I found this advertisement to be visually stunning. The presentation utilizes all four aspects of design in an extremely effective way. 

The contrast between the vibrant colors of the shoe and the black background draws the viewer’s eye directly to the center of the page. The contrast between the black background and the white Adidas trademark also makes the brand name stand out. The contrast between the bright colors of the shoe gives the sneaker an out-of-this-world, space alien vibe. This adds to the overall theme of the ad, of a celestial sneaker coming down like a meteor to Earth.

The repetition of bright colors in every section of the shoe makes the ad consistent, and the Adidas stripes on the shoe match the stripes trademark. There is also repetition in the font color, keeping consistent with the white against the black background. 

The alignment puts the most important piece, the shoe, as the center of the advertisement. This gives the product power and the focus of the viewer. Both the shoe and the trademark are in the middle of the page, which gives the ad a balanced look. If the Adidas trademark had been placed anywhere else on the page, it would’ve been distracting. This way, the viewer can see the shoe, and then know what brand it is so they can go out and purchase it. The trademark is smaller so it doesn’t take away from the shoe. 

There is plenty of white (in this case, black) background space, which gives the advertisement a clean look. If the trademark and the shoe were any closer together in proximity, the advertisement would look cluttered. The viewer is not overwhelmed by too many things on the page. The shoe is so colorful and vibrant, it stands alone, and doesn’t need anything else to visually support it. 

Image analysis: "Come With a Story"

Proximity is obvious, because the advertisement is really only one image, but it's working. Sherlock and Snow White, intertwined, are about as close as they can get. This adds to the fantasy of a gloriously connected world of books; further, in a book exchange, people trade stories and connect with each other as well. Considering that, the morphing of two characters in each of these ads (another features Red Riding Hood and the White Whale) is brilliant.

Repetition in the colors; the red bow and red "Come with one story" header are close to being top and bottom thirds, and work especially well to bound the space. I'm also taking "consistency" literally and noticing the texture throughout. It's all suggestive of a book: tangible paper. The ad is very visually pleasing; I would probably hang it on my wall.

The contrast is marked. Blank-sheet-of-paper background and the shadow making the silhouettes come to life: these are three-dimensional characters, apparently. The juxtaposed image is strong, and it's been placed in the center of the space and allowed to tell a story.

As much as I love this ad, I'm not sure the alignment of the text is working. Williams suggests we "try to break away from a centered alignment," unless it's deliberate and adding something to the image. Like the law of thirds in photography, anything perfectly centered can be distracting, and because the bottom of the Snow White image is open, the eye is drawn down to the tab of text, expecting it to be connected in some visual way. Which it isn't. If you zoom in, the arrangement of the text is clever, resembling a title page and continuing the book theme; but I think it would be more legible and distract less from the central picture if it was expanded and removed from its bright-white box.

CRAP Analysis: Kaitlin Schmidt

Contrast strikes the viewer first. Because the image is small and the background is large, and the image is white where the background is black, the eye travels to the center of the design. By leaving "white space" (in this case, black), more emphasis lies on the central image, and thus the central image is striking. The text is also white on black; it accomplishes the same thing. Moreover, the text pulls attention because there isn't much of it. In addition, like the business card example we saw in the "CRAP" article, the URL for the website is in bold and a different font. A small image is placed next to the URL. All of this allows the audience's eyes not to drift off the page, but to stop short at the bolded text because it is emphasized beyond the previous line of text.

The repetition of this piece lies in the color. Both the joints and the text are white, providing the ad unity. If the designer had used red (or whatever) for the text, the ad would have survived, but perhaps would be less aesthetically pleasing due to a lack of unity. The repetition works hand in hand with the contrast.

All of the text aligns to the right side of the page. This unifies the whole advertisement, and does not confuse the viewer visually. The unified alignment is controlled, which is psychologically satisfying.

By placing the text together, and below the image, the designer placed more emphasis on the image: the eye moves down the page and hits the image first, rather than the text. If half the text were at the top of the page, it would distract from the image. By placing all of the text in proximity, the designer captures the viewer's attention with the image. After that interest is sparked, many viewers might become interested in what the text has to say.
Also, by placing the text in proximity, the URL is the natural result of the phrase of the preceding line, "join the discussion." It would have been acceptable to place the URL above the line of text, perhaps, but a viewer might skip over it without considering it important or relevant. By placing it immediately after "join the discussion" (in the same alignment), it is implied that in order to join the discussion, go to this website. If A, then B. The designer used the layout to instruct the viewer on where to "join the discussion," rather than using text (i.e. "in order to join the discussion, go to _______") and detracting emphasis from the rest of the advertisement.

CRAP Analysis, Lindsey Hubbart

This advertisement may seem simple, but it effectively demonstrates the principles of contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. It uses contrast in various ways. First, there is contrast between the “Love you Mom” typed and the same phrase written out in the young boy’s handwriting. The first one seems dull and impersonal, while the handwriting seems to come to life and shows that the boy really cares about his mom. Contrast is also used with the Bic logo, which is yellow. Since it is the only yellow part of the advertisement, it stands out against the white background. The bold typeface in the logo also contrasts against the other text, since it is the only part that is bold. The image of the Bic pen also stands out against the white background.

The image includes two uses of repetition. The first one is the message written by the young boy, Eliot. He says “Love you Mom” twice, the first one on a computer and the second one on with the pen. The repetition of the phrase makes the contrast work. The next use is the repetition of the boy’s handwriting, which is used at the top of the page and again at the bottom to give the overall message of the advertisement: “A lotta you in every stroke.” This use of repetition draws attention to the idea that the handwritten messages are preferable to the typed messages, and that Bic is the best product to use to write those messages.

Alignment is another important element of this design that makes it more visually appealing. Since the pen is the longest image, and the product that is being sold, everything is aligned based on it. The phrase “A lotta you in every stroke” and the Bic logo are centered right above the pen. The two messages from Elliot are just inside of the two ends of the pen. The layout is simple and not distracting, allowing the message to work effectively.

Finally, the use of proximity helps the message makes sense and guides the reader’s eye among the different elements. Since the two uses of “Love you Mom” are next to each other at the top, it helps us to see the contrast more clearly. The message of “A lotta you in every stroke” is located right above the pen, indicating that the use of the Bic pen in the picture will help your personality shine through when you use it to provide handwritten notes.

CRAP Analysis of Pepsi, Jennifer Rudsit

In this ad, Pepsi effectively uses all of the advertisement strategies discussed in the CRAP reading. The first one, contrast, is used very well. In the writing, the word “new” is in a darker shade of blue, which makes it stand out and emphasizes a word that is likely to attract more people to the same Pepsi they've been drinking for years, but in a “new” exciting can. Contrast is also used with the colors in the ad. They only use their logo colors on the model and the can, and then they use a lighter shade of blue to make those logo colors “pop” and stand out. The coloring is also used as repetition – they use the colors from their logo in other parts of the ad. The blue is in the writing and the background, the red is in the model’s sunglasses and lipstick, and the white is in her dress. This keeps those Pepsi logo colors in the viewer’s heads, as well as keeping the ad from getting too cluttered. The ad is also aligned very well. The model drinking the Pepsi forms a triangle shape, which provides a very balanced feel to the ad. Lastly, the proximity of everything in the ad is also effective. Everything in the picture is connected, except for the writing, which isn't too far away from the main image to seem awkward. They use they space very effectively, creating a good balance between the background blue and the main image and writing.

CRAP analysis, Olivia Rogers

           

          This Yoga Center ad is a strong example of the CRAP principles through its visual appeal, its simplistic presentation and the underlying humor of the medium by which the ad is presented - a bendy straw. The contrast in this ad is very simple and understated. There is a great deal of "white space" in this ad in the form of a grey background. The focal point of the ad is a white bendy straw with a woman contorted into a yoga pose thanks to the flexible part of the straw. The plain background and neutral colors emphasize the woman on the straw and the words "Yoga Center," letting these differences speak for the ad. Repetition is not as large of a part of this particular picture; instead it is more "repetition" through the unifying presence of colors. The vast grey background is the background for the entire ad. The only other colors in this ad are the white of the straw, the repeated black of the text and the woman's clothing, and the flesh color of the hand holding the straw and the yoga woman's exposed body. The viewer's eyes are drawn to the multiple occurrences of black because it is the only dark color in the piece, causing repetition to be effective in this scenario.

          The alignment in this ad gives of a clean look and is appropriate for what it is advertising. The straw is at the correct angle so that the bend at the top perfectly lines up with where a person would be bent if they were achieving this yoga pose. The perfectly diagonal alignment of the straw and the text give this ad an uncluttered, Zen vibe that is beneficial in promoting the practice of yoga. Lastly, the proximity of the text to the flexible yoga woman creates a relationship between them and causes viewers to look at one and then directly at the other. Proximity is not as important of a principle in this piece because there is not a great deal of competing information in this particular ad.  Such a simple ad works in this context because it is advertising an equally simple practice, yoga. The clean lines, neutral colors and few focal points, as well as the amount of white space, echo the Zen theme Yoga Center is trying to portray.

          Overall, the simplicity and calm quality of this ad both effectively draw the viewer's eye towards what the company wants to be seen and advertise the Zen atmosphere of Yoga Center. Through the CRAP principles, and an undertone of humor, this ad is enjoyable and effective.

CRAP Analysis, Henry Stelter

In this Mercedes-Benz advertisement, all four elements discussed in the reading are clearly present. The most clearly illustrated element in this advertisement is contrast, as it is quite visible all over. The first way that contrast is illustrated is through the drastic difference in colors between the car and the mountainous background behind it. While the car is a warm, bright red, the colors that fill the background are much colder and darker, mostly black and various shades of blue. This contrast helps to illuminate and isolate the car as the sole focus of the advertisement, while still providing an interesting and aesthetically pleasing background. The way these colors are presented are also contrasted. While the background is presented in flat colors, the car is presented in a shining, gleaming manner that add much more to the contrast between the background and the car. This, however, is not the only example of contrast visible in the piece. In addition to the contrast formed between the car and the background, the white font that is present is also very different from the dark background. This bright font helps the words to pop out, effectively highlighting them. With as much contrast as there is visible, proximity is not quite as clear. One way that proximity is achieved is the focus placed on the car, with the mercedes-benz text beneath it and the logo above it, all somewhat grouped together. This organization of various pieces could also go into the alignment category, as the alignment of these three pieces help to organize and unify the the objects that are directly associated with mercedes-benz. Finally, the repetition is visible in several areas. The first being the use of the same white font in various places in the advertisement, and the second being the repetition of dark colors used in every part of the background. These color and font repetitions help to unify the advertisement, as it makes it seem like one piece, instead of several unrelated elements, and helps to make it look professional.