Quiz Time: Illustrations Vs. Photos For Marketing Campaigns
June 27, 2018
Illustrations and photos.
They’re a big part of marketing campaigns.
Both have their place, as you’ll see below in my first-ever interactive quiz.
It’s multiple-choice, and it’s pretty intense: one whole question!!
Just click on the answers to see if they’re right or wrong and why. Good luck!
Which of the following is a true statement?
Major brands do not use illustrations in their branding campaigns.
False. They certainly do. Brands like Oreo, Penguin, and Ram trucks. You can read about these and other illustration-based campaigns here.
Brands don’t have to worry about hidden costs when they use free photos.
False. Sure they do. One of the biggest hidden costs is not owning the image. You can’t control where it might appear. A competitor might use the same image for its marketing. It might be used by a totally unrelated business, thereby cheapening its association with your brand. Which could lead to another cost: making a bad impression on prospective customers.
There’s also the cost of time spent trying to find a suitable free image and make it work. To make a generic image somehow fit your brand. I like this Jay Brenner quote: “When there
are so many choices, you need to market yourself authentically.”
are so many choices, you need to market yourself authentically.”
A custom illustration can boost engagement by creating an a-ha moment.
True. Absolutely. A “custom illustration” is an illustration created for a specific story, social media post, marketing campaign, etc. It stands out because 1) it’s not just another Instagram selfie, and 2) there’s a curiosity factor: it reflects the story, and we’d like to know more.
It pulls us in, we read the story, and a-ha!… we suddenly see how the illustration fits. The best illustrations make us feel a little smarter, a little happier. Engaged.
The illustration at the top of this post is a good example. It was for a post called From Monkey Saunas To The Moon: 10 Places I’d Like To Drink A Coke. As you read the article, you begin to see the ten places in the illustration.
If you need a visual, an illustration is always a better choice than a photo.
False. An obvious example: a restaurant website depicting menu items. A photograph of Lemon Garlic Shrimp sizzling in a skillet is going to be a lot more enticing than any illustrated version of same. A photo’s also a better choice for a LinkedIn profile image. Showing people the “real you” inspires confidence and credibility.
By contrast, brands use vector illustrations for their logos. They want something iconic that appeals to the imagination. Also: vector illos can be scaled as large or small as needed, without loss of quality.
Caricatures can be a great “portrait” choice if you’re trying to stand out in a fun way. They can also help define your brand. A good example: this group caricature of The Mustachios, a family band that specializes in old-timey blues.
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About Mark: I’m an illustrator specializing in humor, branding, social media, and content marketing. I create images that get content seen and shared.
You can view my portfolio, and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Questions? Send me an email.
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Mark Armstrong Illustration Specializing In Content Marketing Advertising Editorial Infographics Animation Videos and Social Media 
I am happy to announce, I answered correctly!!
It was interesting to read more into the answers. Particularly learning about illustrations used by brands – I found the Faber-Castell one very impressive! (I sometimes buy their pens anyway… but that illustration definitely would’ve swayed me towards them!)
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Well done, Lily!! One out of one– that’s a perfect score!! => 🏆😊
Must agree: the Faber-Castell campaign was ingenious, and it makes perfect sense: if you’re going to advertise a water soluble graphite pencil, why not get someone to draw something with it to demonstrate its capabilities? I looked at all three illustrations, and was totally floored. The fact that it’s a water soluble pencil and all three illos were water scenes was a very clever touch. I’d never heard of Dutch illustrator Redma Hoekstra. The guy is clearly a genius!
Thanks as always for your kind and cheerful support!
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I’ve been gone for a while, Mark. It’s exciting to once again launch my reader and find a post from you at the very top – and it’s an educational post. Very nice. And by the way, that woman in your illustration is cold. Brrrrr!! 🙂
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Maddie!! Thank goodness you’re safe and back in the digital netherworld!! I thought you might have been kidnapped by some of the bad guys in those thrillers of yours!! 🔪🔨💣🔫___🚓🚓🚓💨
Glad you enjoyed the post, and thanks for the kind words. Re that underdressed woman in the illustration: that’s Velveeta Ooze. One of the places author Charles McNair wanted to drink a Coke was in a James Bond movie, and he conjured up Velveeta as the Bond girl for same. I was the perfect choice to illustrate this exciting story because I’m always capable of adding a cheesy touch… 😁
I shall look forward to putting on my trench coat and fedora and visiting your crime-ridden blog soon!! 😊
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While I learned quite a bit by checking the information hidden ‘behind’ each statement, I can’t figure out how you made the quiz. What special powers do you have!?
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Special powers… haw! Well, I can make a bag of donuts disappear. And I know the secret place where they hide the pizza dough mix at the supermarket… that’s about it!! 🍩🍩🍩😋🍕👍🏆😊
Hi, Margy! Here’s the story: I read a post recently which talked about the engagement power of a quiz. I thought: Gee, that’d be cool… you don’t suppose ol’ WordPress has something set up for that, do you? Lo and behold, they did! It’s one of their “shortcodes,” a cut-and-paste thing. You can read all about it in this WP support document.
I should mention two things: for some reason, I have no idea why, and I’ve had no luck finding out, the shortcode shuffles the answers every time you access the post. That is, they display differently every time. Which means you can’t label the possible answers A, B, C, and D, because they’ll display out of order, and it will look foolish. FWIW.
The other thing: I experimented and discovered that I can use [explanation][/explanation] as many times as I want for each answer– which simply allows me to skip lines, so I don’t have to cram my entire explanation into a single congested paragraph. Hope that helps!! 💪 <= super strength, an Armstrong superpower exclusive!!
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Thanks Mark. I’ve used shortcodes to create post lists, but the Quiz shortcode is new to me. I’ll have to try it out!
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I shall look forward to taking some of your exams!! 😰😊
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