Harrisonburg, VA
Print & OOH Ad
Our client that we designed a print and out-of-home ad for was Friendly City Inn Bed and Breakfast, which was previously known as the Stonewall Jackson Inn. Our goal was to focus on their new rebranding and present the inn as an inclusive and welcoming place to stay.
Creative Brief
Magazine Ad
Sketches
Final Design
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Design Rationale
The design layout of this ad has a Z pattern flow for easy readability. The headline is positioned in the upper right-hand corner, flowing down to the left side of the page to the body copy, then, to the bottom right-hand corner concluding with the logo. The colors of the ad content were chosen straight from the logo of the Inn to showcase their new branding and provide a fresh, simplistic feel for the advertisement. Typefaces were chosen to reflect and compliment the typeface of the Inn’s logo as well. A sans serif font was selected for the header to make a bold contrast against the serif font of the logo. This also provides a modern, more elegant feeling into the ad to welcome readers into the page.
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Medium Rationale
This ad will be included in Downtown Magazine because it is a relevant and effective medium for the message. The magazine itself is known for providing suggestions for places to stay, eat, and activities to do when visiting Harrisonburg. The magazine provides a website that features ads and articles; this will broaden accessibility to potential visitors who are not in the Harrisonburg area. Additionally, the decision to choose this medium is justified because adults ages 30-59, which include the target audience for this ad, read magazines at least once a week, which is more than any other adult age range in the United States (Statista, 2020). For these reasons, printing this ad in Downtown Magazine is a perfect fit.
Out-of-home Ad
Sketches
Final Design
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Design Rationale
The design rationale for this billboard ad was to be simplistic, welcoming, and true to the
branding of the Inn. The headline is a pun, or play on words, to make the viewer smile. The
design is a standard layout reading top to bottom with an image on the left to showcase the Inn’s architecture. The sans serif typefaces give a playful contrast to the sophisticated serif typeface of the Inn’s logo and branding. The colors of the type and border reflect those that are within the logo to tie the ad together into the branding.
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Medium Rationale
The billboard will be placed on Interstate 81 to target travelers coming to Harrisonburg. According to business.com, billboards are not too costly and are capable of delivering low-cost
impressions (Srivastava, 2019). Since the Friendly City Inn is a small locally owned business,
keeping its budget in mind yet still having a strong ad is important. The Virginia Department of Transportation states that I-81 averages 48,000 vehicles a day (VDOT, 2005). The ad will be increasing brand awareness and recognition to the thousands of people driving past.