Electricurrent Blog

When you think of marketing and advertising, do you think of words or do you think of graphic design? I’d bet that most people’s minds would go to the latter. I would dare say that most people in marketing/advertising world subconsciously do the same.

Words are still important of course, we have our catchy taglines and the like, but somehow, on their own, we treat words as ineffective…somehow deficient.

It’s a subtlety that pervades how we advertise. Consider the growing popularity of the infographic. It’s not that they are bad. They most definitely help visual thinkers take information in and there have been some outstanding infographics like the ones on this site. I especially like those infographics because the method of communication is perfect considering the information being communicated. But I can’t help thinking that, given our preset to think 'graphics', we miss opportunities where words, or just one word on it’s own, would be the right method for what you want to communicate.

I’ve been reminded of this recently as I’ve seen words as part of the interior design of people’s homes; either painted on a wall, hung as an accent or as a carving that sits on a mantel.

Words are artful. We string them together to create poetry, songs, blogs and emails. They can be whispered, spoken, shouted and each tone adds meaning. But words have connotations, power and beauty of their own that bear consideration when you are communicating.

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think."
- Lord Byron 

Word.

When you think of marketing and advertising, do you think of words or do you think of graphic design? I’d bet that most people’s minds would go to the latter. I would dare say that most people in marketing/advertising world subconsciously do the same.

Words are still important of course, we have our catchy taglines and the like, but somehow, on their own, we treat words as ineffective…somehow deficient.

It’s a subtlety that pervades how we advertise. Consider the growing popularity of the infographic. It’s not that they are bad. They most definitely help visual thinkers take information in and there have been some outstanding infographics like the ones on this site. I especially like those infographics because the method of communication is perfect considering the information being communicated. But I can’t help thinking that, given our preset to think 'graphics', we miss opportunities where words, or just one word on it’s own, would be the right method for what you want to communicate.

I’ve been reminded of this recently as I’ve seen words as part of the interior design of people’s homes; either painted on a wall, hung as an accent or as a carving that sits on a mantel.

Words are artful. We string them together to create poetry, songs, blogs and emails. They can be whispered, spoken, shouted and each tone adds meaning. But words have connotations, power and beauty of their own that bear consideration when you are communicating.

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think."
- Lord Byron 

Word.