Louise Sloper, head of art, BMB London
Choosing one piece of
OOH from this year’s winners wasn’t easy.
There was a wealth of exciting, boundary-pushing work, and it was all very, very different. I have to mention “Fearless Girl” and
“Game of Thrones” briefly, though.
They broke the rules of how we traditionally view OOH, were exquisitely crafted and had overwhelmingly positive impacts within the world around them.
“Orgasm Sound Library”,
“Airink”, “Dog Channel” and “The
Refugee Nation” also displayed original and broad solutions to using OOH as part of a campaign – showing that whether it’s traditional or not, the medium can still be one of the most powerful.
But I’ve chosen a campaign that I can get deep down and sexy with in terms of art direction, and super-nerdy with in terms of a campaign asset system that’s just so frekking straightforward: Twitter’s “Hashtags”. Simplicity at its best. #theperfectposter.
Pared back to the absolute necessities, allowing room for the storytelling. A design not overwhelmed by logos or cluttered by never-ending statements. A campaign brave enough to know the brand’s power and believe that less is more. A brand savvy enough to trust in the public’s intelligence to fill in the gaps. The juxtaposition of “traditional”
OOH with a tech brand is an intelligent, if unexpected, choice, but one that gives the work impact.
It’s clever. With its bold imagery, a raw style is created that fits any subject. The art direction can move at speed, just as Twitter’s streams do, with a look that feels like a news bulletin – a visual concept that the viewer can relate to, hitting that mystical “authentic” note, showing real debates about real subjects that people care about.
It has a strong aesthetic with a punch that demands attention, subconsciously engaging the viewer to consider each story.
It’s a poster design that can be understood at a glance without relying on dwell-time, with the hashtag being championed as the contemporary symbolism that it is; a shorthand for a much bigger meaning, reclaimed – back to its original home.
A deserving Grand Prix.