The power of typography

Fonts don't just convey information. No, they're also a design element that shouldn't be underestimated. The choice of font has a strong influence on the look and feel of a layout or design, thus supporting or destroying an advertising message.

Here you can see three different sets of advertisements. Each set has the exact same photo and text. Only the font is different. The ad looks different each time; you'll be surprised!

The advertisements, text and advertising messages for these examples were fictitious.

Example No. 1: Butter

Discount grocery store

This ad promotes butter at a discount grocery store. The most important information is the price, which features a drop shadow (like in the "good old days") and a slanted, red-and-yellow banner. This layout screams "buy me, I'm cheap." Perfect for a discount store.

Fonts from top to bottom: Arial black, Arial bold italic

Mid-price supermarket

The typography in this ad elevates the butter from a discount store to a mid-priced supermarket. The focus is initially on the headline "Best Butter," then on the price, which, while still highlighted by a banner, is much more subtle and pleasing to the eye. The handwriting "especially spreadable" adds a touch of harmony, but is a conventional handwriting style that doesn't evoke exclusive, expensive goods.

Fonts from top to bottom: ArmWrestler bold, Papioscript semi-condensed italic, San Francisco Text regular, San Francisco Text bold

Gourmet store

This layout is a perfect fit for a slightly upscale delicatessen. Elegant capital letters with manually optimized kerning harmonize exceptionally well with the opulent, expansive handwriting "particularly spreadable." The photo isn't overshadowed by the typography; the font serves as a subtle companion to the image. The price tag isn't noticeable until you look twice, because it doesn't play a major role here.

Fonts from top to bottom: Abraham Lincoln regular, Windsong regular, San Francisco Text italic

Example No. 2: City hotel in Berlin

Student hostel

The font makes this layout look like a mix between a bad Halloween joke, a student hostel or a transient hotel. It has little to do with a good three-star mid-range hotel in the heart of Berlin.

Fonts from top to bottom: 888 Torn Sound regular, Comic Neue Angular bold

Out of fashion

The font for the hotel name in this example looks rather old-fashioned, as if the hotel is stuck in the 1970s. This subject is unlikely to attract any guests.

Fonts from top to bottom: Abalaris regular, Abadi MT condensed regular

Classic-conservative

This layout appeals to a wealthy clientele, at least 45 years old. The typography makes the hotel appear somewhat conservative, yet not outdated. Classically conservative, it's somewhat reminiscent of grand hotel designs.

Fonts from top to bottom: Dossel Lane regular, Lato light

Modern luxury hotel

Widely spaced capital letters give this layout a timeless look. The headline stands out prominently. The modern font for the tagline exudes lightness and optimism, creating a sense of empathy. A beautiful harmony in the font mix, perfectly integrated into the background image, gives this design room to breathe and creates a sophisticated and luxurious impression.

Fonts from top to bottom: Habibi regular, Lato light italic

Example No. 3: Luxury watches

Not even good enough for the discounter

This ad is intended to advertise luxury watches. However, both the font selection and the mix of fonts completely undermine its luxury touch. Too crazy fonts that compete with each other rather than harmonize are unsuitable for the advertised product. The typography creates clutter in the white space next to the watches. This layout looks cheap.

Fonts from top to bottom: Moonshiner Oblique Lines, Epochic regular

Bling Bling for the supermarket

This motif could work well for a supermarket looking to give its watches a bit of a "bling bling" feel. With the well-known Copperlate Gothic, they're trying to force a certain luxury feel into the design. Unfortunately, it backfires. The watch probably wouldn't impress anyone in a jewelry store. Too old-fashioned, too ordinary, too "wannabe luxury" (especially with the small capitals in Copperlate Gothic). This motif might work for a certain segment of shoppers on supermarket shelves, but that's about it.

Fonts from top to bottom: Copperlate Gothic regular, Tottingham regular

Luxurious, elegant and timeless – for the jeweler

In this layout, product image and typography form a perfect symbiosis. The typographic focus is on "Time & Luxury," a modern, slightly broken typeface conveys consistency. The curved "&" symbol wraps around and connects "Time" and "Luxury" in an artful way. There is a beautiful white space, a subtle separator, and below it the claim in a classically elegant font with high contrast and elegant serifs. The advertisement appears coherent and harmonious, perfectly suited to a jewelry store.

Fonts from top to bottom: Tergo regular, Questa grande regular

As you can see, the choice of fonts has a huge impact on the overall look and feel. For the discount butter, for example, you certainly wouldn't want to spend a lot; the price is the most important decision criterion. The ad for the gourmet butter, on the other hand, conveys a completely different message, even though the wording and photo are identical to the discount ad. We would probably all easily pay three or four euros (maybe even more) for the gourmet butter.

The use of fonts should therefore be carefully considered, as it can either enhance a layout or advertising message or completely ruin it. With that in mind: Use typography carefully; it's more powerful than you might think!