In the 1950s and 60s, scantily clad women populated many automotive ads. These women served to attract the reader’s attention (commonly referred to as “borrowed interest”) but served other purposes as well. For example, one study found that sexual images like the one to the left could influence perceptions about a car’s styling and performance.

A recent analysis indicates that only about 1% of automotive ads in today’s mainstream consumer magazines contain sexual images. It’s more likely that these images are showing up in local “free” publications like Trocas; a truck magazine targeting Latinos in the in greater Atlanta area. Guys buy trucks so this ad, appearing in a 2007 issue of Trocas, used pinup material to keep them staring at the page long enough notice a truck.

Actually sekarang pun kalau kita pi ke kedai spare-part kereta atau bengkel motor pun kita masih boleh tengok advertising sebegini yang tertampal kat dindingnya. Kalau diikutkan memang betul apa yang Dr. Tom Reichert katakan bahawa kita ni yang “guys” kalau melihat iklan2 tersebut memang akan mengambil masa yang lama untuk menyedari apa produk sebenarnya yang diiklankan… hahaha… damn jers… what everlah bro…

If you wish to be a graphic designer you must be prepared to receive a college degree in advertising or fine arts focusing in graphic art and computer graphics. Although there are some who make it to the industry just by talent alone, most still need a degree or some sort of certificate to land a job as a graphic designer. Employers won’t even look at you if you lack the piece of paper that shows that you have been trained in graphic design related program. In addition, much of your competition would be graduates from college so it is better if you come prepared before plunging into the exciting world of graphic designs.

There many schools that offers graphic design related courses. There are courses in visual communication, graphic design, animation, advertising, and multimedia and web development among others. There are short term and long term programs offered in different schools. Short term programs are usually for one or two years while long term programs such as Bachelor of Fine Arts degree are often for three to four years. Nevertheless, both these programs offer a work placement in a business or studio during or after your studies. This can be a stepping stone for you in gaining the experience that you need to get hired.

To improve your experience in graphic designs, you can also do freelance work whenever you can. This will help you have a solid portfolio to present to your prospective employer when you get out of school and hunt for a real job. Likewise, you have to pay attention to the packaging designs and advertising trends in all forms of media to keep you updated with what is the latest in the industry.

Remember that being a graphic designer necessitates you to learn new software and be up to date on design trends constantly. There is more to being a graphic designer than sitting in front of the computer. Thus, you need to learn how to speak efficiently and learn how advertising and PR influence design decisions.

by: Viojieley Gurrobat