Club Flyers: The Rave and Nightclub Flyer Phenomenon of the 90's and Early 2000's

In a time before events were promoted solely on social media; before raves and nightclub entertainment promotions became corporate; before large nightclubs and warehouses were demolished and turned into high-rise buildings; there was a period when rave and nightclub flyers thrived as the main visual language for the underground nightlife culture. Nightclubs and promoters sought to grab partygoers' attention while trying to outdo each other in creating the most elaborate, eye-catching flyers on the street. And with good reason. Frequently a promoter's club flyer design could weigh more heavily on audience opinion than an event's performers. In the 1990s and early 2000s, these vibrant art pieces littered the streets and were stacked high in every club, record store, and trendy clothing outlet of every major city on the planet. Club flyer designers had such an influence on the street culture that they eventually altered corporate-world design approaches, from album and CD covers, video games, sports promotions, magazines and print promotional materials to mainstream food and drink packaging. Simultaneously, an abundance of software makers and font foundries stretched the boundaries in creating more graphic-based applications to keep up with the growing number of designers influenced by this trend. These club flyer artists changed the direction of design, and the effect of their creativity is still seen in art today.