Cycling advertising derps

[CampyorBust]

Quite often while flipping through a cycling magazine I come across some truly sloppy graphic design. I have a little bit of advertising and graphic design experience so stuff like this sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

Here is a great example...

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/PedalPusher33/IMG_1496_zpsijqrqvif.jpg (http://s77.photobucket.com/user/PedalPusher33/media/IMG_1496_zpsijqrqvif.jpg.html)

Not sure how mistakes like this make to print, yet all too often they do.

If you come across anything post it up.

[rustychisel]

I too, but I'm at a loss. Can you spell out what offends thee?
The second exclamation mark?
Bad text wrap or path?

[martinez]

The whole ad is kinda tacky, I think.
But design in the cycling world is usually a hit or miss.
But I also don't think design is considered to be very important when it comes to the magazines because all too often are there some pretty funny ads. And this is only coming from someone with a little bit of graphic design experience

[CampyorBust]

I too, but I'm at a loss. Can you spell out what offends thee?
The second exclamation mark?
Bad text wrap or path?

Lets see if anyone else can spot it, then I'll point it out. The biggest offense is in plain sight, the other is a little more subtle. Lets just say the designer needs to get their priorities in order.;)

[CunegoFan]

The only thing I can see is the square thing on the rider's knee. Is that part of the podium background that was not removed?

[Cicli]

I must be blind. At least I hope so.
Or maybe this thread is a diversionary tactic to meep the lemmings staring at a comic while fun is had elsewhere? (This worked for me).

[Peter P.]

I hate to say it, but most cycling ads of Asian made products suffer the same ills. It must be acceptable and the normal style over in the Far East.

It's just not to American standards. For further proof, check out some of the ads in the back of Bicycling and Velo (VeloNews).

[CampyorBust]

The only thing I can see is the square thing on the rider's knee. Is that part of the podium background that was not removed?

Yep you got it! :beer:

It's a left over clipping of a picture, appears to depict the shadow of the peloton on the road. I don't think it was the podium background just a left over image the designer was using. I think the podium background was a logo of some type.

The other niggle is Hoogerland's jersey overlapping on top of the chains. In my opinion the chains should be on top, after all that is what they are selling.

The niggle about the text wrap and two exclamation points are totally valid. Though I must admit I had not paid attention to those.

Great product, advertising execution not so much.

[rustychisel]

okay, looked more closely. Really bad Photoshop work and an artifact square [grey] centre of page?

[Cicli]

^^^^^^thats is?^^^^^^^^

[CampyorBust]

^^^^^^thats is?^^^^^^^^

Yeah, sorry to disappoint. They are usually not that big a deal to the casual viewer. Just messy execution most of the time, sometimes it's a little more interesting than that. Like a Campy equipped bike in the background of an ad advertising a Shimano team or product.

[Cicli]

Yeah, sorry to disappoint. They are usually not that big a deal to the casual viewer. Just messy execution most of the time, sometimes it's a little more interesting than that. Like a Campy equipped bike in the background of an ad advertising a Shimano team or product.

I guess I just dont look that close.

[kittytrail]

with cycling it's either sh**ty product with slick advertising or sh**ty advertising of sh**ty products. rarely slick advertising backing slick, well thought and well made, products. :rolleyes:

[makoti]

Yeah, sorry to disappoint. They are usually not that big a deal to the casual viewer. Just messy execution most of the time, sometimes it's a little more interesting than that. Like a Campy equipped bike in the background of an ad advertising a Shimano team or product.

Not quite the same, but I also have this "thing" about advertising & how poorly is it often done. Radio, mostly. Insanely bad Voice work, really poorly written copy. My current fav is one for a local fertility clinic. It says "Are you trying to have a baby without success?" Stop. No one TRIES to have a baby without success. You try, and do not have success. You unsuccessfully try. Makes my head hurt, but I'm pretty sure few others notice it.
But it also drives me bonkers when people tell me "I could care less", so there's that.

[Seramount]

to my lay person's eye, the worst part of that ad is that it's entirely too busy.

the mishmash of colors and images don't make me want to peruse it very long, that would account for not catching the gray thing.

I buy KMC chains and think they're a fine product, but that ad would never convince me to try them if I was using a different brand.

and if we're crabbing about stuff, there seems to be some kind of conspiracy to eliminate the use of adverbs. listen to any sports show or local news cast and notice the number of times the talking heads say '...they need to play aggressive...' or '...the ordinance is expected to pass quick...'

ugh, hurts my ears.

[purpurite]

Nit-picky stuff for an industry that hasn't traditionally used print design to great advantage. As a 25-year professional, I wouldn't let stuff like this leave my Creative Department, but you also have to understand that most print ads are not executed by professional designers, copywriters and marketing departments. The stuff I see in my day-to-day done for magazines and trade publications makes this piece look like a Communication Arts Design Annual award winner. Some companies have very high standards for brand, most do not. This is the result.

For many left-brained companies, design and marketing are complete afterthoughts and a waste of resources. Meaning, if you have Microsoft Word/Powerpoint and some clip art, you must be a designer. It's good enough.

I genuinely love working with clients who get it and let us do what we do. It's rare in any industry, so on a scale of horrendously bad to award winner, this isn't nearly as bad as you think.

[kevinvc]

Any other middle-aged folks around here remember when there was the public frenzy over ad designers supposedly inserting subliminal pictures into ad graphics? It was usually claimed to be either satanic or pornographic and ice cubes in liquor ads were a frequent target. I seem to remember this happening around the early 80's about the same time as the pearl-clutching regarding devil worshiping heavy metal music.

Sorry for the derailment from the original topic. To pull it back on point, what subliminal messaging would you like to see in bicycle product ads? How about an autobot symbol hidden in the folds of Froome's jersey?

[purpurite]

Any other middle-aged folks around here remember when there was the public frenzy over ad designers supposedly inserting subliminal pictures into ad graphics? It was usually claimed to be either satanic or pornographic and ice cubes in liquor ads were a frequent target. I seem to remember this happening around the early 80's about the same time as the pearl-clutching regarding devil worshiping heavy metal music.

Sorry for the derailment from the original topic. To pull it back on point, what subliminal messaging would you like to see in bicycle product ads? How about an autobot symbol hidden in the folds of Froome's jersey?

Yup, some of it was urban legend, some of it was very real (and awesome). It's a completely different thread, but if you are looking to kill an hour on teh interwebs, a quick Google search will point you in the right directions. Back in the days before Photoshop, it took some serious skill to edit those photos to do what they did. Props.

[bcroslin]

No advertising budget means no production values. I'm always amazed that folks in C-level positions at any company don't realize how effectively telling your product's story is what captures consumers attention and seals the deal.

Look at Rapha. Five years ago they were a cycling clothing company that made expensive merino wool kits that were pretty good. They weren't in the same category as Castelli or Assos. With a relatively small budget and the right creatives they've become a multi-million dollar company based off of really effective advertising. Their products are nice but not really any better than Castelli or Assos but the perception of "epicness" is core to their product.

[purpurite]

Companies that don't understand marketing should be hand-served the story of RedBull. No other explanation of marketing value would ever be needed.

[bcroslin]

Companies that don't understand marketing should be hand-served the story of RedBull. No other explanation of marketing value would ever be needed.

Exactly. It's funny to think that they actually still sell canned carbonated water with the amount of brand recognition they have for being an extreme sports company.

[makoti]

Any other middle-aged folks around here remember when there was the public frenzy over ad designers supposedly inserting subliminal pictures into ad graphics? It was usually claimed to be either satanic or pornographic and ice cubes in liquor ads were a frequent target. I seem to remember this happening around the early 80's about the same time as the pearl-clutching regarding devil worshiping heavy metal music.

Sorry for the derailment from the original topic. To pull it back on point, what subliminal messaging would you like to see in bicycle product ads? How about an autobot symbol hidden in the folds of Froome's jersey?

I do remember this. And something about ice cubes. And flashing popcorn images during a movie to make you hungry.

[Matthew]

The ads for Maddux wheels in the back of some magazines drive me crazy. Have for years. "Your another choice." What?? After all this time no one from the company has noticed it is wrong?!!

[Ronsonic]

Maybe it's me, but the finish line crotch in the very middle of the page doesn't need to be there.

[CampyorBust]

Nit-picky stuff for an industry that hasn't traditionally used print design to great advantage. As a 25-year professional, I wouldn't let stuff like this leave my Creative Department, but you also have to understand that most print ads are not executed by professional designers, copywriters and marketing departments. The stuff I see in my day-to-day done for magazines and trade publications makes this piece look like a Communication Arts Design Annual award winner. Some companies have very high standards for brand, most do not. This is the result.

For many left-brained companies, design and marketing are complete afterthoughts and a waste of resources. Meaning, if you have Microsoft Word/Powerpoint and some clip art, you must be a designer. It's good enough.

I genuinely love working with clients who get it and let us do what we do. It's rare in any industry, so on a scale of horrendously bad to award winner, this isn't nearly as bad as you think.

Yeah total creative freedom is certainly the dream of most creative departments, its what they live for. In my limited advertising experience I always came face to face with the "we need to dumb things down" approach. The common man will not be able to make the connection, KISS keep it simple stupid if you will. I have always been inclined in the opposite direction, lets reach for the sky and elevate peoples thought process, challenge them to think every once in a while. Today I see more and more thought provoking advertising, this I welcome.

I don't mind a thread drifts as long as it's about cycling advertising or advertising in general its all good.