Online+Ad+Design

For this assignment, I chose to design the online advertising for a project I'm working on, "TEDxYouth@Mississauga." I obtained permission from the organizer of this event, Greg York. Here is a link to the official TEDx event page: @http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/2887.

The three forms of advertising I created were: 1. Facebook Fan Page and Ad 2. YouTube Banner Ad 3. Website Sidebox Ad

The advertisements I created for this assignment were reflected off the TEDxYouth@Mississauga Facebook Fan Page, Twitter Page, and [|Website] layouts I created for the event.

Since TEDx is a brand in itself, there was a specific colour scheme that had to be followed. http://www.ted.com/pages/creating_your_tedx_logo In all the image and banner designs, the monitor screen and web-safe colours for "TED Red" and "TED Black" were used.

"TED Red" RGB 255/43/6 Web FF2B06

"TED Black" RGB 0/0/0 Web 00/00/00

I used Adobe Illustrator CS4 to create the images. The font used for the main "TEDxYouth@Mississauga" logo text is Helvetica Regular, while the rest of the images use the "bold" and "light" variations of the font. This keeps the banners looking consistent and unified.

The original theme name for this event is "REBEL," but I changed it up a bit by replacing the "L" with a forward slash "/" and making the rest of the word in small caps. The tagline I created, "Join the Rebellion//"// also employs the use of the "/" replacing the "l". The website header also features the double forward slashes in place of the double "l". This tag-line shows up on the Facebook, Twitter, and Website layouts, written vertically from bottom to top on the left side of the screen. Below the tag-line, the date and location of the event is displayed.

The forward slash “/” replacing the “l” in the word “rebel” is an artistic expression against the norm. The first scribble represents the starting point of a rebellion. **The Frustration**. It’s messy, untidy, and carries a sense of uneasiness. The second scribble represents the passion, chaos, and power needed to lead (or contribute) to a rebellion. **The Disaster.**Not saying that all rebellions are disasters, but sometimes the implications or the consequences that may metaphorically reflect a natural disaster. Rebellions can be internal or external battles, and like a hurricane, tornado, or tsunami, anything can happen at any given moment. The third scribble is the most important part of a rebellion. **The Conversation.** TEDxYouth@Mississauga was created to inspire youth make them aware of the “rebellions” that are happening today. A rebellion doesn't always have to be negative, it can be positive. We can learn from story-telling, brainstorming, and of course the TED motto, **“Ideas Worth Spreading.”**



On the Facebook Fan Page, I had trouble uploading a profile picture that wasn't blurry or pixelated. According to some websites (such as this one: @http://hughbriss.com/does-your-facebook-profile-photo-or-banner-suddenly-look-blurry/), many people have had difficulty uploading crisp profile pictures. I made the profile picture look like a side banner by using Facebook's maximum profile picture dimensions, 180x540px. Even though I used the exact dimensions, the clarity of the image remains blurry since Facebook apparently has issues with compressing shades of red.



The Facebook ad I created follows the guidelines given by the website; 110x80px, title limit of 25 characters, and body limit of 125 characters. I made the title match the tagline "Join the Rebellion" and used the simple "TEDx" logo as the image. I chose not to include the "Youth@Mississauga" portion in the image because these ads would already be targeting people based on geographial information. Also, I chose to make an ad with a "Like" button below it so people can click it on impulse if they are big fans of TEDx. Also, the number of "Likes" is written beside the button, which also encourages people to click it.



The set of YouTube banners I created are meant to be placed together. The smaller advertisement at the bottom of the video (470x50px) is often closed by subconsciously by viewers, so the larger side banner (270x250px) plays an important role of maintaining the viewer's attention.



Lastly, this set of rectangle banners are meant to be placed on websites such as the Mississauga News. The top banner has a more commercial/tacky feel than the YouTube banner in order to compete with the rest of the advertisements on the page. Also, these banners don't need to be viewed together like the YouTube ones because they both have a button for the audience to click on.



Through the consistent use of the tagline "Join the Rebellion," I provided the online viewers with a recurring message that can be easily recognized. I chose not to include the symbols from the Facebook, Twitter, and Website pages (the scribble, tornado/natural diaster, speech bubble) in the advertisements due to possible cognitive overload. It's easier for people to recognize the TEDx logo, so they are more likely to pay attention to it than a random picture. I feel that once the audience "joins the rebellion," then they are ready (and more interested) to learn about the event's theme, "Rebel." Also, the purpose of these advertisements are to gain attention from Mississauga youth and residents. Adding the symbols/images would might distract viewers from noticing the word "Mississauga."