Chalkboard Art

Since we have free rein to choose our piece this week, I thought I’ll go back to the beginning of type: Calligraphy. Before there were type press and digital fonts, messages were handwritten. Whether gothic or brush lettering, calligraphy provided a means to present written work beautifully.

However, looking at advertising and design my favorite way of displaying handwritten messages have been in the form of chalk art. I feel this method allows companies to present information or decor in a more friendly and warm manner as opposed to the corporate or cold feeling san-serif fonts and commercial images can give, especially in small businesses. 

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Marvella is a chalk artist based in Athens, Georgia, who has been creating work such as portraits, menus, and murals since 2014.

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Above is a sponsored piece Marvella did for Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Though this piece may not be the most elaborate chalk artwork out there, I like it because instead of this piece being purely design and illustration, this can be seen as an ad. One downfall to many chalk art pieces used as a form of advertisement is that because so much attention is on design the actual message can sometimes be hard to read. See example below.

However, when done right, it leaves a beautiful ad that adds life to any brand and/or campaign. At least in my opinion it does. I really like the style Marvella uses to create this piece. The different font usage in the headline and muted color scheme throughout gives it a vintage vibe, yet the font style used for the ingredient keeps it modern. I think this is fitting for Tito’s as an old-fashioned vodka liked by all, especially the 25-34 demographic (“Tito’s Handmade Vodka Demographics”, 2020). Though that is the top demographic, they only lead by a slight margin as Tito’s is truly a brand for all. With that said I think it’s cool how Marvella used a new, fun, and creative method to create a nostalgic feeling piece, that can be enjoyed by all Tito’s consumers.

Check out more of Marvella’s work on her website and/or other social media pages.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvellachalks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marvellachalks

Website: https://www.marvellachalks.com

Reference: Tito’s Handmade Vodka Demographics and Consumer Insights | Numerator. (2020). Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://snapshot.numerator.com/brand/titos_handmade_vodka