Advertising Poster Design

While there are many different ways of promoting or selling a product, service or even just an idea, advertising posters have definitely carved the way for the modern advertising that we know of today. This includes, but is not limited to, commercial television advertisements, radio advertisements, and specifically print advertisements, which were the rage during the late 1800s to mid-19th century.

Below are examples of advertising posters that might give you ideas on how advertising posters are made. A few examples of vintage and new advertising posters are shown for reference. Some of them are free and available for download.

Cosmetics Advertisement Poster Template

Advertising agency Poster Template

Product Advertisement Poster Template

Film Festival Poster Template in Word

Vintage Advertising Posters

Vintage Food Advertising Poster

Fitness Advertising Posters

Free Fitness Advertising Poster

Gym Advertising Poster

Chocolate Advertising Posters

Dance Advertising Poster Examples

Dance Advertising Studio Poster

Dance School Advertising Poster

Vintage Dance Advertising Poster

Event Advertising Posters

Event Advertising Poster in PSD

Free Advertising Posters

Free Printable Advertising Poster

Free PSD Advertising Poster

The Age of the Advertising Posters

Advertising posters were no longer considered just a form of media but as an emerging form of art as well during the late 1800s. From movie posters to event posters, influential poster designers in parts of Europe have raised the bar of advertising and created highly stylized and contemporary posters that made a huge impact to the public. These were made not only for magazines but also for social and political commentary.

However, during the mid-1900s, advertising posters’ share of the market diminished with the introduction of modern technology like the radio, television, and the internet.

Evolution of the Advertising Poster

• In the early 1900s, print advertisements heavily relied on the long body form which was basically visually crowded and copy-heavy advertisements. A few examples of which were the ads printed by the US Army and Coca-Cola.
• From 1920 to 1950, though very similar from the previous decade, the posters in this era showed improvements in making better use of negative space and imagery. Negative space is the blank area around the chosen image or subject, which—left unused—can add to a more dramatic effect.
• The 1960s through 1970s was dubbed as the year of “Creative Revolution” in terms of poster designs advertising. This decade marked the beginning of a shift from more to less. Modern style was being incorporated into the posters relying more on big ideas which combined a balance of the headline and the body.
• The 1980s to 1990s poster advertising focused more on the finer details which created most of the best-recognized ads of the century that included Nike’s “Just Do It” slogans.
• In the 2000s, the advent of technology further improved the effectiveness of the advertisements which now heavily rely on digital manipulation. However, simplicity and minimalism were still considered the best formula in creating an eye-catching and visually grabbing advertisement.

Retro Advertising Posters

Retro Circus Advertising Poster

Vintage Retro Advertising Poster

Retro Pizza Advertising Poster

Product Advertising Posters

New Product Advertising Poster

Product Advertising Poster in PSD

Real Estate Advertising Poster Examples

Free Real Estate Advertising Poster

School Advertising Posters

Old School Advertising Poster

School Project Advertising Poster

Travel Advertising Posters

Free Travel Advertising Poster

Original Travel Advertising Poster

Typography Advertising Posters

Creative Typography Advertising Poster

Free Typography Advertising Poster

Types of Advertising Posters

An advertising poster is typically composed of text and graphic elements. It is usually made to be eye-catching and, at the same time, informative, giving the audience a quick but interesting way to convey an idea or explain what the product is all about.

• Travel posters – Seeing is definitely better than reading about it as travel brouchers,posters make use of stunning scenic imagery of a proposed travel destination to attract travelers. From a picture-perfect image of a white sand beach to the thrilling and breath-taking view of a waterfall, these posters make use of graphic imagery to pique one’s inner wanderlust.
• Event posters – Information relating to an upcoming event being shown on an event poster adds to the actual thrill of the upcoming event. Some of these posters have also become popularly made as collectibles and trends to some fans proudly plastering them to their room walls. Most common of these are concert posters featuring favorite bands or personalities.
• Product advertising posters – Print advertising for products still continues to produce great results in terms of sales and catching the eye of potential buyers or customers, along with the product packaging. From something as small as batteries to as big as a car or an airline, it is usually made in a creative way even to the point of being funny to grab attention.
• Band/music posters – This typically features a fan’s favorite artist or group. Posters of this type usually show popular rock bands which appeal mostly to high school and college students.
• Pin-up posters – These were indirectly promoting the publication or magazine itself as it features pictures of sexy and attractive women. Highly popular during World War II, soldiers often had such poster designs that featured prominent women, like actresses in the late 1980s.

Restaurant Advertising Poster Examples

Outdoor Restaurant Advertising Poster

Restaurant Food Advertising Poster

Perfume Advertisement Posters

Vintage Perfume Advertisement Poster

Music Advertisement Posters

Vintage Music Advertisement Poster

Dental Advertising Posters

Dental Advertising Poster in PSD

Job Advertisement Posters

Job Vacancy Advertisement Poster

Free Job Advertisement Poster

Old Advertising Poster Examples

Funny Old Advertising Poster

Old Advertising Poster Vector PSD

More about Posters

• Affirmation posters – Widely recognized to be motivational or inspirational, these posters often portray imagery that reflects the idea or emotion being conveyed. This idea, in turn, has the intention of usually improving one’s view or perspective on certain aspects of life in general.
• Propaganda and political posters – Advertising posters were not only limited to a product, place, or service, as it is also used to promote social and political ideas. These were widely used during the First and Second World Wars as a tool for motivating and persuading potential recruits to join the Army, Navy, or Air Force. Some of these posters were also used by political personas to spread their influence to the masses.
• Educational posters
  • Research posters
    Also referred to as poster session, these are often used at trade shows that focus more on the academic and professional views. Made by research teams, the posters reflect the research information, which includes methodology and the results of the research, so colleagues can easily browse through their work.
  • Classroom posters
    While having an indirect connection to advertising brochures, these posters were most likely made with the connection to the subject matter or topic of the class. Typical examples range from scientific tables, numbers, to the alphabet. They more likely have tie-ins with specific companies producing these posters.

Even in contest with advertising banners, brochures, and advertising flyers, poster advertising has really gone a long way from what we see of it now to what it was way back then. From the copy-heavy advertisements of yesterday to our modern image-driven and visually entertaining style today, who knows where the future of advertising will head to next in the future.has really gone a long way from what we see of it now to what it was way back then. From the copy-heavy advertisements of yesterday to our modern image-driven and visually entertaining style today, who knows where the future of advertising will head to next in the future.