News
23 August 2011
Layton's words live on through digital posters
TORONTO—When Stuart Thursby read the late Jack Layton's final message to Canadians, he wanted to make sure the words weren't soon forgotten.
Layton, the NDP leader who passed away from cancer early yesterday morning, had scribed a letter to be passed on to his country through his wife, MP Olivia Chow.
Thursby, an art director for ad agency Proximity based in Toronto and Montreal, said a friend had circulated the letter to him, and while he found the message powerful, "I thought there were very moving messages within that."
So Thursby designed eight posters, with an orange background (the NDP's political colour) with various short passages from Layton's final message. "I wanted to do something with that, something pretty simple that let the words speak for themselves," he said.
The messages on the posters include "Love is better than anger, hope is better than fear, optimism is better than despair" and "Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic and we'll change the world."
The font chosen by Thursby for the posters is called Recovery – "It felt right, very strong, very simple. That's what his philosophy was," said Thursby.
Those who would like to download the digital posters (designed to be printed 11x17) can visit his Cargo Collective website.
Meanwhile, Thursby is waiting to see how long interest in his posters lasts before considering selling printed versions. "I haven't explored that yet ... if it did make it to that point, it definitely wouldn't be a profit thing, all proceeds [would go] to cancer research."
Layton, the NDP leader who passed away from cancer early yesterday morning, had scribed a letter to be passed on to his country through his wife, MP Olivia Chow.
 |
|
Words taken from Jack Layton's final letter. Click image to enlarge
|
Thursby, an art director for ad agency Proximity based in Toronto and Montreal, said a friend had circulated the letter to him, and while he found the message powerful, "I thought there were very moving messages within that."
So Thursby designed eight posters, with an orange background (the NDP's political colour) with various short passages from Layton's final message. "I wanted to do something with that, something pretty simple that let the words speak for themselves," he said.
The messages on the posters include "Love is better than anger, hope is better than fear, optimism is better than despair" and "Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic and we'll change the world."
The font chosen by Thursby for the posters is called Recovery – "It felt right, very strong, very simple. That's what his philosophy was," said Thursby.
Those who would like to download the digital posters (designed to be printed 11x17) can visit his Cargo Collective website.
Meanwhile, Thursby is waiting to see how long interest in his posters lasts before considering selling printed versions. "I haven't explored that yet ... if it did make it to that point, it definitely wouldn't be a profit thing, all proceeds [would go] to cancer research."
Most Read Stories
Most Recent Comment
 |
|
| Matt says: | |
| @angelo, Are you involved in organizing this competition? I'm not. But I can read. The beginn... | |
Most Recent Blog Comment
|
|
| Curious George says: | |
Renee@ I was just about to ask to whom can you complain for working without pay. But my next questio... |
|
Blogs
 |
Do Good D̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶ David Berman Most recent posts: |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Design school didn’t tell you... Mark Busse Most recent posts: |
Design Buzz on the Web
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fontest
Calling all typophiles! Enter our font contest and you could win a prize |
FREE Subscription
January/February 2013 Canada's largest circulation design Magazine |
||
.jpg)
FREE Newsletter
Sign up now for our free news and jobs email bulletin |
 |
Live from Twitter
As for the posters, I find them neither great nor awful, but I appreciate the effort. Layton's death brought to the surface a lot of genuine sadness about what this country has become, and that resulted in a pretty unprecedented outpouring of expression. I thank Thursby for producing the posters and Design Edge for writing an article about them.
Here's a link to view... http://gallery.me.com/gbrucechapman#100023/LHO%20postcard%206x8
To me, this is a personal project meant to inspire and push people into action, and not capitalize promotion.
I did though put my name in 4pt on the back under a 14 credit to Mr Layton.
Who said Maclean's was a higher profle pubication than Time Magazine? I think you should go back and read my post carefully. The reference was to the actual position I was offered. Love New York, but not then.
Fairey's Obama Hope poster it is not.
I knew Jack and his party very well. In fact his wife and close friend and mentor Dan Leackie were two of my directors, I helped him in his 1982 campaign, he was my city councilor for sometime.
I also turned down an executive's job at the Globe twice and Time Magazine in New York once and stayed in a much higher profile position at Maclean's then spent over 20 years in editorial so I know the medium very well, I suggest you look at the political theatre we are witnessing here. It's a fine exercise in PR communications, that's my real point.
@ angelo sgabellone - It wasn't entirely written by the head of the NDP staff et al. I don't think there was a mention that he was pounding away at his typewriter thinking of words to write. If you followed Mr.Laytons' career - this was pretty bang on to how he thought. I'm sure they did help alleviate the stress of writing it though. Blatchford et al took something of value and turned into a malicious and insensitive article to 'communicate' to the masses.
Both Christie Blatchford at the National Post and Jane Tabor at the Globe/CTV focus on the impossibility of Jack sitting in his bed Saturday a few hours before his death, pounding away at an old Underwood typewriter, dreaming up superlatives and strategic vision for the party's future, ala Ernest Hemingway.
As professional communicators we have an obligation to our clients and markets to get IT and speak of the facts correctly.
"I haven't explored that yet ... if it did make it to that point, it definitely wouldn't be a profit thing, all proceeds [would go] to cancer research."