No matter what the media, anyone wishing to communicate something to someone else needs to have a clear and easily understood subject for their message. Also, no matter what the media, the beginning of the communication gets the most attention and sets the tone for everything else that follows.
On the billboard here, there is zero communication!! “Be One. Use One,” is the likely “attention getter.” One what? Or, if the “RADD” comes over stronger, then what is that? The gobbledeegook of the inset box on the right adds nothing. Nor does the red graphic background on the top half of the billboard, nor the blue on the bottom. An uninitiated person driving past this billboard would have no idea as to what message is being promoted.
[Given time to read the billboard, it turns out that the billboard was promoting designated drivers. And, the billboard was paid for by “Recording Artists Against Drunk Drivers. (RADD)”]
At the most elementary level, the need for clarity is to focus the attention of the viewer/auditor. Focused attention, then, allows for a message to get communicated.
A message which starts out: “Cat Owners…” is pretty clear as to what the subject matter is/will be. A cat owner almost HAS to pay attention to what follows.
As marketers trying to communicate with an audience or “demographic,” our task, or charge, is always to be laser clear about what our subject matter is.
Wow…had to click on your enlarged view to finally figure out what the subject of the ad WAS…yeeesh. I guess they’re going for hip and cool, but what good does it do if the viewer, in a car zooming by, doesn’t have time to figure it out?