An analysis of outdoor advertising channels from a graphic design perspective

ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING CHANNELS FROM A GRAPHIC DESIGN PERSPECTIVE Emre ELDEK Master of Arts Thesis in Graphic Design Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Selahattin GANİZ February, 2014 126 pages This study undertakes an analysis of outdoor advertising; a medium which has become a major component of city life, was derived from graphic arts and is now one of the primary concepts in graphic design, with consideration of the stages of its historical development and from a graphic design perspective. The study is composed of five sections. In the introductory section outdoor advertising is defined, along with a discussion of its characteristics. The second section provides a general history of advertising, identifies the stages that outdoor advertising media and its tools have gone through since the first days of their use and explains the objectives of outdoor advertising along with where and how it is applied. Wartime uses of outdoor advertising media and tools by political forces with intentions of mass propaganda are then observed in five subsections. The third section of the study analyzes the birth of banner as a tool for artistic expression, its development within scopes of some of the eminent banner artists and its interaction with art movements. Major outdoor advertising channels are classified in terms of their contemporary applications and explained with examples. In the fourth section, the development of outdoor advertising in Turkey and the case for Turkish banner artists are investigated. The sections are mostly compiled of reviews of the literature. Keywords: Outdoor advertising, outdoor advertising channels, banner, billboard, megaboard, superboard, on-wall advertising, on-vehicle advertising, guerilla marketing, history of outdoor advertising.