Creative opinions squared
Billboard advertising Will the new APF format F24 be top or a flop?
Poster advertising Will the new APF format F24 be a hit or a flop? APG is saying goodbye to the large GF format and introducing F24 instead. This poster is square. APG plans to make around 1000 spaces available for this "innovative" (self-promotion) format by the end of the year, and even 2000 spaces at a later date.
Matthias Freuler, CD, Wirz Werbung: "After decades of having to cope with the unspeakable F12 format in Switzerland, practically any other format is already a blessing. Even if the new format is nothing more than two F12 posters on top of each other. However, there will be problems with the conversion. This is because it is simply no longer possible to adapt a single image to the F12, F24 and F200 formats. In other words, a subject will have to be shot several times, which naturally makes the realization more expensive. Overall, however, I welcome the new format and look forward to the first good F24 campaign."
Alexander Jaggy, CD, Jung von Matt/Limmat: "Photographers produce their prints almost exclusively in landscape or portrait format. Square prints are rather rare. So this format could be quite a challenge when it comes to the composition of image and text. Meant positively. The format seems to me to be ideal for cropped objects or typographic solutions ... A square is larger and more visible. The square certainly fulfills the customer's primary desire for more visibility. Is there a specific need for the square? Sometimes an offer can also trigger a demand ... In the transition phase from GF 12 m2 to the square, additional costs are likely to be incurred, especially if both variants are booked. I see cost advantages more in production, as the new squares can obviously be glued on site."
Nicolas Vontobel, Art Director, Advico Young & Rubicam: "When we shoot motifs or prepare them in image processing, we usually do this separately for portrait and landscape. This results in two templates. The landscape format corresponds to a 2/1-1/2 ad format and also a 12 m2 format. The F12 format often requires separate processing or a separate shot. With the portrait format, 1/1 advertisement, F200 and F4 are the same image template ... A square format would require further image processing in certain cases. Although you have certain layout advantages with a square format (more space for the headline), the square format does not offer much more than the GF."
Isabelle Hauser, Junior AD, AY&R: "A square corresponds less to a person's field of vision and is generally more unfamiliar than rectangular formats ... But where a new shape is offered, new content is usually created."
Sarah Hiltebrand, CD, advertising agency: "The format naturally offers more. After all, it's twice as big. But I don't want to overestimate it: a good (advertising) idea is format-independent. If the idea is good, it doesn't really matter whether it's in F12, F200 or F24 format ... If APG introduces this new format, I hope that they have tested it with clients and agencies using Mafo. So I think the need is there. The question is, of course, what consumers think of it. After all, with F24 you have a bigger (advertising) board in front of your head than before."
Guillaume Borel, CD, Viznerborel: "As the advertising says: square, practical, good. It doesn't matter what format the poster has. The advertising on the poster must have format."
Bene Abegglen, CD, Partner Contexta: "Square, practical, good."
Markus Ruf, CD, Ruf Lanz: "There are many boring F12 posters, there are many boring F200 posters, and there will certainly also be many boring F24 posters. However, this is not due to the formats, but to the fact that they are used far too rarely in a truly surprising way. So let's come up with something - otherwise consumers won't just have square posters as long as they are wide."
Marcel Schläfle, Grit Wolany, Lorenz Clormann, Art Directors, Ruf Lanz. "The F24 poster format seems somehow neutered. Certainly ideal for the niche market "CD cover advertising", but rather problematic for classic advertising. Neither fish nor fowl."
Claude Catsky, CD, Catsky & Partner: "Our art director Claude Schaub, his graphics assistant, the telephone operator, the Kosovan cleaning lady and yours truly unanimously agree that the interesting and problematic thing about the new square poster is the fact that even with this format, you simply can't avoid having a brilliant campaign idea. It doesn't sound particularly original, but it is."
Philipp Skrabal, CD, Publicis: "It was high time for this format. Firstly, the models no longer have to duck their heads so that the headline still has room, and secondly, the poster now has dimensions that really deserve the name poster."
Survey: Andreas Panzeri
Matthias Freuler, CD, Wirz Werbung: "After decades of having to cope with the unspeakable F12 format in Switzerland, practically any other format is already a blessing. Even if the new format is nothing more than two F12 posters on top of each other. However, there will be problems with the conversion. This is because it is simply no longer possible to adapt a single image to the F12, F24 and F200 formats. In other words, a subject will have to be shot several times, which naturally makes the realization more expensive. Overall, however, I welcome the new format and look forward to the first good F24 campaign."
Alexander Jaggy, CD, Jung von Matt/Limmat: "Photographers produce their prints almost exclusively in landscape or portrait format. Square prints are rather rare. So this format could be quite a challenge when it comes to the composition of image and text. Meant positively. The format seems to me to be ideal for cropped objects or typographic solutions ... A square is larger and more visible. The square certainly fulfills the customer's primary desire for more visibility. Is there a specific need for the square? Sometimes an offer can also trigger a demand ... In the transition phase from GF 12 m2 to the square, additional costs are likely to be incurred, especially if both variants are booked. I see cost advantages more in production, as the new squares can obviously be glued on site."
Nicolas Vontobel, Art Director, Advico Young & Rubicam: "When we shoot motifs or prepare them in image processing, we usually do this separately for portrait and landscape. This results in two templates. The landscape format corresponds to a 2/1-1/2 ad format and also a 12 m2 format. The F12 format often requires separate processing or a separate shot. With the portrait format, 1/1 advertisement, F200 and F4 are the same image template ... A square format would require further image processing in certain cases. Although you have certain layout advantages with a square format (more space for the headline), the square format does not offer much more than the GF."
Isabelle Hauser, Junior AD, AY&R: "A square corresponds less to a person's field of vision and is generally more unfamiliar than rectangular formats ... But where a new shape is offered, new content is usually created."
Sarah Hiltebrand, CD, advertising agency: "The format naturally offers more. After all, it's twice as big. But I don't want to overestimate it: a good (advertising) idea is format-independent. If the idea is good, it doesn't really matter whether it's in F12, F200 or F24 format ... If APG introduces this new format, I hope that they have tested it with clients and agencies using Mafo. So I think the need is there. The question is, of course, what consumers think of it. After all, with F24 you have a bigger (advertising) board in front of your head than before."
Guillaume Borel, CD, Viznerborel: "As the advertising says: square, practical, good. It doesn't matter what format the poster has. The advertising on the poster must have format."
Bene Abegglen, CD, Partner Contexta: "Square, practical, good."
Markus Ruf, CD, Ruf Lanz: "There are many boring F12 posters, there are many boring F200 posters, and there will certainly also be many boring F24 posters. However, this is not due to the formats, but to the fact that they are used far too rarely in a truly surprising way. So let's come up with something - otherwise consumers won't just have square posters as long as they are wide."
Marcel Schläfle, Grit Wolany, Lorenz Clormann, Art Directors, Ruf Lanz. "The F24 poster format seems somehow neutered. Certainly ideal for the niche market "CD cover advertising", but rather problematic for classic advertising. Neither fish nor fowl."
Claude Catsky, CD, Catsky & Partner: "Our art director Claude Schaub, his graphics assistant, the telephone operator, the Kosovan cleaning lady and yours truly unanimously agree that the interesting and problematic thing about the new square poster is the fact that even with this format, you simply can't avoid having a brilliant campaign idea. It doesn't sound particularly original, but it is."
Philipp Skrabal, CD, Publicis: "It was high time for this format. Firstly, the models no longer have to duck their heads so that the headline still has room, and secondly, the poster now has dimensions that really deserve the name poster."
Survey: Andreas Panzeri
