Modernizing The Ancient
How can Localization of antique pictures make your marketing campaign stand out while saving you money?
A WORLD OF SHALLOW ADS
In today’s global world, it seems that we are continuously surrounded by new companies that want to reach their customers at any cost through their ads.
Sometimes, it looks like they are yelling for attention, but their loud message is often shallow and does not make sense. For that reason, advertising campaigns are less and less memorable, which becomes the worst experience when the ads are tentatively translated into our language. Still, they fail miserably in the eyes of the customers.
However, I am here to tell you that there are many opportunities to create memorable marketing campaigns that will resonate with audiences in other countries.
So, how can you make a high-value advertisement?
To capture a premium brand’s emotion is a vital asset to master. As you know, making your brand recognizable is very important for how your customers perceive you and ultimately create a valuable product worthy of its price. This post will show you a low-cost method but that will make you stand out from your competition.
The businesses that will take advantage of this are usually part of the premium liquor categories, fashion industry, and every product that benefits from its aging and traditional value.
THE BEGINNING OF ALL
1. Finding the right picture:
I wanted to find an antique picture that did not have any copyright issues, so first I checked The Public Domain Review. After that, I found an image that was a sister to this, so I went to the original Wellcome Collection, where I found this picture.
Note: I recommend for your project / product to also find assets that are copyright free, unless you want to spend a lot of money into acquiring the right license!
2. Creating a picture list
After finding the picture, it is vital to write all the source text into the first column and then write the translated text / or text from the CAT tool into the second column. By doing this, it will be easier to place all the right text onto the target image.
Note: If you are not a translator but only a designer, you should expect to receive the picture list from your client.
3. Selecting the right fonts, size, and kerning based on the original
One way to do this, is to leave a portion of the original text to see how to replicate that into the target language. The font was found in Google Fonts which is a copyright free typeface repertoire.
It is important to look at the right kerning and leading.
4. Vanishing the text:
To localize the text properly, you will have to vanish the source text following the texture effect your picture has. For example, in the following image I had to work around the shovel and the tomb.
You can use the healing brush tool in Photoshop unless you are lucky enough to use the content aware fill new AI feature. It will depend on your source picture.
5. Inserting the ad's text in the target language:
Some languages will be easier to localize than others due to the different language‘s rules. It is essential to take into consideration which languages expand and which one‘s contract. For the following example, the localization was done into Spanish, a language spoken by significant wine countries such as Spain, Chile, and Argentina. However, since romance languages are very similar, it will be easier to localize this into French, Italian, Catalan, and Portuguese, which are also crucial for the wine industry.
Note: it is essential to add the proper texture, bevel, and emboss effects to the text to retain the antique look that you are looking for.
6. Add the mockup/picture of your product to the antique image:
Like a magic trick, the final step of the process is to incorporate your product, which will intertwine with the antique image. In my case, I created a whole new wine based on my branding to show you how to do it. Anything can work!
To do this, you will have to use the pen tool and add more textures to blend seamlessly with the original picture.
NEXT STEPS
Of course, as with every process, there are a considerable number of challenges that you will face, which is the reason why you must work with an expert to help you with the localization of your advertisement.
If you want to see how I resolved some of the challenges and which ones were in my project, you can watch the video:
If you have an idea for your brand and wish to consult me, do not hesitate to contact me. I am also available to work with you to localize your product and make your advertising campaigns stand out.
Wellcome collection. Attribution. 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
