Ogilvy and Universal Graphic Design: The Great Debate Over Reverse Type
World-renowned for his contributions to the world of advertising, David Ogilvy was nothing if not generous with his opinions.
That he loathed reverse type -- white letters on black background -- was one opinion Ogilvy vociferously made clear. Except for people reading theater programs in the dark or viewing slides projected on a screen, this form of print was simply not acceptable. His argument: it reduces readership.
Not exactly so, says Lighthouse International, a leading resource worldwide on vision loss and vision impairment. According to Lighthouse research, while reverse type seems to make no apparent difference to people with normal vision, it means the world to those who are visually impaired.
Aries Arditi, PhD, vision science expert, explains: "Our research shows that for many older and partially sighted readers who have reduced visual image clarity, white letters on a dark or black background are easiest to read."
There are 16.5 million adults age 45 and over who report some form of vision impairment even when wearing glasses or contact lenses (The Lighthouse National Survey on Vision Loss, 1995 data applied to population estimates from the US Census Bureau, Census 2000). When the last of the baby boomer generation reaches their middle years in 2010, that number will have risen to 20 million. Says Barbara Silverstone, DSW, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, "By denouncing the use of reverse type, Ogilvy overlooked a large and growing population of potential consumers -- people who, like theater-goers reading in the dark, benefit from the enhanced readability of white letters on a black background. Knock-out type helps communicate a message to a wider audience -- thus, its use can only serve to expand the reach of advertisements."
Despite his open dislike for knockout type, Ogilvy was right on the mark with other views concerning typography, which fit quite well with the concepts of universal graphic design promoted by Lighthouse International. These recommendations include letter spacing that is not too narrow and avoiding the use of all capital letters.
Whether for effective advertising or overall accessibility, the ideas behind this "great debate" remain very much the same. In the words of the late David Ogilvy: "Every word in the copy must count."