Three reasons why posters still work
“What's on the agenda?”
An expression many still know, even if few perhaps think about where it comes from.
Long before radio, TV and the internet, the poster was one of the most important ways of spreading information. Concerts, theatre performances, markets and political meetings were advertised on walls, pillars and noticeboards in cities all over Europe.
At the end of the 18th century, Alois Senefelder developed lithography, also known as planographic printing. The technology made it possible to produce posters in larger print runs and at a lower cost than before. When the technique had its breakthrough in the 19th century, the poster became one of the period's most important advertising and information media.
Much has changed since then, but the poster has retained some of the same power. Here are three reasons why posters are still an important part of many campaigns, events and marketing activities.
1. Posters meet people where they are
Today, most messages compete for attention on a screen. Posters work differently. They encounter people in physical surroundings – in the workplace, in retail environments, at events, trade fairs and in the urban space. The message becomes part of the environment and can be exposed multiple times during the course of the day. This makes posters an effective tool when the goal is visibility and presence.
Posters are used in many different contexts – from simple, mass-produced sale posters in retail environments to larger campaigns such as banners and solutions for outdoor use. This includes campaign material such as sale posters, banners, and other forms of large-format print developed to create visibility both indoors and out.
2. They cannot be scrolled away
Digital ads often have only a few seconds to capture attention.
A poster stays up for the duration of the campaign. That doesn't mean it is automatically noticed, but it gets more opportunities to be seen. People pass the same poster multiple times, and repeated exposure is often an important part of building awareness and recognition.
3. They work well with digital channels
Physical and digital communication do not need to compete with each other.
Instead, posters are often used as part of a larger campaign alongside websites, social media, advertisements and email marketing. When people encounter the same message in multiple places, the chance of it being noticed and remembered increases.
What characterises a poster that gets noticed?
A poster often has only a few seconds to communicate a message. Therefore, it is important to keep it simple.
Some common features often recur:
- A clear main message
- Good legibility from a distance
- A neat expression
- Clear sender
- A clear purpose
The goal is not to tell everything at once, but to give the recipient enough information to pause and take in the message.
Good readability is also about the correct file quality
A poster often has to be read from a distance, which means there are different requirements for the files compared to, for example, brochures and business cards. Images for large format do not necessarily need as high a resolution as smaller printed matter, while text, logos and illustrations should preferably be supplied as vector graphics to ensure sharp lines at all sizes. If you are unsure whether the files are suitable for the format you want, we are happy to help with an assessment before production.
Posters in various materials and applications
Posters also come in many different materials and uses, depending on where and how they are to be used. In campaigns and marketing, everything from simple paper posters to more robust solutions that can withstand longer use or exposure in demanding environments is used. For outdoor use, materials that are more durable and adapted to the weather and wind are often used, while indoor campaigns can have greater flexibility in both expression and format. The choice of material is therefore not just about appearance, but about how long the message is to be displayed and in what surroundings it needs to function.
A classic that still works
The poster has been part of the urban landscape for over a hundred years, and even though the channels around us have changed, the need for visibility remains the same. Whether it is a matter of campaigns, events, retail, trade fairs or cultural activities, posters are still an effective tool for creating attention in the physical space. A good poster still does what it has always done: it makes people stop in their tracks.
So the question is perhaps as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago:
What's on the agenda?
Do you need posters or large format for a campaign, event or shop?
Please do contact us her for ordering or advice.
