Jewellery advertisment poster
Cartier is known for its elegance and sophistication, it’s a luxury jewellery brand that is loved by royalty and celebrities. Cartier’s jewelry collections symbolize prestige and status.
Incorporation of dark colours and black
Black is commonly associated with luxury and elegance. By using black in their ad they’re aiming to convey a sense of luxury and high end quality with their products.
It also creates a contrast with the jewellery making it stand out and be the viewers point of attention
Black is a timeless colour that transcends trends and seasons. By using black in their advertisements jewellery brands aim to create a sense of timelessness associated with their products.
Including posing women in ads
By showcasing women in glamorous settings creates a sense of luxury and status which people tend to aspire to have.
Seeing how jewellery pieces are worn can help customers envision how the pieces would complement their own style.
Typography
While the evolution of the typography of the Cartier logo does not seem to be drawn from Islamic visual inspiration, there are some elements like the “C” which has a bit of a curvy snd arabesque quality.
About the poster
Louis Cartier’s inspiration by geometrical forms is what the poster promotes. It also constructs the Maison’s identity, portraying Cartiers skilfulness with modern forms. A fluidity with abstraction rooted in Islamic motifs. The diagonal layout shows strong similarities to images of minbars, found in Cartiers London archives from a 1932 photo album of Cairo.
Cartier and Islamic Art
This poster is an advertisement Cartier had posted in 1935 in the British vogue. Islamic art was quite popular at the time, people saw it as a path to modernity. The inspiration by islamic art was quite visible, also in Cartiers jewellery designs.
Inspiration
The inspiration by islamic art is strongly visible in the aesthetic of Cartier’s promotional printed material from the twentieth century. The Islamic influence evident also matches the aesthetics of the jewellery produced by Cartier at the time, which also incorporated islamic motifs. At the time Paris, which is where Louis Cartier was based, was the incubator and cultivator of international taste. Louis Cartier were very up to date with the cultural zeitgeist, which included a strong interest in eastern culture and aesthetic.
Integration of forms
Rather than copying or replicating the source of inspiration, the forms integrated and the graphics produced are ideas that come from Cartier’s lexicon of forms. From all the sources and inspirations Cartier created a distinctive lexicon of Islamic forms including simple and interlocking geometric shapes, palmette finials, lotus blossoms, mamluk motifs and more. A lexicon was used here to collect forms to use in their designs as they were quite repetitive. Cartier was not the only jewellery house to introduce Islamic forms in the 1920s as it was quite popular, but Cartier was an innovator in his field and his designs were all based on a selected group of forms which made his designs recognisable.
The pictures of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and the Mosque of as-Salih Tala’i, are taken from an angle emphasising the diagonal of the stairs.
This poster is an advertisement poster for Cartier’s 2005 caresse d’orchidees collection.
Inspiration
Cartier has been always well known for incorporating themes of love and romance into their jewellery designs. Throughout it’s history, Cartier has created iconic pieces that symbolise love, commitment and affection.
“Caresse d’orchidees” translates into “caress of orchids” in English. This name evokes a sense of intimacy. It suggests a gentle touch which also captures the essence of the collections symbolism, which aims to celebrate the allure of orchids through Cartier’s luxurious jewellery creations.
The inspiration for the collection came from the elegance and timelessness of orchid flowers. Orchids have been long admired, making them a symbol of luxury and love.
Colours
You can tell that they chose red and pink tones for the poster. Red is the colour of passion and drama. This colour attracts the most attention and is associated with strong emotions, hence the use for red as a background colour. Red inspires desire with a strong link to sexuality. These are all things that connect us to the initial idea of the collection which is love and intimacy. Even the necklace on the poster in made out of pink coloured diamonds in different tones. Pink is the colour of sensitivity, the passion of red combined with the purity of white create this colour associated with love. The colours illustrated on the poster all connect to love and intimacy. It shows the intimate part by using red which is a more fierce colour linked to sexuality and then they show elegance and tenderness of love by using the colour pink in the gemstones.
Typography
Carter always has the same font in their logo which shows their individuality throughout all the different collections. Cartier logo lettering use a calligraphic handwritten oblique font – Cartier CG.
Composition
You can see that the necklace is placed in the middle of the poster which draws the viewers attention directly to it. The pink shiny diamonds create a contrast with the red background which makes them stand out more.
This magazine advert was created in 2010 to present a butterfly brooch made by Van Cleef and Arpels.
Inspiration
Flowers and nature have been long incorporated into Van Cleef & Arpels designs. This brands signature look has come to represent the company’s identity, setting it apart from other luxury jewellery brands. Flowers carry a lot of symbolism. Flowers can represent Love and romance. Van Cleef and Arpels sometimes use these floral motifs in their jewellery to convey sentiments of affection, love and commitment which is a theme often represented with jewellery in general.
Colours
The colours on the poster are all nature colours, blue and green. Green is the colour of growth. When you think of green you think of nature in all its glory expressing renewal, growth and life. Blue is the colour of trust, it’s the shade of the sea and the sky, it is thought to induce calm and peace. It also inspires feelings of loyalty and responsibility which are all elements of love and romance. Also the butterfly brooch made out of different shapes of pink diamonds shows the romance theme. Butterflies are beautiful and fragile creatures just like love. And pink is the colour of sensitivity, the passion of red combined with the purity of white creates this colour that is associated with love.
Composition
I feel that the whole poster conveys a sense of calm and peace. The green plant placed in the middle is quite simple and the curves give off a melodic and rhythmic feel as if the plant is peacefully dancing. Having the butterfly at the end of the plant makes it look quite realistic, like it’s a picture taken in nature.
Typography
Van Cleef are using a quite simple font along most of their posters. Also placing their logo at the bottom of the poster makes which shows individuality.
The flowers of Allah poster is an advertisment for a production of the Persian ballet by T. Kosloff at the Alhambra Theatre. While specific details about “The Persian Ballet” at the Alhambra Theatre may vary depending on historical records, it is likely that the production featured elaborate costumes and expressive choreography, transporting audiences to the world of Persian dance and folklore (Victoria and Albert Museum, Search results: V&A explore the collections).
Inspiration
You can really see the inspiration by the Persian islamic culture, first of all because of the landscape that is illustrated with the mosques in the background and the dancer in the front wearing traditional Persian clothes. Many posters from that era were influenced by art movements such as Art Nouveau, which featured organic forms like the mosques in the background and the simplified trees and flowers illustrated. Posters advertising theatrical productions often incorporated elements of drama and movement which you can see in the dancer illustrated in the front (Victoria and Albert Museum, Search results: V&A explore the collections).
Colours
The ballet takes place at the Alhambra theatre In London, the allhambra is a palace in Granada that is known for its Islamic architecture.
The poster shows a dancer wearing a red dress, red symbolises passion love and drama , which I feel is quite connected to a ballet. Blue is often used to represent paradise and heaven in Islam, hence the blue sky and the Islamic influence that is visible in the title as well.
Green represents nature which is also connected to the title of the ballet (What is color symbolism? 2023).
The colours are vibrant but give off a more pastel feel. They are like vibrant pastel colours which is also a characteristic of art nouveau.
Typography
The title “The Flowers of Allah” is likely metaphorical. Flowers can represent beauty , purity and spiritual growth in Islam. They are also often used in Islamic and Arabesque art to depict paradise and the connection between the natural and spiritual world. Islamic art is all about nature and spirituality which are both mentioned in the title as Allah is the Arabic name for god in Islam. The font in the poster is clear to read and floaty.
Composition
The poster is quite scenic, you can see a landscape with mosques and flowers which I think represent the title “The flowers of Allah”. The dancer in the front is wearing a red dress and looks quite dynamic as she is moving, which grabs the viewers attention to her immediately. I think the composition represents that it is a ballet, hence the dancer in front and the background conveys the idea and inspiration of the ballet, hence the islamic mosques and flowers.
Sources
Victoria and Albert Museum (no date) Search results: V&A explore the collections, Victoria and Albert Museum. Available at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?id_category=THES252963&page=4&page_size=15&q=flowers (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
What is color symbolism? (2023) The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/color-symbolism#:~:text=Red%3A%20Passion%2C%20Love%2C,%3A%20New%20Beginnings%2C%20Abundance%2C%20Peace (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
This is Tiffany and co’s 2014 Christmas ad. In the advert a women is seen exiting the a Tiffany&Co. store with one of their signature key pendants in her hand, another key is in the back of the cab along with the brands signature blue boxes.
Colours
The advert shows romantic colours soft hues which conveys a sense of femininity and elegance just like the brands characteristics. The store in the poster looks like the Tiffany’s flagship store in New York like in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the dress that the model is wearing looks like the modern version of Audrey Hepburns famous little black dress. It looks like the brand is trying to convey a message about being the go to luxury brand throughout the years even now in the modern word.
This poster was created to raise awareness for occupied Palestine. It promotes the idea of a new and free Palestine.
Colours
The background is green which could symbolise growth and rebirth of Palestine as a free country, green is the colour of growth and renewal. When you think of green you think of nature in all its glory expressing renewal, growth and life. In the middle you can see the shape of Palestine illustrated in red, to grab the viewers attention. Red expresses big emotions like love and anger, it also signifies danger or something forbidden. All of these feelings are connected to what is going on in Palestine. On both sides you can see people wearing traditional Palestinian clothes to celebrate the culture, they are illustrated in white which can show their innocence of need for peace as white is the colour for purity and peace.
Composition
In the middle there is the shape of Palestine illustrated in red to grab the viewers attention to it and make them realise what this poster is trying to raise awareness for. on both sides are large figures that are wearing traditional Palestinian clothes which is also to raise awareness for the culture.
Typography
“Free Palestine” is written in big block letters in the top part of the page which makes iy very clear which message they are trying to convey exactly. After that they have arabic calligraphy to also celebrate the culture while writing known arabic phrases they say in pro Palestine demonstrations. At the bottom of the page in slightly smaller letters they again convey their message about occupied Palestine, saying it should be freed.
This poster looks like it was inspired by Islamic art.
This period saw a growing interest in Middle Eastern and Islamic art, architecture, and design, which may have influenced Bulgari’s aesthetic sensibilities. Islamic art is known for its intricate geometric patterns, vibrant colors, and elaborate motifs, all of which could have resonated with Bulgari’s designers and influenced their creative vision.
Colours
The colours visible in the poster are all vibrant colours, which is a characteristic of islamic art. Green and blue are colours of nature which are very relevant themes in islamic art. Red is the colour of passion, love and Drama. Blue represents the paradise in islam, which is why it’s used a lot in islamic art. Green is the colour of growth and renewal, like sprouting plants.
Composition
The poster is quite simple with an ombre green background, the jewellery is placed on what looks like a wall and the floor. The red necklace with the tassels gives an islamic feel as a lot of eastern jewellery looked like that and had tassels. The blue and white ring in the background looks like an abstract version of a Quran cover which was also used in islamic art. The eight pointed star holds strong symbolic meaning in islam.
Typography
This poster’s font, which combines English letters with Arabic calligraphy, perfectly captures the combination of cultural influences, bridging the gap between accessibility on a global scale and arabic heritage which provided a great deal of inspiration for my poster. The contrast between filled and black arabic letters and the gapped English ones, makes the letters more visible as the colours don’t blend into each other, making the message and the word very clear. It is also placed in the middle of the page and the same word is repeated three times which also shows the importance of the message. In the corners there are Capital block letters that explain the idea behind this more. The idea for this poster is to end occupation. so the words in the middle are end which emphasises how much they want it to end, and them integrating Arabic calligraphy into the English letters shows the inspiration from an Arabic culture hinting that it is probably talking about the occupation of an Arabic land.
This poster serves as an advertisement for a hotel in an Islamic country, featuring vibrant illustrations inspired by Islamic culture, including intricate patterns, a mosque, and palm trees. At the top, Arabic calligraphy alongside its English translation is displayed in a blocky, all-capital font, perhaps reflecting the geometric nature of Islamic patterns and providing a stark contrast to the lively and crowded imagery below, ensuring the hotel’s name stands out prominently.
The font design, blending Arabic calligraphy elements into English letters, serves as a compelling inspiration. It effectively captures the fluidity and intricate details of Arabic script, incorporating curves and dots while ensuring readability for all, thereby showcasing the influence of Arabic writing in a universally accessible manner.
Poster experiment 1
The essence of Egypt’s vibrant atmosphere is captured through the graceful movements of belly dancers in this poster. The choice of blue and yellow as the primary colors is symbolic, drawing inspiration from the natural elements that resonate deeply with the Egyptian landscape. Blue represents the vast sky and the protective qualities associated with it, as evidenced by its use in warding off the evil eye and the historical significance of lapis lazuli as a protective stone. This hue embodies the protective essence and ties back to nature, a recurring theme in Islamic culture and design, often reflected in intricate Islamic and arabesque patterns.
Yellow, on the other hand, symbolizes joy and happiness, encapsulating the lively spirit and celebratory atmosphere of Egypt. The combination of blue and yellow creates a harmonious balance, evoking a sense of warmth, positivity, and cultural richness that defines the Egyptian experience.
In the typography selection, a font was chosen that mirrors the aesthetic qualities of Arabic script, bridging the gap between Arabic and English languages. The design of the font seamlessly integrates elements of Arabic calligraphy into English letters, capturing the fluidity, elegance, and intricate details characteristic of Arabic writing. This design approach not only pays homage to the influence of Arabic script but also ensures readability and accessibility for a broader audience, effectively conveying the cultural essence in a universally understandable manner.
Inspirations
For this poster I was inspired by vintage egyptian movie posters as I felt like the old movie industry in Egypt has a lot to do with belly dancers and their ongoing popularity in Egypt. Egypt’s vibrant film industry played a significant role in popularising belly dancing. Egyptian cinema of the mid-20th century featured numerous musical films that showcased dances performed by renowned belly dancers such as Samia Gamal and Tahoa Carioca. These films contributed to the spread of belly dancing domestically and internationally
I felt the vibrant colours of the posters represent the atmosphere in Egypt the most which is something that I wanted to create with my poster.
After receiving feedback from my tutor where she told me it looks way too much like a movie poster and it should show that its jewellery advertisement, I decided to develop it and add my final piece to the poster which I ended up liking more and choosing as my final poster design
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