When looking for graphic inspiration, I often revert back to my typographic design roots to see just how effective it can be in a creative piece. I therefore took particular interest in KFC’s recent ad campaign, created by BBH London, which utilises bold type and clever messaging to promote it’s new chicken range.
The posters draw inspiration from the recent revamped brand identity, using simple and elegant typography to display an authentic message. It follows a recent trend in fast food branding, where the visual approach has been stripped back and moves the focus away from solely using food imagery. KFC have also reconnected with their history, embracing the flattened red colour palette and re-introducing the stripes from the original packaging.
With food imagery plastered all over social sites such as Instagram, it’s not surprising to see that KFC has chosen to use design, history and distinct typography to stand out in a crowded market place.
When looking through graphic inspiration sites I found several other examples which display how typographic treatments can be used effectively as the focal point of a creative and can really help to bring it to life.
We often see examples of brands trying to tell an entire story in their visual identity, creating an overcomplicated end solution. These elegant typographic treatments tell a brand story in their own right, without the support of any other visual aids or iconography.
The late Alan Fletcher (founder of Pentagram and one of the most highly regarded graphic designers of his generation) once commented, ‘A typeface is an alphabet in a straightjacket’. This is something that we can relate to in a variety of design work, where the typography has clearly played a secondary role. It’s therefore rewarding to find a few pieces of design that break this convention and keep inspired typographic treatments at the forefront of creativity.
- Glynn Seeds, Senior Designer at BWP Group
