Big Issue Poster

My poster is inspired by The Big Issue and the narrative superhero game Dispatch, using intertextuality to connect gaming culture with real-world social responsibility. The headline “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” challenges traditional superhero stereotypes and reinforces the idea that ordinary people can be heroes through everyday actions.

The use of Dispatch is significant because the game focuses on moral choice, redemption, and giving former villains a second chance. This directly parallels The Big Issue’s ethos of empowerment over charity, as vendors are represented as capable and dignified rather than passive victims. The line “In games, heroes save cities. In real life, you can too” links fictional heroism to real-world action. Dispatch’s cultural relevance is reinforced by its commercial success, having sold over one million copies within its first week, making the reference recognisable to a young, gaming-aware audience.

The Christmas theme is reinforced through festive visuals such as snowflakes and seasonal colours, symbolising generosity, community, and giving. This context strengthens the call to action, encouraging audiences to support The Big Issue at a time when homelessness is more visible and urgent.

Socially and politically, the poster reflects the idea that when governments fail to fully protect citizens, communities must step in. By promoting social responsibility rather than waiting for institutional change, the poster positions supporting The Big Issue as a heroic act.

Overall, the poster targets a young, socially aware audience familiar with gaming culture, using bold typography, comic-style graphics, and clear messaging to encourage engagement and action.

Jean Gautier Perfume Advert

For my Jean Gautier Perfume Advert Practical, I created a luxury-style advert inspired by high-end fragrance campaigns. Using Photoshop, I combined rich textures, warm lighting, and staged props such as red roses and silk fabric, which I organised and photographed, to create an elegant romantic atmosphere. I carefully adjusted the colour balance and shadows to emphasise the golden tones of the perfume bottle and to make the text stand out. The use of serif font adds elegance to the design and creates a polished credible look. The colour change in the writing enhances this effect by drawing attention to the key parts of the caption. My aim was to communicate mystery, reflected in the tagline 'The only secret worth keeping' in reference to the perfume being called Scandal. Overall, this piece showcases my ability to design imagery and construct a professional advertisement.

Southend High School For Girls Advertisement

 

For my Southend High School For Girl's Advert practical assignment, I designed a promotional poster which focused on positivity and academic excellence. I used a range of media and advertising techniques to represent the school positively. I applied emotive advertising by using my photos, which were primarily sourced, to highlight the friendship, diversity and the teacher support that school offers, appealing to both parents and students aspirations. I used direct address through the clear headline 'Academic excellence' which I extracted from the schools website to communicate its values. I used photoshop to edit and allow for a wide spread of images to be displayed along side with the schools colours and logo to help build credibility and recognition. I used the serif font to convey a sense of professionalism and seriousness.  The use of gold symbolizes the prestige of the school and implies that if you were to join you would be treated with upmost respect. I used composition tools, lighting adjustments to mirror real educational marketing materials.