About the Project
The Are You NORML ad series was part of my undergraduate graphic design degree work. It was designed to bring attention to the (ficticious) Cannabis Club meeting that occurred on April 5, 2014, sponsored by NORML and Boveda.
The series is meant to introduce a level of normalicy to cannabis use, comparing it to the way many responsible adults use alcohol. The poster and billboard pose the question: Are You NORML? to get people thinking about what IS normal for adults and to reconsider what may be viewed as normal, when it comes to cannabis use.
Half-page Ad
The series includes a half-page ad, intended to be run in publications such as Parenting Magazine and similar. The target audience for this ad is women, ages 35–55, with kids and possibly married. The female model with the wine glass and quote were specifically chosen for this publication, to appeal to the target audience.
11x17" Poster
The target audience for the 11x17" poster is more broad, including both men and women, but again targeting the age range of 35–55. The poster includes the Are You NORML? tagline in a large font to attract attention and draw the viewer into the poster, immediately followed by the call-to-action ("Find out"), which is then followed by location and date information. Finally, the poster also includes the schedule of events.
This type of hierarchy draws the viewer in from a distance (where only Are You NORML? is legible), so they walk closer to reveal information on how to find out, and then, if they're drawn in completely, they can view the event scedule as well as read the quote from Larry Walker.
24'x48' billboard
The 24'x48' billboard is designed to grab the viewer’s attention in the fraction of a second that most people spend looking at billboards as they drive by. Again, the Are You NORML? tagline is emphasized with the call-to-action second, followed by the website where viewers can obtain more information.
The target audience of the billboard is people of all ages that travel in an automobile.