Minimalism - Curse or Blessing?

Colours and patterns play a critical role in creating impressions. The human mind finds better comprehension within imagery than words and sounds. Hence, brands focus on capturing this space in the consumer's mind. They wish to create a lasting impression to have a better recall value.

Now we have several technical aspects to advertising and different campaigns for different objectives. There are several brands in the market; however, are they creating lasting impressions?

Today, we are observing a surge of minimalism in lifestyle and advertising. The wave comes from the Japanese idea of Zen living; however, when you limit the colour, pattern and design, how will your audience remember the idea?

What is Minimalism?

Decluttering is an art, and knowing where to focus helps the audience concentrate their attention at a point. Take this advertisement by McDonald's for example,

(Source: Ads of the World)

While the first one cleverly showcases their fan-favourite fries against the classic red background to give a nod to the logo, the message of having wifi at the fast food joint is crystal clear.

Another example would be Coca Cola's advertisement showcasing the silhouette of their bottle with the help of a fork and a knife. While negative space is used for balance, here the negative space itself communicates the ideas.

(Source: MBA Skool)