Propagative graphics — the proper and improper use of advertising in professional magazines.
When the classical theories of the 19th century yielded their place to the neoclassical theories of the early 20th century, the neoclassical economic theorists could not have imagined that their logical equations would one day be caught in the snares of advertising agencies' tricks, and that advertising, by exploiting consumers' desires and creating instant new needs, would arrive at tailor-made answers from these equations.
Promoting and teaching consumer culture, updating society's taste, and encouraging it toward shopping and consumption — this is the enchanting and diabolical magic of advertising. The variety of goods and services, coupled with the many preoccupations of daily life, can attract viewers' attention only through presenting more appealing sensory stimuli that the viewer can quickly perceive and grasp.
Advertising has made today's life without it monotonous and dull. Streets and squares without advertising billboards and neon lights appear lifeless. Advertising is the arena of movement and speed, transformation and diversity in today's new society.
Magazines are suitable venues for conveying short news, educational, and advertising messages. Professional magazines are the most appropriate advertising medium for goods whose primary audience is a specific social group. The extraordinary capabilities of magazines in printing, color usage, photography, and illustration have made them a valuable venue for the manifestation of graphic art.
Frankness, simplicity, brevity, and novel visual metaphors and symbols strongly enhance the attractiveness and effectiveness of visual language, while verbosity, inappropriate use of metaphor, and far-fetched similes bore the viewer and reduce the impact.
Advertisement for a video game — an example of effective propagative graphics.
From the perspective of establishing communication, advertising can be divided into two groups: direct communication — showing the product itself, the brand name, or both — and indirect reference by emphasizing a particular characteristic. In Iran, whether for new products or well-known ones, direct advertising is most commonly used, not because of a reasoned preference but because of a simplistic understanding of advertising communication.
International advertising examples.
Expression of the line — Italian design advertising.
The weakness of propagative graphics in magazines can be attributed to two areas: planning and strategy, and idea generation techniques and execution. Weakness in strategy relates to knowledge of advertising and proper planning methods. Weakness in execution stems from insufficient thought about product characteristics and correct information about the media position through which the advertisement is published.
Bicycle advertisement (top). Furniture advertisement — Matrix (bottom).
Sun Gear sunglasses advertisement (left). CAT shoes advertisement (right).
In parallel with the expansion of Memar magazine and its attainment of a leading position in professional architectural information, the demand for advertising in the magazine is on the rise. The duty of the advertisement is to attract the consumer's attention and compel subsequent contact for more information. Architecture magazines, because they introduce outstanding works, are themselves among artistic goods. Therefore, advertisers should not only not damage Memar's artistic quality but should help raise its level.
The Memar artistic team selected Behrizan and Aftab Bahar as the best advertisements of the past year, emphasizing the use of Persian script.
The Memar artistic team, by reviewing the advertisements printed in the past year's four issues, selected two advertisements: "Aftab Bahar" from Issue 18 and "Behrizan" from Issue 17 as the best advertisements of the year. The Behrizan advertisement was placed first due to its emphasis on the use of Persian script, and Aftab Bahar was placed second.