We have gathered and analyzed 18 of history’s most successful posters to identify the poignant design elements that made them effective and determine which features are replicable for your own poster designs.
Posters remain one of the most attractive print products available to marketers, and their fundamental role in media and culture, seen in everything from film advertising to political campaigns, offers valuable lessons for modern design.
Key Highlights:
- Explore the 18 most influential posters in history to understand what made them timeless.
- Study how bold visuals, color, and a clear central idea combine to create emotional impact.
- Apply these design principles to craft your own posters that captivate and endure.
Which Have Been the 18 Most Successful Posters in History?
Chosen for their enduring impact, creativity, innovation and lasting appeal on viewers, many of these in our selections have been pioneering posters that have changed the way we do print advertising.
Here is our definitive list in chronological order.
1. Pears’ Soap “Bubbles” advertisement (1886)
Originally a painting by Sir John Everett Millais, this image of a cherubic boy watching a soap bubble was purchased by Pears’ Soap and turned into an advertisement.
It became one of the earliest examples of fine art being used for commercial purposes, to establish brand identity and quality that would define advertising for decades.
2. Moulin Rouge: La Goulue (1891)
This vibrant lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec announced the opening of the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris.
Depicting the dancer La Goulue in a flurry of petticoats, the poster’s bold lines, flat colors, and dynamic composition broke artistic conventions and perfectly captured the bohemian spirit of the Belle Époque.
3. Le Chat Noir (1896)
Designed by Théophile Steinlen, this Art Nouveau poster advertised a Parisian entertainment establishment of the same name.
The simple silhouette of a black cat against a muted background, with its direct gaze, became an enduring symbol of Montmartre culture.
4. I Want You for the US Army (1917)
This iconic recruitment poster of the finger-pointing Uncle Sam and his direct address and powerful gaze created a personal and compelling call to duty.
It was instrumental in recruiting soldiers for World War I and has since become one of the most replicated images in history.
5. Keep Calm and Carry On (1939)
This poster was designed by the British government at the onset of World War II to boost public morale in the event of a possible German invasion.
Featuring a simple, clear font and the crown of King George VI, it was never widely distributed, but it became a firm part of meme culture during the 2010s.
6. “We Can Do It!” (1943)
Often associated with “Rosie the Riveter,” this poster by J. Howard Miller was created to boost morale among female workers at Westinghouse Electric.
Though it had very limited visibility during the war, it was rediscovered in the 1980s and has since become a powerful and universal symbol of female empowerment and feminist movements.
7. Vertigo (1958)
Graphic designer Saul Bass created this iconic poster for Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller.
Using hypnotic spirals to pull the silhouettes of a man and woman into a vortex, the design visually simulates the film’s title and themes of obsession and disorientation. Its abstract, conceptual approach changed the art of movie advertising forever.
8. The Godfather (1972)
Instantly recognizable by the poster’s “marionette” logo, it perfectly encapsulates the film’s central themes of power, control, and hidden influence.
The stark, black-and-white design, with the puppeteer’s hand pulling the strings, created a sense of ominous authority that was as commanding and unforgettable as the film itself.
9. Jaws (1975)
This poster tapped into a primal human fear of the unknown.
The terrifying image of a massive great white shark ascending towards a lone, unsuspecting swimmer became an iconic symbol of summer blockbusters and is credited with making countless people think twice before swimming in the ocean.
10. Farrah Fawcett Red Swimsuit Poster (1976)
Photographed by Bruce McBroom for the Pro Arts poster company, this image of actress Farrah Fawcett in a one-piece swimsuit became the most famous pin-up of the 1970s.
Selling over 12 million copies, it transformed Fawcett into an international icon and redefined American pop culture imagery. The natural lighting, casual pose, and candid smile contrasted with earlier stylized pin-ups, marking a shift toward approachable celebrity glamour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrah_Fawcett_red_swimsuit_poster
11. Star Wars (1977)
Artist Tom Jung’s poster for the original Star Wars captured the epic scale of the space opera.
The heroic composition, with Luke Skywalker holding his lightsaber aloft, Princess Leia at his side, and the looming, menacing helmet of Darth Vader in the background, promised audiences a grand adventure of good versus evil.
12. E.T. (1982)
The simple, tender image of E.T.’s glowing finger touching a child’s hand became a powerful and universally understood symbol of friendship and the magic of cross-species communication, perfectly conveying the heart of the film without showing the alien’s full appearance.
13. Aids: Don’t Die of Ignorance (1987)
As part of a major UK public health campaign, this stark and frightening poster was designed to grab public attention.
The tombstone-like design and chillingly direct message, “Don’t Die of Ignorance,” helped break the silence and stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic.
14. Jurassic Park (1993)
Simple, bold, and brilliant, the logo for Jurassic Park features the skeleton of a T-Rex, reflecting Michael Crichton’s original book cover, set against a red and yellow circle.
It has become one of the most successful media franchises in history, symbolizing both the wonder and the danger of scientific ambition.
15. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Designed to look like a weathered, ten-cent pulp novel, this poster perfectly captured the film’s retro aesthetic and dangerously cool tone.
Uma Thurman’s character, Mia Wallace, lounging with a cigarette and a pistol, an image that became synonymous with the ’90s indie film boom and Quentin Tarantino’s unique style.
16. Walk the Talk (c. 1990s–2000s)
A motivational poster produced by Successories, Inc., featuring a group of penguins walking along a shoreline under a pastel sunset, accompanied by the slogan “Take the initiative and lead the way. You can make the difference.”
The image became emblematic of late-20th-century corporate culture, encapsulating the visual language of business motivation — teamwork, leadership, and perseverance — that adorned countless office walls.
https://www.successories.com/motivational-posters/3672-walk-the-talk-motivational-poster
17. Barack Obama “Hope” Poster (2008)
Created by artist Shepard Fairey, this stylized, stencil portrait of Barack Obama became the defining image of his 2008 presidential campaign.
The patriotic red, white, and blue color palette and the simple, powerful message of “Hope” captured a sense of optimism and change, spreading virally as a grassroots symbol of a new political era.
18. Visit the Historic Sites – Mars (2016)
Part of NASA’s Visions of the Future poster series created by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s design studio “The Studio.”
Imagining a future where humans explore and settle on Mars, the poster invites viewers to “visit the historic sites” where robotic pioneers once roamed. Its bold geometric abstraction, inspired by mid-century travel art, celebrates Mars as a place of scientific achievement, cultural growth, and architectural imagination.
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/explore-mars-visions-of-the-future-poster/
What Makes an Iconic Poster?
There’s a lot that needs to go into an iconic poster to make it both eye-catching and memorable. It needs to communicate its message instantly, even from a distance, through a bold composition of imagery, color, and typography.
An iconic poster also evokes an emotional or intellectual response that lingers long after the viewer has looked away.
Central Idea
Great posters rally around a single, distinctive idea. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) convey everything about the movie, campaign or product you’re advertising, but boiled down to one idea that stirs the right emotions or conveys the main theme clearly.
- Movie: For a movie poster, creating intrigue around a major theme or emotion of the plot is best for the central idea. For instance, The iconic poster for Jaws (1975) perfectly illustrates this by focusing on a single, primal idea, the terrifying unknown lurking beneath the surface, to create pure suspense and fear.
- Campaign: For a campaign poster, a simple, repeatable and recognizable visual hook is the main key for making it become part of the cultural conversation. The Barack Obama “Hope” poster used a stylized, replicable portrait and a single word to define a political movement.
- Product: A product poster doesn’t necessarily just show off the product, but focuses on the experience in using the product. Apple’s iPod silhouette ads masterfully sold the joy of music, not just a device.
When creating your poster, you ought to hone in on what that central idea is that you want to convey.
You want to create intrigue or an “I want that” emotion based on how they can imagine themselves using a product.
Bold Visuals
Visuals are extremely important when it comes to posters since they are designed to both be eye-catching and convey a message all in one. Imagery, organization and fonts are all critical for designing an effective poster, especially with graphic design tools.
- Images: Images for posters don’t need to have the highest resolution since they will be seen from a distance. However it’s important to consider the style and emotional tone to align with your message. Literal, realistic images make for an authoritative poster whereas more symbolic visuals can be used to convey emotions or experiences.
- Text: Using a font that is easy to read is critical when creating a serious poster that is meant to display a product or a service. You’ll want to opt for a clear san-serif design in order to make sure your message is as clear as possible. The title text needs to be large, around 80-150 pt, and center- or left-aligned. It is also important to make sure that the contrast between the text and the background are optimized for legibility.
- Organization: The organization of your poster’s component is crucial. Though it might be simple, you want to make sure your images and text are best positioned with a consistent hierarchy and flow. Make sure you use a grid or columns to align text blocks, images, and margins, as well as a focal point to keep everything in line with the central idea.
Find out more about Great Poster Design!
Colors
Use of colors and color psychology are extremely important for creating an iconic poster.
Maintaining consistency, harmony and the right colors that portray the messages you want to convey are all essential factors to consider when choosing your color palette.
- Coherent Color Palette: Avoid too much visual clutter by keeping your color palette to 2 to 3 main colors combined with neutral tones. These should be combined with color harmony principles to make sure the colors work well together.
- Color Psychology: Colors have symbolic meanings and cultural associations are useful in instilling certain emotions that can help reinforce your message. This is particularly effective in political campaigns.
- Contrast: Contrast helps with improving legibility and making certain elements more defined. By using strong differences in lightness, hue or saturation, and size, and contrast establishes visual hierarchy, directing the viewer’s eye to the most important parts first.
- Printing Limitation: Like with anything, what you have on the screen and what will come out in print is usually very different. Gamut limitations, where some very bright or neon colors that look good on screen may not reproduce in CMYK, are perhaps wise to avoid when designing a poster.
Read more about Color Psychology in our guide!
Emotion
Great posters create emotional reactions.
This is done in a multitude of ways by combining the right colors with the right text with the right images to make potential customers stop and consider.
Especially if you focus on them imagining themselves in a given experience, it can have a powerful effect for the decision maker.
- Color Use: Deep reds can signal urgency or passion, cool blues suggest calm and trust, while muted tones can evoke nostalgia or restraint. Choosing the right color intensity and balance helps reinforce the intended mood.
- Composition: Subtle tension in layout, such as asymmetry or diagonal flow, can heighten energy and make the design feel more dynamic. Balanced symmetry, on the other hand, creates a sense of calm or stability.
- Depth: Emphasizing depth and focus directs attention to the emotional core of the image. Using blur, contrast, or lighting gradients can isolate a subject and enhance mood.
- Texture: Adding tactile effects such as grain, lighting variation, or painterly surfaces helps give the poster a physical quality that strengthens its emotional impact.
Why Choose ChilliPrinting for Your Poster Printing
ChilliPrinting provides online printing services for high-volume poster printing that delivers both quality and value.
We specialize in helping businesses, event organizers, and institutions get their message out with stunning, high-quality posters at prices that make sense for large orders.
- Unbeatable Value: We leverage efficient offset printing to offer significant savings on bulk orders, ensuring you get the most impact for your budget.
- Full Customization: Your vision, your way. We provide a wide selection of poster sizes, paper types, and finishes to create the perfect look for your campaign or event.
- Built for Volume: Whether you need hundreds or thousands of posters, our production process is designed to handle large-scale projects flawlessly, ensuring every poster is perfect.
- Reliable & On-Time Delivery: Deadlines matter. Our streamlined system ensures your posters are printed, packed, and shipped on schedule, so you’re ready for your launch or event without stress.
- Personal Support: Have a question about the best paper choice or need help with your file? Our team is here to provide expert guidance every step of the way.
Discover how ChilliPrinting can bring your next poster project to life with exceptional quality, on-time delivery, and the best value in bulk printing.
