Print Media Mini Brief

Research

The image is in black and white, this makes the product and the brand ,CK, seem more serious and mature.This signifies the fact that this product can be for both male and female as they are both neutral colours. The composition of this advert is that the perfume bottle is positioned on the left whilst the picture of the man and woman on the right. This signifies that the perfume bottle is as important as the man and woman. The perfume bottle is well lit ,so audiences are able to see the actual product. In the advert it shows the male and female together but it shows them almost sharing one product this is also accentuated by the intimacy between the man and woman in this photo as the woman  has her arms around the man this could suggest that the perfume bottle is what driving them together and this signifies the bottle being unisex. Despite this it can be seen as a gender stereotype as it is seen the woman has her arms around the man suggesting that she needs his help or he is supporting her.

This poster for CK one is in low-key lighting with the whole poster looking dull on the borderlines of black and white. The male model is standing in a masculine stance, the male model is looking empowering and fierce with direct mode of address, looking straight at the audience. As well the female model is in an empowering stance this accentuates the fact that this product is unisex. With the direct mode of address it seems that the models are tying to compel you to buy the product. The actual perfume bottle is well lit and is centred for audiences to see.

CK One Original Logo

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Design Layout 

These are the original design layout that I used when I produced the two CK perfume adverts. This was based on the background research I conducted on Calvin Klein. I used the idea of having an unisex product so that I based my design trying to reach out to both male and female.

In my studio design layout, I had the idea of my male and female models to stand next to each other holding their hands out and in that place I wanted to feature the perfume bottle. I also wanted in my design layout for my logo to be placed at top of the page and in the centre and the tagline to be centred below it. This is due to I want the tagline near the product and models so that people looking at the advert would see it straight away and be attracted to the perfume bottle. I would use trial and error to find the different fonts I can use.

In my location design layout, I wanted to take photos in an urban environment. With my models standing in neutral positions. With the female model standing a few metres away from the male model. This is so it symbolises that woman don't have to rely on men and so with this I wanted to promote my product as a unisex product.

Camera Layout

This is the layout of my studio shoot for my CK One poster. Included there is a camera, a soft box and reflectors, along with a white background.

The camera from this studio shoot is set at F8 with ISO 200. I took multiple shots with the camera some with flash and some without. This is because I wanted a range of different images with the models in different positions so when it came to deciding the best image for my product I would've had a varied choice.

The reflector is used to reflect the flash from the camera to the models to give a professional lighting. This gives the models a certain lighting and I wanted the models to be in good lighting.

The soft box diffuse the light from the flash and surroundings into a pleasing and more even light. This gave my product a professional sense.

This is the design layout for when I took images of the product, I stuck to the same process as the original studio shoot with the models , but this time I kept the product in the same place with the reflectors and soft box there I wanted as much light as possible for the product.

Product Layout

In my final product layout I followed my original design layout as much as possible. For my studio product, I used an image that I converted to black and white (explained below) from my studio shoot. This image had to fit to the requirements of an A4 paper which is 21cm by 29.7cm. So on photoshop I set the default background as that image and I set the background to the dimensions of an A4 piece of paper. With the image fitted and I had finally optimised the image, I cropped the image so the models are more predominant and so I could get rid of blank spaces. I placed my final logo design at the top of the product and I embedded the actual product on the middle of the image with the models holding their hands out. With that I placed the tagline above it due to wanting the audience to see the product then read the tagline straight after. 

For my the final product for my location. I had the same approach as I did with the studio product. I set the photoshop default background with the image I chose to the dimensions of A4. With that I cropped the image so I was able to fit the models in and have space for the product placement. I placed the logo I designed at the top right corner of my product and I placed the tagline along the bottom as I wanted as much attention I could have for the models. I also embedded the product bottom right of the product. 

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Logo Design

This is my first logo design that I decided to use for my CK One adverts. I started off from trying different fonts to see which one I liked and suited my original idea the most. In photoshop I made a layer for each individual letter and shape so I could experiment with different styles and see which style fit my advert the best. In these layers I had numerous trials and errors of different methods in an attempt to find the best design for my logo.

 Originally I wanted the same font throughout my logo ,which was to be Menlo Black, but I later expanded on this by making the letters C and K in the font of Snell Roundhand Black to give my advert a more sophisticated and classy look. Despite this I kept the word 'ONE' in Menlo Black so that it can give my advert a more modernised look.

For the colour scheme of my logo I wanted the whole logo to be in black as the colour black has connotations to many things but I wanted it to represent power and elegance whereas the letter 'C'
I wanted in grey as this could represent a sense of timelessness and these two colours could link to sophistication which was the persona I wanted my advert to have.

Throughout the process of creating my first logo design I went through many different stages of design.

This was my first original idea which I had expanded on during this process I tried out different fonts and tried positioning the layers in different proportions and places to see which logo is best.








This is the expanded version through the process of creating my main logo. This is when I started piecing together my final logo and after many trials and errors. I finally included more colour and different fonts to make m logo stand out and look sophisticated.

Logo Design

This is my second logo design that I created. I did not decided to use these for my adverts as I preferred the other one. However for this particular logo design I wanted to more use of more colour in my logo, I decided to compromise the colours black and red. I decided to use red as this exemplifies love and as the product is unisex I wanted to signify that it's unisex by using red. I decided to use the colour black as this suggests power and elegance and can give my design a more sophisticated look.

The font I decided to use was Menlo Black as this is a more modern font and this accentuates the fact that I want to modernise my product image and logo. I decided to put the text in bold as well so it really stands out and onlookers can really notice it.

The development stages I went through to create this second logo design is that first I created different layers in Photoshop for each letter. I took inspiration from my last logo and decided to use the same modernised font. I originally wanted to include the colour Red and so I trialled man different sizes and positions to see what can be used. I moved onto including the black backdrop along with red as they two colours that normally go together and will make the actual text ,which is in white, stand out more.

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Image

In the studio photographs of my models, I decided to stick with the original design layout I originally

thought of ,as seen above, I decided to stick with the idea of having two models male and female and have them standing side by side with their hands sticking out. I also wanted both my models to have neutral expressions when the picture was being taken as I wanted the picture and product to be equal.

The lighting on the subjects was set at f8 and at ISO 200 this is so the models are lit up well enough to see their features and so the picture was a sharp product. The background was set to f11, so the background was pure white also well lit. 

Throughout this process, I took several shots of the models with neutral expressions and with some of the pictures the models were in different positions so I could have a range of choices when it came to deciding what shot to go for my final advert. I wanted a direct mode of address for my poster and I also wanted the models to be dressed to symbolise youth.

For my location photographs, it did vary slightly from my original design ,seen above, this is mainly due to location changes despite this I attempted to keep as much to the plan as possible. I wanted the models to be dressed to represent youth, I also wanted the models to have a direct mode of address but for it not to be too serious, I wanted the models to be light hearted and almost smiling at the camera. I wanted my location to represent an urban and almost 'cool' location so it can represent the audience trying to relate to the models and pictures. The location was set in a alleyway with surrounding buildings and it signifies the urban lifestyle. 

Ultimately, through these images I am trying to sell the actual perfume bottle. With the models featured throughout my posters and the direct mode of address with the models I want them to almost create a relationship with the audience so the audience can sympathise with the models and buy the product. With the help of my models I wanted the audience to feel welcomed and have an 'open feeling' I achieved this through the direct mode of address and especially in the location shoot the  light-heartened vibe was what I wanted to achieve so different audiences can relate.

Whilst I was editing the images I used many different features on photoshop to enhance and sharpen the images to give it a more professional look. In my studio edit, I stuck to my design layout and I decided to change the actual image to black and white but still keep the brightness up. This is because I wanted to give my product a professional look and Calvin Klein is renowned for having Black and White posters I decided to stick with that mould. As well keeping it black and white made my product look elegant and sophisticated.

Also for both of my products I included bleed lines so when I was printing off the products, I had to make sure everything fit within an A4 piece of paper. If an object or part of the image was past the bleed line, I adjusted it so it could fit.

For my location image I also used many features on photoshop to enhance my image. I used the sharpen tool to make my poster stand out. As well as that I set the brightness relatively high whilst the contrast of the image is relatively low.  I kept the image the same as I wanted to give an urban vibe to my poster as this is appealing to the age range of 15-25. Using the healing brush I removed several white dots and unnecessary object so that the sole focus is on the models and the product on my poster.

With these images many different types of media language occurred. For the images I took I had two models and no props. The camera angle for the studio was a closeup on the models and product whereas the location shoot is more of a further shoot. In both of the images there are signs of high-key lighting especially in the location image this is due to wanting the location product to be as realistic as possible. Whereas the studio shoot has traces of low-key lighting as well.

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Summary

Throughout the process of creating my Calvin Klein One product I stuck to the same principles and ideas from my original design layout. However I did make a few changes from my final product such as location of my shoot and some of the camera angles throughout the photo shooting process. But despite this I kept my final product as similar as I could to my original design layout. The product came out as a success and I was pleased overwhelmingly wit the final product.

What went well with the product?

During the process of creating this product a lot of things went well. Especially the studio shoot of my models. I was able to input my thoughts and ideas into action and I was able to visually start putting pieces together for my final product. I enjoyed using the studio and I was able to use different equipment such as the soft box and reflector.

As well as that the images of my actual product went well as it was qui and simple and I went in to the studio with a clear understanding and idea of what I wanted to produce for my product and how I wanted it to be portrayed when placing it in my final poster product. This helped a lot as I was able to this quickly and efficiently and use all the equipment correctly.

When editing some aspects of the main image on photoshop such as turning the studio image black and white, adjusting brightness/contrast and sharpening to name a few, i was able to enhance my product even more to make it look more professional.

Even Better If and What can I improve on

The final product still could've been improved in several different ways.

The location shoot could've been done better, as I went into the location shoot without a clear understanding of where I should actually take the images and so I didn't take into account certain aspects when planning for the final product. However, the location shoot product turned out well but next time I would improve this by actually planning where to this and how I want my models positioned throughout the process. Also I would take more pictures of the models in the location shoot as I did not take enough and this led me to having a restricted choice. Despite this I feel I made the right choice for my final product. To improve on this i would take more time with the models to convey my messages and tell them how I want them to be positioned and next time I would have the models standing in different positions to give me more of a range.

Another aspect I could've improved on is the actual design work of the logo's, the logo's could've been sharpened up and made into a better product. To improve on this I will take a lot more time thinking about how I want the logo to be and also I will try out different fonts and colours to see what goes best together.

I can improve on my editing skills in the future so I become more confident with photoshop and be able to present my ideas of optimising the pictures more efficiently and to a greater use. This can be done by practising with photoshop to get better.

Final Products

Overall I am genuinely pleased with the final products that I have produced and to improve for next time I would take more time and consideration in the planning stages so that the process ahead will be more smoother. Also I will improve on my photoshop skills to enhance my experience even more. Despite this the product is still sufficient and it promotes CK1 perfume bottle for both genders as it was originally attended.