THE BALANCING ACT OF STAYING BALANCED.

There’s this innate, euphoric feeling that I get when I create a design, an ad, or especially a brand strategy that is simply perfect. It usually has everything to do with striking the right balance. The right balance between an idea that is way over the top and one that meets all criterion with refreshing originality or the right balance between a string of words that are painfully clunky and words that swiftly sing along to empower your emotions.

Achieving the right balance does not have to be boring. On the contrary, I love achieving the right balance through contrast, it’s exciting and makes viewers stop and notice. The comfort of symmetry will always be necessary, it soothes, and appeals to our pragmatic side. By the same token, as creatures of evolution, our intellect seeks to be challenged. And using contrast, whether in an ad concept, a design or a story line, offers an opportunity for the audience to be engaged. Below are some classic ad ideas that used the power of contrast at it’s best.