Is this movie poster an epic design fail – or marketing genius?

The Northman poster
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

There are a few particular elements you can reasonably expect to see on any given movie poster. Images of the cast? Check. Names of the cast? Check. An intriguing tagline that manages to reveal absolutely nothing about the film? Check. The title of the movie? Believe it or not, it seems this one is no longer a given.

New Yorkers have been left baffled by the latest poster for Viking action film The Northman, after it appeared across the city's subway system sans title. It looks like one of the most basic design fails imaginable – but then again, like all the best print ads, it's got us talking. So could it be a deliberate stunt?

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Daniel John
Design Editor

Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.

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