the subject of the photo left on page 43), the subject mystery of the weather, attributing more space to And our stereotypical mum
in the middle of the frame, is in the centre, and the and so and the power of the sky can connote a city in the kitchen is smiling
positioning it at a third shoreline is below the lower the elements. The rule dwarfed by the vastness of at her child and his dirty
from the left, right, top third. In the second image of thirds is aesthetic, but space. football on the intersection
or bottom makes a more (see page 43, bottom left), breaking the rule of thirds The designer of our of the left/bottom thirds,
interesting shot, with more the subject is positioned on can create meaning as the hypothetical ads, therefore, wielding her CleanyBright™
visual power. A horizon, the right third, and stands photographer (or designer, may have been very well on the top/right thirds’
therefore, should be a third at the shore on the bottom
if the decision is being
aware of the rule of thirds
intersection. It all feels
from the bottom or a third third where imaginary lines
made whilst cropping)
when composing the shots.
very familiar because it is
from the top, and a tree a would intersect. According
decides how much of the
The car is speeding along
a much-used grid, and so
third from the left or a third to the theory, the second
visual space to give to a
the right-hand third, the
we feel welcomed into the
from the right. However, it image is more visually
particular portion of the
open sky taking up a little
narrative world of the ad
should be noted that the powerful. I would agree
image. Thus, an image
more than the top third
and can picture ourselves
rule of thirds is best used that the second image is
of the city of London’s
to connote freedom. The
buying the product.
as a guideline, than a rule, more visually pleasing; a
skyline showing little sky
woman in a mid-shot in
as much meaning can more beautiful shot. But
can connote an imposing,
the shower has her golden
Rule breaking
be made from purposely the first shot, to me, creates
claustrophobic city,
shiny tresses falling down
But not all ads are
breaking the ‘rule’. more meaning about the
whereas a similar shot taken
the left third, her exuberant
designed to make us buy
In the first image (see top vastness of the sea and the
from the same place but
expression on the top third.
stuff, or make us feel safe
and welcome. Some ads
actively try to make us feel
uneasy, and a simple way
to do this is to break the
‘rules’ of composition. This
has been achieved very
successfully in the most
recent of the children’s
charity Barnardo’s print
campaigns, ‘Believe in
Children’ (2007). Charity
advertising is rarely about
making audiences feel
safe, but rather disrupting
equilibrium and causing a
feeling of discomfort, and
empathy for others.
Barnardo’s are not famed
for being safe with their
print ad campaigns. Their
2003 campaign ‘Silver
Spoon’ (see left) attracted
475 complaints to the
ASA, mainly on the basis
of upsetting imagery. At
that time, this was more
than any other national
press campaign in the ASA’s
history, and the ads were
eventually withdrawn.
This mainly inoffensive
ad from the ‘Silver Spoon’
campaign was the
culmination of a series
of print ads picturing
babies with hypodermic
needles, cockroaches and
methylated spirit replacing
the spoon.
In terms of the
composition, the spoon is
centred horizontally and
crossing the imaginary line
of the upper third vertically.
The copy is in the bottom
half and right third. Unless
otherwise directed by
visual elements, we tend
to read from left to right,
top to bottom based on
44 MediaMagazine | February 2008 | english and media centre
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