Passing with Flying Colors

I cannot think of one building on Penn State's campus that doesn’t have at least one bulletin board strewn with flyers and posters vying for every passerby’s attention. The boards are always busy and, most of the time, none of the bulletin board itself can be seen.

Each flyer uses its own rhetoric. Some appeal to the college student's dreams of future success, arguing the advertised internship of job will lead them to their goal. Others appeal to the audience's logos by playing on words.

So what makes a flyer stand out in spite of the fierce and crowded competition? What makes the onlooker stop and read into a particular flyer's details?

Perhaps it is color. Messages printed on fluorescent paper seem to radiate off of the board. Looking at this board (pictured below) I immediately see hot pink, turquoise and neon yellow. As a result, all others seem to fade into the background.

Perhaps repetition is more effective. Scanning over the cluttered board, my eyes are drawn to the similarities. Upon further investigation I can see a particular flyer has been repeatedly stapled to the board. This in turn makes the leaflet stand out—had it just been another lone white flyer, my eye would have easily dismissed it while glancing at the board. But, thanks to the individual who took the time to post the same flyer a half a dozen times on the board, I took the time to read its message.

The simplicity of the flyer also determines its effectiveness. As a passerby, I don’t have the time to read every word of the dozens of flyers posted. As a result, I take the time to read those whose message I can easily grasp. In this case, the simpler flyers are the better flyers.

Looking closely, each flyer has its own font, graphics, colors and layout. No doubt thought went into making each one but there are those who use visual rhetoric to their advantage. In my opinion, those with color, repetition (yes, to the point of bombardment) and simplicity are the most effective. All others, despite efforts, tend to fade into the background.