Hasta La Ideas

The Guardian US has launched its first US advertising campaign, with striking graphic illustrations from Noma Bar.

Created with BBH New York, the VoiceYourView outdoor ad campaign uses Bar’s illustrations to depict both sides of a core political debate in the US – individual freedom versus government regulation. The campaign focuses on four key debates, on internet privacy, gun control (poster above), women in the military and the use of condoms in the adult film industry. Each illustration shows one side of the issue in question when viewed one way, but the opposing side when flipped upside-down.

Two sides to the gun control argument

Women in the military: for or against?

In addition, a microsite offers more information and statistics, again allowing visitors to ‘flip’ between different sides to the debate. It also logs readers’ submissions and tracks their votes in real time, and will include Guardian coverage of these issues.

The microsite allows readers to access data and Guardian content on all issues

The use of condoms in the adult film industry

Bar admits that the project, and creating one image that enables the viewer to engage in two sides of a message, was an interesting artistic challenge. “Working with negative space and double flip imagery is not uncommon to me. It’s quite simple to achieve this with portraits and opposing themes such as good v bad, young v old,” he adds. “But when the image is required to work both for and against, back to front and upside down, things can get very challenging. Next stop, triple flip imagery!”

The campaign also integrates mobile and social elements that encourage viewers to take photos of particular sides of the issues they support, and upload them to Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #VoiceYourView.

Credits:
Agency BBH New York
Chief creative officer John Patroulis
Creative director Caprice Yu
Art director Devon Hong
Illustration Noma Bar

CR in print
The March issue of CR magazine celebrates 150 years of the London Underground. In it we introduce a new book by Mark Ovenden, which is the first study of all aspects of the tube’s design evolution; we ask Harry Beck authority, Ken Garland, what he makes of a new tube map concept by Mark Noad; we investigate the enduring appeal of Edward Johnston’s eponymous typeface; Michael Evamy reports on the design story of world-famous roundel; we look at the London Transport Museum’s new exhibition of 150 key posters from its archive; we explore the rich history of platform art, and also the Underground’s communications and advertising, past and present. Plus, we talk to London Transport Museum’s head of trading about TfL’s approach to brand licensing and merchandising. In Crit, Rick Poynor reviews Branding Terror, a book about terrorist logos, while Paul Belford looks at how a 1980 ad managed to do away with everything bar a product demo. Finally, Daniel Benneworth-Grey reflects on the merits on working home alone. Buy your copy here.

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CR for the iPad
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