Silver Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2026
ABA Typographic Posters Advertising and AR Campaign
by Paul Robb
- A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: S6 Foundry
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 46,996
- Verification code 7B00125446 · Verify this award
About ABA Typographic Posters Advertising and AR Campaign
ABA Typographic Posters is an advertising campaign created for an arts university. Large-format typographic posters are printed and installed in public urban locations, where bold layouts and color systems attract attention. Each poster works as a marker for augmented reality content, which viewers reach by scanning the printed image with a smartphone. The augmented reality layer adds animated and interactive material that extends the printed message. The campaign presents art education to prospective students in a direct and participatory way.
Working within the vibrant tradition of contemporary institutional visual identity, this advertising campaign for an arts academy demonstrates how typographic design can transcend mere information delivery to become a vehicle for cultural expression and aesthetic experience. The designer appears to engage thoughtfully with the tension between systematic graphic rationalism inherited from Swiss modernist traditions and a more organic, expressive visual vocabulary that suggests growth, creativity, and artistic vitality. The bold chromatic choices, particularly the dominant ultramarine field punctuated by explosive magenta botanical forms, create immediate visual impact while maintaining sophisticated color relationships that reward sustained attention. One observes how the typography functions simultaneously as readable text conveying practical enrollment information and as compositional element participating in the overall visual rhythm. The organic burst motifs, perhaps referencing sea urchins, thistles, or dandelion seedheads, introduce natural imagery that may suggest the generative, proliferating nature of artistic education and creative development. The layered approach wherein letterforms and organic elements interpenetrate rather than occupy discrete spatial zones creates productive ambiguity that invites viewers to move between reading and looking, between extracting information and appreciating formal relationships. The environmental context of outdoor installation adds another dimension, as the designed posters enter into dialogue with their natural surroundings, the verdant foliage framing the display creates an extended color conversation that suggests the institution's integration within its landscape. This work invites consideration of how visual identity systems for cultural and educational institutions might communicate not merely what an organization does but embody the values of creativity, vitality, and aesthetic sophistication that define its mission.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This project is a public visual advertising campaign combining expressive typography and augmented reality to promote an arts university and engage prospective students. Large-scale typographic posters operate as both communication and invitation, activating curiosity in urban spaces. Through AR interaction, static visuals transform into immersive experiences, positioning typography as a gateway to creativity, exploration, and contemporary artistic education.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project consists of large-format printed posters installed in public urban locations, produced in standard outdoor advertising dimensions. The AR component is accessible via smartphones using marker-based image recognition. Digital content is optimized for real-time interaction, ensuring compatibility across common mobile operating systems and screen resolutions.
- Tags
- Typography, visual communication, advertising campaign, augmented reality, student engagement, art education, public space design, interactive posters, cultural promotion, creative discovery, graphic design, urban communication
- Production Technology
- The campaign was developed through a hybrid graphic and digital workflow with AR. Typography-driven posters were designed for large-format print using custom layouts and color systems. Augmented reality layers were implemented using mobile-based AR platforms, linking printed triggers to animated and interactive digital content. The integration of physical and digital media was tested on-site to ensure accessibility, responsiveness, and visual coherence.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was transforming institutional communication into an engaging public experience. Internally, the project required balancing experimental typography with clarity and accessibility. Externally, it demanded reliable AR performance in uncontrolled urban conditions. Ensuring seamless interaction between printed media and digital layers while maintaining visual impact required extensive testing, refinement, and cross-disciplinary coordination.
- Project Duration
- The project was developed and implemented in 2025 in Italy. It was designed as a public-facing campaign and installed across selected urban locations, where it engaged prospective students through physical posters and augmented reality experiences, supporting the university’s enrollment and cultural outreach activities.
- Operation Flow
- The campaign begins as a typographic message encountered in public space. Viewers are invited to scan the posters using their mobile devices, triggering augmented reality content that expands the visual narrative. The interaction transforms passive viewing into active exploration, creating a memorable experience that communicates the university’s creative approach and encourages deeper interest and participation.
- Research
- Type of Research: practice-based visual communication research. Research Objectives: to engage prospective students through interactive typography. Methodology: integration of graphic design and AR interaction. Data Collection and Tools Used: visual testing, mobile AR platforms, large-format prototyping. Participants or Experiments: public users in urban environments. Results: increased engagement and curiosity. Insights and Impacts: enhanced visibility of art education through immersive communication.
- Inspiration
- The project was inspired by the need to communicate artistic education beyond traditional institutional language. Drawing from contemporary graphic culture, typographic experimentation, and urban visual systems, the campaign reframes typography as an experiential medium. The objective was to speak directly to young creatives, encouraging discovery, participation, and personal engagement through curiosity-driven interaction rather than didactic messaging.
- Image Credits
- Paul Henry Robb