Job:01212 Title: Basics typography (AVA)
2nd Proof Page:147A)
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Letters
An Audi advert for television, launched in 2005, shows
how virtual typography may affect the relationship between
recognition and interpretation. In the beginning, all that
can be seen is a diversity of unidentifi able metallic objects
fl ying through an urban scene. At this stage the information
does not make any sense because it does not represent
a plausible real-life situation. This strange scenario raises
questions and heightens the viewer’s level of attention.
When falling on to the ground, some of the spiralling
elements appear as letters for a short moment. As they
bounce off, they rotate back into obscure metallic objects.
Through this process, the words ‘vorsprung’, ‘durch’
and ‘technik’ (meaning ‘progress through technology’)
are displayed one by one. As soon as the fi rst word has
appeared, the viewer is aware of the typographic nature
of the visual elements and additional words are expected
to emerge. However, one cannot determine at which point
in time this will happen, so the viewer is kept in suspense.
Tension is created, attention sustained. Once the last of the
three words has appeared, the metal objects collapse into
shape of the latest model of an Audi A6.Job:01212 Title: Basics typography (AVA)
2nd Proof Page:147001-184 01212_C1.indd 147001-184 01212_C1.indd 147 1/16/09 2:17:25 PM1/16/09 2:17:25 PM