Advocacy Campaign Posters & Slogans

What Makes a Campaign Poster Different?

A campaign poster is a specialised form of advocacy communication designed to:

• mobilise people toward a shared action,
• frame an issue in system-level terms,
• distil a movement’s message into a single moment of clarity,
• create visibility and urgency across public space.

A campaign poster is not meant to “explain everything” — it is built to ignite recognition.

Why Slogans Matter

Slogans are not decorative text. In movements, slogans are tools of alignment.

Types of System-Focused Slogans

Effective advocacy slogans generally fall into one of these categories:

• Expose the system: “SYSTEMS CREATE BARRIERS.”
• Define the demand: “ACCESS IS POWER.”
• Frame accountability: “FIX THE STRUCTURE, NOT THE PERSON.”
• Show collective stakes: “NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS.”
• Invoke protection: “PROTECT WHAT REMAINS.”

These slogans are memorable because they describe structural behaviour, not personal conflict.

Movement Aesthetics in Campaign Posters

The Movement Aesthetics Toolkit identifies several visual strategies used across resistance movements:

• restricted colour palettes for focus and emotional charge,
• bold typefaces with visible imperfections,
• simple, culturally grounded symbols,
• layouts that show urgency and hand-made texture.

These elements ensure advocacy posters feel immediate and honest — not corporate, polished, or distant.

Examples & Strategy

Campaign posters work best when they:

• use one clear symbol,
• feature one powerful slogan,
• stay within two–three colours,
• communicate urgency at a glance.

Campaign posters are not meant to persuade through argument — they persuade through recognition, repetition, and alignment.

Download the Movement Aesthetics Toolkit

The complete theoretical framework behind movement poster design.