02 June 2011

Author Event: Mindy Seegal Abovitz

Top: 45x45 inch display poster. Middle: Quarter-page handbill. Bottom: Web ad.
Mindy Seegal Abovitz, drummer as well as founder and editor of Tom Tom Magazine: the only magazine about female drummers, will be speaking at the Headquarters Library branch, June 4, 2011. 


To help promote this event, I was asked to create the following promotional materials: 
2 newspaper advertisements
1 website ad
1 large format 45x45 inch display poster
200 quarter page handbills


Abovitz provided with a logo for Tom Tom Magazine, and two shots of herself posed as if drumming. Both shots of her, however, showed her sitting at a dark, poorly lit drum set wearing black or dark pants and tank top; her long, dark hair hung down over her face, completely hiding it. I think it's fair to say that few people would recognize that this was a woman--let alone Abovitz. Even better lit drums would have helped to communicate that it was about drumming. 


I decided to use the supplied visuals for the print ads but not for the in-house related promotions. Instead, I sourced for public domain drums and found a couple I liked. I settled on one and used it as the largest element. I used the speaker-provided images as support visuals. Because the large drum and support visuals left little and irregularly shaped open spaces, I kept the language information simple and clean, although I did overlay a semi-transparent lettering "TOM  TOM" on either side of Abovitz's profile photo of to add a little more texture and subliminal messaging to the poster. Below is how it framed out in the display on site. As with most displays, books associated to the speaker event are set out nearby to reinforce the topic and for patrons check out if interested.


On a production note, I should point out that the maximum measurement of my large format printer is 36 inches, so in order to create the 45x45 inch poster, I have to print the poster image out twice--positioned once high, then a second time low--after which I trim them out and strip the two together with double-sided tape.


The 45x45 inch display poster on site in the Headquarters Library.

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