The Theatre School at DePaul University needed a series of eight posters to be hung outside their space at the Merle Reskin Theatre on 60 E. Balbo Drive in the Chicago Loop. Students of the Theatre School choose one of 14 specialized areas of study: Acting, Costume Design, Costume Technology, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Theatre Technology, Stage Management, Playwriting, Theatre Management, Dramaturgy/Criticism and Theatre Arts; and M.F.A. degrees in Acting, Directing, Arts Leadership. The posters had to accomplish three tasks: show off all these talents to entice passers-by to buy tickets; relate to the School’s existing branding and look; and had to survive in outdoor cases for at least two years in volatile Chicago weather.
Solution:
Keeping the emphasis on the fantastic photography to sell the abilities of the students, each poster used several images showing the variety of work and talent. Quotes were used from several media sources as call-outs to highlight the accomplishments, and copy was kept to a minimum. The posters were printed on a styrene substrate to hold up against time and weather, and were finished with a matte laminate to reduce glare.
