Dominique- Advertiser/Designer/Creative Problem Solver.

Be a Hero. London Transport Security Posters

2010-11-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

Mixology Cocktail Bar.

2010-11-04T15:14:00.001-07:00

Logo designed for new cocktail bar, Mixology.

48 sheet billboard, comprising of the Logo and the tagline of the Bar.

Magazine Advertisement for Mixology.

Postcards for Uni Students to hand to Tutors

2010-11-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen Magazine Advertisements

2010-11-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Plurabelle Paddlers Long Copy Ad

2010-11-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Rock Radio Option One

2010-11-04T07:37:00.001-07:00

Rock Radio Option Two

2010-11-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

2010-11-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

La Senza Swimwear Brief

2010-11-04T07:24:00.001-07:00

Campaign for Valvona&Crolla Italian Deli

2010-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Series of posters - Stage One of the Campaign for Valvona&Crolla. These posters would be found around Edinburgh in newspapers, on billboards and inside bus shelters. They are designed to create an element of suspense and curiosity about V&C. The posters mimic 1930's style Italian movie posters, connoting the heritage of Valvona&Crolla, being founded in 1934 from Italian immigrants. They would be found for about one month before the Guerilla Advertising would arrive all around the city.

Guerilla Advertising- Stage Two of the campaign. These larger than life Italian vegetables and meats will be found hanging all around the city for one week with the tag line "The kind of deli where they actually hang things from the ceiling" . We heard this line from a waitress in the deli and decided to "hang" our whole campaign around it. This is not M&S or Tescos, this is a real, authentic, Italian deli, where they do things the old fashioned way. We would hope that these larger than life attractions would gain us thousands of pounds in extra media coverage in local and international press, without the extra cost.

Under the hanging produce during the week we would recommend giving out free samples of food from the deli and have also recommended handing out postcards with a photo of the structure and a youtube address where people can go to see how these giant structures were made. This would encourage people to visit the website and leave a lasting impression and memory of the deli.

LoveLoveHateFruit

2010-09-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Winning Water bottle design by Team Wally

2010-09-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

This was my first project in my MSc in Creative Advertising. To create a brand, logo and bottle shape for a new type of mineral water, all within 3 days.

Photos taken recently in the South of France

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Snowy- Some photos taken recently in the French Alps.

2010-04-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

Playing around with new images

2010-04-20T02:46:00.001-07:00

Series of mock ups for a "school disco" invitation.

2010-04-20T02:43:00.001-07:00

The above image and the images found below are a series of options for a Party invitation with the theme of school disco. After researching it quickly became apparent that the "school disco" is a somewhat treacherous area in the world of design. I tired to avoid the stereotypical imagery such as young girls posing provocatively in skirts too short for school. The result are the A5 size invitations found above and below.

2010-04-20T02:42:00.001-07:00

2010-04-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

Website recently Designed by Dominique... click here to link to page

2010-04-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

This website was recently designed for a construction company "Sicon Construction". During this project I travelled around Dublin taking photos of all the most recently completed buildings by the firm. After examining the photos I decided that they should be the key selling point of the site. Sicon is very proud of its high level of finishing and I thought the photos displayed this characteristic of their work the best. This site will be used to draw in potential clients, and therefore includes examples of previous work, contact information and all safety information available. I will continue to work with Sicon in updating their site and moving the identity forward.

Excerpt from Thesis- "A Sign of the Times"

2009-12-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

“A Sign of the Times: A Study of Male Wristwatch Advertising in the 21^st century.”

By Dominique McMullan

Introduction

In studies of consumerism it has become almost a truism to claim that the purchase, use and display of goods in some way expresses social identities. Such acts of consumption are imagined as symbolic work in the reflexive project of the self, communicating to others messages of identity, belonging and distinction.

Every day for most of our lives we in the western world see, listen to and are surrounded by advertisements. No other messages confront us so regularly as the ones which tell us to consume. This is a fact of which we are all aware; we may forget or remember these messages, nonetheless they inform society and in doing so, the way we live. Judith Williamson, as cited in “Media Semiotics” declares that advertising “...in many ways replaces that (space) traditionally fulfilled by art and religion. It creates structures of meaning” Advertisements are there to persuade us that if we buy something, our lives will be better for it. However in doing this the message relayed is that consumption (and excess consumption) is necessary for a fulfilling, happy life. The success of an advertisement depends not on its logical propositions but on the fantasies it offers the consumer. We are, according to Gillian Dyer “invited to live an unreal life through the ads” We come to believe that consuming commodities will enhance our identities and that people will admire and revere us if we purchase the “correct” goods. Where the products are affordable this fantasy strategy works well, people purchase goods after observing advertisements and feel as though they are “adding to themselves”. However, what happens when these goods are simply unobtainable but to the few? In many cases this “fantasy” strategy depends largely on ideas of luxury. When considering products such as luxury goods, how do advertisers persuade people to part with large amounts of money based on just a double page spread advertisement in a magazine?

One particular strand of luxury goods advertising is prevalent and fascinating; the advertising of the wristwatch. The era of IPods, mobile phones, PC’S, laptops and blackberries, all with the time built into them and accessible at a glance, seemingly makes the watch redundant. However, assessing the shear amount of advertisements which appear for wristwatches, they are still very much a part of our modern world. How do advertisers achieve promoting a product that is realistically no longer necessary? Or to put it more simply, why do people want wristwatches? Are they symbols of status? Are they pieces of jewellery, fashion statements? Are they nostalgic items, representative of society’s desire to return to simpler times? Or are they merely pieces of beautiful machinery which people still appreciate in our technological world? As cited in Swiss News, April 2008: “Gone are the days when a watch was just a simple timekeeping device. Today, a watch is not just a fashion statement, but also an expression of personal values and style.”

According to Karl Marx there are two kinds of consumer goods; consumer necessities and consumer luxuries. True articles of luxury are items that only the capital class consumes. A consumer necessity is something that is in general and habitual use among the working class – like tobacco, whether or not it is physiologically essential to life. A wristwatch is no longer a necessity in the world the world we live in today and so watch manufacturers are faced with a challenge. They need to approach consumers differently than in “reason-why” advertising. “Reason-why” advertising simply informs the consumer of the reason why their product is better than any other. However in a saturated market advertisers need to appeal to the emotional side of consumers just as much, if not more, than the rational side. They want to evoke non-rational responses such as sexual desire, patriotism and desire for glamour and status. According to Goldman:“Advertisements began to stress the “psychological utility” of their products” By creating “wants”, and making these wants so powerful that they become needs, one can advertise a luxury product such as a wristwatch. These advertisements are never a celebration of the product; they are instead about the future buyer – offering him/her an image of themselves made glamorous and therefore happy. According to Berger:“Publicity is about social relations, not objects. Its promise is not of pleasure, but of happiness: happiness as judged from the outside by others. The happiness of being envied is glamour.”

To gain a better understanding of why it is people purchase wristwatches, and relate wristwatches to glamour, it is necessary to examine the history behind the object and also the advertisements and visualisations of the object today. Throughout this thesis a series of these advertisements and visualisations are analysed as well as a brief history of the wristwatch. The advertisements that the analysis will be concentrated on are advertisements found in magazines. After researching magazines and the quantity of wristwatch advertisements in each over any given month, one begins to recognise that, more than anywhere else, there is a considerable amount of wristwatch advertisements present in these publications. Magazines are fascinating in themselves: the target audience is usually specific to an age, gender or income group therefore providing advertisers with somewhat of a captive target audience. The magazine market is also highly competitive, especially an area such as men’s lifestyle magazines, which are specifically (but not exclusively) examined in relation to this paper. This highly competitive market results in magazines targeting the audiences the advertisers want: the ones which lie at the wealthier end of the scale and therefore may be more interested in luxury products such as wristwatches.

The following thesis will discuss six advertisements found in magazines in the last five years and how these wristwatch companies target their potential buyers. In each advertisement there are distinct similarities in the advertisers approach, such as the evoking of a desire for glamour by the consumer through the use of certain connotations and signifiers, however, there are also distinct differences which will also be examined. Chapter one gives a brief overview of the history the wristwatch. Chapter two discusses the advertising techniques of the most well known brands; the “giants” of the wristwatch industry – Rolex and Omega. These two companies both approach the advertising of their watches in extremely different yet somewhat comparable ways: one opting for sponsorship as a method of promoting their brand and one connecting themselves with a well known name in the world of fantasy and glamour; James Bond. Both use another brand or collection of people to promote themselves and attach themselves to the glamour that is necessary to sell these luxury objects.

Chapter three examines the advertisements of Swiss watchmakers Rado and the well known designer label Dior. Interestingly neither of these companies connect their watches to another brand or use celebrity endorsement in any form. Instead they rely solely on the product and their own brand name, for these companies product is king. Chapter Four discusses advertisements for the watchmakers Breitling and TagHeuer. Both of these companies use celebrity endorsements that are in some way connected with sport, to promote their brand effectively. Breitling makes use of John Travolta and his connection with aviation as a method of promoting the “precision” and “pure quality” of their watches. TagHeuer employs successful golfer Tiger Woods to appear in their advertisements and cajole potential buyers into self reflection with the question “what are you made of?” All of these advertisements, in opposing and comparable ways, provide a fascinating insight into the luxury market and how company and potential buyer interact to sell wristwatches today. However, wristwatches were not always considered a part of the luxury market. To gain a full understanding of the wristwatch as it is now, it is essential to examine its history and origins; how the watch, and indeed the clock, has changed society since its emergence and how the wristwatch became the symbol it is today. As M. Schudson states:

If one is to arrive at an understanding of the modern passion for goods, an examination of advertising is an essential step but it is not the first step... The first step, it seems to me, is to gain an understanding of the role material possessions play in human lives not just in advertising saturated societies but in any society.

Throughout the centuries wristwatches have gone from being a fad, to a luxury item, to an item of necessity, back to being a luxury item, to simply a consumer essential and to where wristwatches are now; once again an item predominantly of luxury. How can one product have so much flexibility in how it is viewed within the market place?

Beer on a sunny day

2009-11-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

Took this photo on one of my last days in college in second year I think.

2009-10-30T12:46:00.004-07:00

I've recently realised, looking back at my photographs over the last few, I am quite obsessed with the sky, blue sky specifically. Wonder why this is...

chatty buildings...

2009-10-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a bit of designing in ages, and thought this was simple but worked well.

Also a friend of mine, Dave, is starting a book where he sends out a word to everyone he knows - this months word is symposium. So when I was photographing the buildings I thought this might work, they remind me of business people standing at a water cooler or something!

Reflections

2009-10-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

Centre de Georges Pompidou

2009-10-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

A piece of modern art I photographed in Georges Pompidou, love the way it has come out.

gay paris

2009-10-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

I love all the apartments here, everyone one them with their own balcony - and they are always so well looked after with flowers and plants everywhere. Only the french care this much about the little details.

Place de la Bastille

2009-10-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

Photo I took just down the road from my apartment.

Something beautifully free about it.

I'm in Paris!

2009-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

2009-09-25T22:33:00.002-07:00

2009-09-23T00:51:00.002-07:00

R.I.P Seb. x

2009-09-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

True Value Vintage

2009-09-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Got this at the most amazing store today - True Value Vintage.

Beautiful vintage clothes... SOOOO cheap. the epitome of vancouver cool.

ps denim waistcoats - i love you.

Lovely Laura

2009-09-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

2009-09-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

Cowboy hats - the new black here in Vancouver.

Dominiqueflicker

2009-09-10T00:49:00.001-07:00

Dominique Design Archive

2009-09-09T18:26:00.001-07:00

Poster designed for Beacon Cancer Support Centre

2009-09-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

Logo in the bottom left hand corner also by dominiquedesign and currently being used as the logo for the centre.

Poster designed for Beacon Cancer Support Centre

2009-09-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes cooked for my birthday - thanks guys. x

2009-08-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Communial Garden in the centre of the gay disrict in Vancouver... YOU PANSY!

2009-08-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Doodles and Sketches, Poodles and Wenches.

2009-08-27T19:33:00.002-07:00

Dominique designs...

2009-08-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

Bag from Betseys

2009-08-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Betsey's best.

2009-08-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

This guy played dress up with me all afternoon in Betsey Johnson.

Betsey I love you!

Vancouver Streets

2009-08-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Street Style

2009-08-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Link to other pretty dominique designs

2009-08-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

Money designed by Dominique for the State of Civilite

2009-08-26T23:31:00.002-07:00

Streets of vancouver

2009-08-26T23:21:00.002-07:00

Examples of my recent black and white obsession

Link to film titles for "you're only what i see" designed by dominique

2009-08-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T23:08:00.001-07:00

Dvd cover designed by dominique for student film.

"you're only what i see sometimes" is a film

about the morning after a one night stand.

The dvd cover itself has been wrapped in bedsheets

through which it is possible to see condensation against

a morning window. The title of the movie was screenprinted

onto the sheet on the cover.

2009-08-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Orchid on a mirror.

One of the thousands of photos

experimenting with flowers

for my final project in IADT.

2009-08-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Kiss the sky.

2009-08-26T21:32:00.002-07:00

Candyfloss in Amsterdam

2009-08-26T21:32:00.001-07:00

2009-08-26T21:31:00.001-07:00

2009-08-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is a chair that was designed for charity.

The owner of the chair re-upholstered it white and then

gave it to a load of kids with colourful pens... how beautiful?

2009-08-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

2009-08-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to be newly inked..

new tattoo for me?

2009-08-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday soon- 23.

This would be my perfect cake.

2009-08-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

These jeans... ummmm.

2009-08-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Love these colours...

2009-08-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Analysis on male wristwatch advertisement.

2008-10-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

The image, which I have chosen to analyse for this essay, is an advertisement for TagHeuer watches, the Link Chronograph in particular, featuring Tiger Woods. The advertisement is found in "Men's Health" Volume 14, Issue 5, June 2008. This magazine, and therefore the advertisement, are directed almost solely at the male market.

The advertisement itself is a double page spread within the first five pages of the magazine, making it quite a prominent advertisement and one that catches the attention of the reader early on in the magazine. A photographic images of Tiger Woods swinging a golf club takes up the first page with a caption underneath "WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?". The facing page of the advertisement shows a photograph of the wristwatch in question along with the company's logo and the caption "SWISS AVANT-GARDE SINCE 1860". Underneath the watch in small print reads "TIGER WOODS AND HIS LINK CHRONOGRAPH CALIBRE S. For catalogue 0800 037 9658 HYPERLINK "http://www.tagheuer.com".

The function of this advertisement is to entice the viewer into purchasing a Tagheuer watch. The caption "what are you made of?" plays a huge part in this enticing. This is a demanding question, one which obviously does not refer to the substances a human male is made up of, instead that "substance" of which "winners" are made. Since this is a relatively recent ad it is easy for us to understand the relevance of a sportsman like Tiger Woods, and why some men would want to aspire to a successful athlete like this. Essentially the advertisement is asking the viewer "are you a winner?" or "do you have what it takes to be like Tiger Woods?". However who exactly is asking this question? Tiger Woods? The watch manufacturer? Or is the viewer in fact asking himself while reflecting on the image and text? I feel the lter is the more obvious response. The advertisement is challenging the viewer into thinking about himself and what he is capable of. In a sense it is promoting the viewer into considering the way he appears to the world and on the whole encouraging a certain egotism.

The advertisement itself is masculine in the extreme; from its text to the colours chosen and the images used. Tiger is dressed all in black and the golf club in his hands faces directly out to the viewer in an almost agressive manner. The image could also be understood in that Tiger is pointing his golf club out at you and in doing so directing you with the question "what are you made of?" at you. It could be argued that the golf club is somewhat of a phallic symbol, especially considering the masculine tine already found throughout the ad. This tone can also be found in Tiger Woods face as he stare directly out at the viewer in an almost confrontational manner.

One can also notice this tone in the dark background colour used. A black, blue and white gradient; the white finding itself placed directly behind Woods, interestingly highlightling him, not the watch, as the important image to take note of. The text and font used can also be considered masculine as capitals are nearly the only text used, no soft curves appear, apart from the "Heuer" in the logo. "Swiss" is also a central piece of text as the advertisers cleverly make clear the relationship between the company and thier prestigious watch making history.

The image of the watch itself is also extremely interesting. The lighting used around it is dramatic, with extremes from light to dark highlightling its bulky mass. This lighting technique is also found in many car manufactuers advertisements, and one cannot help but notice the resemblance of the watch in question here, to a car tyre. It is also worthy of note that the watch here appears on its own in the close up; this is also common in car advertisements. When the car is shown driving it nearly appears to be without a driver, a driver will appear in the end, but usually outside of the car. Although Woods can be seen to be wearing the watch in the image, in the close up the watch is very much alone. In watch and car advertisements this technique lends itself to helping the object, be it a car or a watch, appear more unobtainable for the viewer and therefore more desirable.

The watch appears sturdy, chunky and masculine with large pieces of metal holding the face in place. This appearance of sturdiness is also aided by the fact that the watch appears to be standing all on its own. One could argue however, that the fact that this watch should not stand on its own only adds to a feeling of unsteadiness in the image. Again here it is difficult to fail to notice this as somewhat of a phallic symbol; rising from the darkness and towering over Tiger Woods golf club.

As this watch is a luxury item and one, which resides in an age of technology such as ipods, computers and mobile telephones, it is really no longer a necessity. Wristwatches date back to the industrial revolution and emerged because of a growing need to know the time due to changing economic and social circumstances. Nowhowever, time is constantly around us and wristwatches are superfluous to the average individual. Because of this the advertisers are forced to be clever in their sell, and approach the potential buyer from an angle which will force them to question their very moral fiber. In reality this advertisement is subtly claiming that to v=be a sucessful "man's man", you need a TagHeuer watch, preferably the Link Chronograph Calibrekind.