| Strictly defined, a poster is any piece of paper that can be hung on a surface. Filmmakers, advertisers, and even government propagandists have employed posters to influence the minds of the masses. Typically, posters work best as mass media tools in locations where a large number of people can view them, such as in subway cars along major routes or on popular thoroughfares. The complex calculus by which advertisers determine how much to pay for poster ads constantly changes, reflecting new demographic realities. Given the proliferation of multinational corporations, poster metrics are more critical than ever to advertisers' bottom lines. At the same time, it is inherently difficult to quantify a person's reaction to a work of advertising art. Seemingly ridiculous slogans, like the World War II propaganda poster "Loose Lips Sink Ships," can have a profound influence on public thinking and discourse. Conversely, really creative and gorgeous works of poster art may go completely unnoticed. If there is anything that poster artists and advertisers agree upon, it's that the Zeitgeist is fickle. Many influential historical posters have become valuable collectors' items; particularly those posters that speak to a specific historical period, such as World War II or the Communist Era. In addition, many famous 20th century artists created advertising posters for products from films to toothpaste. The original prints of such posters can now run into the hundreds, and even thousands of dollars. |
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