Whyte Avenue

Whyte Ave is the center of night life and activity for young people in search of a good time with friends, drinks and music. In an area of large crowds looking for entertainment, bands are advertised through posters that appeal to the 18-30 year old social groups in attempt to attract people to their venues. This busy street is the perfect outlet for hosting entertainment, advertising bands and having concerts take place.

Band advertisements are directed at people out and about looking for a place to go or event to attend. The majority of posters are displayed in high traffic areas where people are going in and out of trendy clothing shops, music stores, bar and restaurants will notice them and be interested in the band. Street posts on the avenue corners also display layers of posters and function as sites where people find out about the hottest shows or newest talent coming to Edmonton. Most posters are advertising local bands in smaller venues where people can hear and learn to recognize bands.

Bright colors, scantily clothed females, outrageous images and bold print characterise the posters advertising bands. Semiotics as a principal practice of looking describes how images call out and capture the gaze of a viewer. Advertisements for bands are a prime example of such practices of looking. These posters demonstrate how loud, detailed, interesting designs and colourful images attract the gaze, and furthermore the attention, of passerbyers. The symbols and signs on these posters convey meaning about what type of music the band plays and the genre they represent. Outrageous images may portray rock concerts where people expect a certain loud music, heavy drinking, and wild behaviour environment. The denotative images and colors used on band posters contribute to the connotative meaning of the message the band is delivering to the fans and viewers.