A poster is a significant representation of a particular message that can be relayed in words or graphics and is displayed on public walls and the internet to get the great masses to view it. Posters have been a form of communication long before the internet came, and it was a reliable source of spreading important information to many people at once. Israel uses posters for advertising its best touring sites to tourists interested in visiting the nation (“The Palestine poster projects archives”, 1948). These posters have evolved over the years due to changes in technology and preferences to remain relevant and valid. While posters may be biased on the locations and the depicted activities since they mainly focus on showing the best, Israel’s self-expression to potential tourists is through creating appealing posters with the republic’s best features. In addition, changes in posters over the years have helped increase the number of tourists in the country, which has promoted the state’s economy.
There are two standard posters that Israel has used to promote tourism in the nation; they include the “Visit Palestine” poster of 1936 and the “Fly to Israel” poster of 1948. These two posters served the same purpose of advertising Israel to potential tourists. However, there are some distinguishable features between the two signs which serve different purposes. These differences were brought about by technological changes and other attractive features appealing to tourists (“The Palestine poster projects archives”, 1948). The central theme of these posters is visiting the state of Israel, which is visible from the way the poster’s title speaks of “Visit Palestine” and “Fly to Israel”. Therefore, these posters’ primary purpose is to create awareness to tourists of the many sites in Israel worth visiting.
The “Visit Palestine” poster of 1936 displays an image that shows the historically enriched country of Israel and the political regime that reigned during that time. The pictures of this poster show a tree, and further below portrays some ancient buildings which represent the rich culture and influences of the people of Israel. This image also shows a wall surrounding the buildings forming a barrier surrounding the city of Jerusalem (The poster art of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, 1936). This town has distinguished features such as ancient buildings, landmarks, and a mosque, explaining the state’s cultural beliefs and structure. Some of the images in the poster addressed the myths around what people thought the country had. For instance, there was a myth that Israel was engulfed with a raging dessert; however, the image of the tree explained that the legend was not valid. Another myth was that Israel did not have inhabitants though, the poster shows an idea of the buildings, which could not be there if no people were inhabiting the place. Overall, the sign appeals to tourists interested in learning about Israelite’s history and visiting ancient enriched sites.
Conversely, the “Fly to Israel” poster of 1948 has a different perspective of appealing to tourists. To begin with, the sign mainly advertises flying with the national airline of Israel known as Elal Israel National Airlines, which is written boldly at the bottom of the poster, inviting tourists to use it for travel. An image of a large airplane across the sign also emphasizes the poster’s topic, Fly to Israel. Moreover, there is an image of a large body of water with ships at the border, reflecting that the nation is not landlocked and tourists can enjoy their stay at the beach next to the water. There are also images of buildings, seemingly industries that portray the country as urbanized and industrialized. This poster also included explanations of the different structures to give the tourists a better overview of the visit place (“The Palestine poster projects archives”, 1948). The difference in this poster, other than it was created twelve years later, is that they preferred to show how Israel had developed to tourists. This may be appealing to tourists since it shows that they will have a good time visiting the place using very minimal time traveling due to the developed infrastructure.
These two posters serve to explain to aspiring tourists the current issues facing the state at the time. These issues include their political status, allied governments that would allow their airlines to pass through their border, and organizations and agencies supporting tourism in the nation. They also educate tourists on the cultural influences in Israel and how they impact the activities of the citizens in Israel, from their languages, religion, and beliefs. The 1936 poster provides information on traveling to the tourists, while the 1948 poster illustrates a more enjoyable visit with more additional activities in the nation. Although the two have different agendas, they can both appeal to their target tourists. The 1936 poster will attract more researchers who will explain the history of the state of Israel features (“The Palestine poster projects archives”, 1948). At the same time, the 1948 poster will also attract the target tourists who are more inclined to have fun by visiting places they do not experience in their home countries.
Israel has a target of getting as many tourists as possible to visit the country, learn about their culture, history, and enjoy their stay. Israel’s economy will be boosted through visitors, providing the necessary amenities to protect the republic against invasion. Besides, the government will also be able to improve the living standards of the people of Israel, therefore, increasing the country’s population in a manageable way. The tourists also expect some level of protection and fascination when they decide to visit the nation (“The Palestine poster projects archives”, 1948). Additionally, sightseers hope to tour the country with no fear of being harmed in any way so that they can maximize their stay there and also recommend the place to their friends. When advertising to potential clients, the posters should consider that the visitors also value their security and well-being. Therefore, it would be wise for the agencies to include security measures taken on the signs to appeal to more customers.
Posters are a reliable source of communication, especially in advertisements. This is since they will relay information to the target audience in the most appealing way. Posters can also include important information that will intrigue the intended audience and compel them to act accordingly. Israel’s posters of 1936 and 1948 have the correct characters to appeal to their target audience, who are tourists. In addition, both posters are informative and show a side of having fun that would attract tourists to tour the country, and thus they are a great way of creating awareness of a place for tourists to visit.
References
The Palestine poster projects archives. The liberation graphic collection of Palestine posters. (1948). Web.
The poster art of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (1936). Visit Palestine [Image]. Web.