To begin my project properly, I first needed to find a novel. Finding a novel that can link to advertising was very difficult considering the limitations that come with finding a recognisable product within a fictional universe that can be advertised. One idea that first came to mind were Nuka Cola from the Fallout universe, but I couldn’t find any links to that in the graphic novel that was released. I was only able to find these links through other pieces of media. Another idea was Willy Wonka’s various consumables, such as the Never-Ending Bubblegum or the Wonka Bar. However, I felt like that wasn’t something that would make for a good advertisement in the style I am looking to practice. However, I will be keeping this idea in case I don’t find success with my other ideas. I wanted something that would be bright and would pop, but that also could have some darker tones to it.
This is when I stumbled upon the Call of Duty: Zombies novel. After looking through the novels, there was one character in particular who stood out: Russman. After further research, I found out that he worked for a group called Broken Arrow: a program created to prevent another undead outbreak after the events of “Five” where the POTUS (John F. Kennedy) the US Secretary of Defense (Robert McNamara) the former Vice President of the United States (Richard Nixon) and the Prime Minister of Cuba (Fidel Castro) were caught in a breach of the undead while discussing the Cold War in the Pentagon. While in employment for Broken Arrow, Russman was in contact with Element 115, an element sent by an alien race known as Apothicons. This element had various uses, such as reanimating dead cells which caused various zombie outbreaks. However, the main application that I would like to look into is the Perk-a-Colas.
Perk-a-Colas are a set of drinks created by Group 935, a group of scientists that mainly worked with Element 115 and collaborated with Broken Arrow. These drinks provided various benefits, such as Juggernog providing extra life, Stamin-Up boosting stamina and Speed Cola increasing action speed. However, the main thing that I enjoy about these colas is that each one has a specific look to them because they all come in a vending machine made specifically for each one. These vending machines also come with “Perk Jingles” which is a song that is written to play on repeat to entice you to buy the cola. I will be using these to base my ideas around what sort of themes can be present in the pictures.
Another idea that I had surrounding the books was the setting that it takes place in. There are many links to themes surrounding the war, such as Germany funding projects done by Group 935 because of their interest in using the weaponry they could create. This is also what leads to the creation of the zombies, as Germany was looking to create an undead army to assist in the war. Because of this, I was thinking of making possible propaganda advertisements in a similar vein of classics such as the classic “Lord Kitchener Wants You“. I will be doing some more investigation into how they created propaganda and the themes they followed to incite the people to do certain things for them and what kind of things I could create following that same path.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I will be doing some further research into the individual perks and jingles to discover some more elements that I can add into the overall design of the shoot. I will be also taking inspiration from other artworks such as drawings or official concept art. I will also be looking into propaganda and how different countries, political parties and companies have used it and how it has affected the people. I will research how it has changed over the years and how I can put it into my project.