This year I decided to run for Editorial Officer for LCA. This meant running a campaign for myself to encourage voters and make myself aware around the college.
Although I didn't win I feel like my promotional material was really affective.
INITIAL IDEAS
When I came up with the initial ideas I was very stuck on the cream/navy/crimson colours. Mostly because I wanted a vintage-esque design to go along with my campaign and to be able to use a colour scheme throughout.
This was my first go at making a poster. I used an existing photo of myself and traced over it in photoshop for likeness. I wanted to keep it simple so I kept to 3 colours.
I asked some other illustrators what they thought and most of them thought that the cream pulled it down and stopped it from popping out at them.
Other comments were that it felt very safe and stiff and it needed loosening up, so I took this on board and started to progress with the design.
I played around with the poster design for a while, the inspiration behind it was getting people involved (having them draw something surrounding a topic or theme) whilst waiting for their lessons. Encouraging them to be creative outside of their lessons and around the college.
I changed the colour scheme a little, keeping the dark navy (rather than using ordinary black), choosing a lighter red and a brighter yellow and scraping the cream all together.
At first I kept the font all the same but after showing it to some classmates, they all agreed they'd rather see the hand written type in there somewhere. So I decided to add it in but also keep the type for the intro pieces.
FINAL POSTER
Below is the final that I took to print and put up around the college! I think that it was successful because it did get people drawing, the fashion students contributed the most (the one placed outside their rooms was "what is your most treasured possession") as theirs was completely filled (but sadly taken down before I could photograph it). Animation also contributed some very interesting stories (their topic was "the most interesting thing to happen to you").
DEVELOPING THE POSTCARDS
The postcard took a little more work, I eventually scrapped the square theme I had gone with because after looking at it it seemed to deviate from the poster too much and printing square means that I would struggle to print more than everyone else. It also didn't look like something that I would want to keep or put up on my wall (who would want a pic of my face really) so I decided that if I were to keep my tiny silhouette face it was going on the back of the postcard.. for sure! 
I carried through the picture of my face because I wanted people to stop me around college (and they did) and I wanted there to be a face behind the message.
This was the back of the postcard, I carried across the colours from the bunting on the poster onto the back of the postcard. It made it more playful and fun.
I printed it on A6 so I could get more for my money and although they did come out smaller than other peoples postcard I think that they did interest people (and were picked up by students).
For the back I used the same colours but just in a marbled background pattern. I used the picture of the pencil (which was scrapped from the final poster as it caused too much cluster) and repeated it.
Although they don't look much on screen, when they were printed glossy they actually looked very professional and vibrant. So I was pleased with them! (even if they were tiny)
STICKER BUSINESS
With the stickers I went through the same process as the poster and the postcard.
Again cream was not my friend in this and it felt too sloppy. When I spoke to classmates they also felt like it didn't tie in with the rest of it (although there was a positive reaction to the pencil).
Once I had made the poster I think it gave the rest of the campaign a direction and colour scheme. I used the same writing from the poster but transferred it across to the stickers. I also picked out the fun colours from the bunting and used those.
I test ran my stickers and they came out well however I decided not to use them because I had so many things already printed I wanted something more tangible for the students.
PLAN B - GOODBYE STICKER HELLO BADGE
Here is where my plan b came into action. I decided to create clay badges instead for my campaign as I already had so much material in the posters and postcards, I wanted something that felt more personable to add to the campaign.
I shared on my instagram nd Facebook page to tell people where to find them. Out of all my material the badges were the most successful.
I left them on the barriers at Vernon Street (all were taken) and I left them in the canteen at Blenheim (all taken) . I was then contacted by other students who did not have badges asking whether there would be more and if I sell them on any sites (I currently do not but now have plans too). After speaking to other students most of them said they would buy them for £2-£3 if available which has given me some thoughts for future exhibitions.
The clay badges were time consuming but actually very cheap to make, ordering badge backs off eBay for £2.71 and buying the clay £4 I feel like I could make a good return off these if I sold them in the future.
Sharing on social media definitely helped my votes and although I did not win the election I still feel like it was really worth taking part in the whole running for it. I found out what worked/ got people interested (badges and drawing things) and what didn't / wasn't as interesting (postcards didn't have as much impact).
It also left me with a lot of material to start building my creative CV with. I have seen for myself people enjoy the personal touch over the general one and can now start bringing that into my creative CV work.
