the poster’s topic and its specific background, the task was to create laconic, minimal advertising with a specific goal. After considering all elements, one can conclude that the ad is effective because it draws the audience’s attention and clearly delivers its message.
Appendix
