Bad Advertisement

        So, has anyone else felt like they're tired of a curtain hiding a nice view? I certainly know I can, as sometimes the advertisement for media, clothing, or, anything in general, does a poor job of describing it. From commercials that get annoying way to fast, to poor social media management, to.. Nothing, failing to advertise a product is definitely something you don't want to do in this business. Keep in mind, I'm not talking about a rival company, oh no. I am talking about the advertiser themself, bringing down their own product, whether on purpose, or (most likely), accidental.

          

 

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

    

         Let's start off with the 'This Game Stinks' campaign. For whatever reason Nintendo decided to advertise the game Earthbound by bringing attention to its many smells, even having scratch and sniff elements on the page. Now, one could argue that the 90s, when Earthbound came out, was the gross out era, and that kids would be ok with this. However, I don't imagine many kids having the attention to read below something that says 'This Game Stinks'. I also don't think the gross out elements connected with everyone, but really it's just bad advertising. There are more reasons Earthbound failed to take off with the public eye for so long, but we're not focusing on that right now.

         Another example I can think of is commercials that try to be like a meme. Let's say like this one right here.

    

         This is clearly just Chips Ahoy trying to catch the attention of kids nowadays, with the popularity of the game Among Us. Honestly though, it just feels confusing to me, with line such as; 'miss out on these snacks'. Granted, I am not a child, so I'm not the intended demographic, but then again, I feel this commercial is so basic that not even a child would be interested in getting Chips Ahoy.

        At the end of the day though, any advertisement is better than no advertisement. You never get anywhere if you don't describe yourself well, or put yourself out there. Just make sure that when you do, you don't make yourself look bad, or annoy potential customers. With that said, thank you once again for reading, and stay tuned!

 

      

         

Early Preparations

             As a designer, you want to make sure you get a head start on your next project. This allows potential clients to see you as a hard worked, but also keeps your skills sharp. Furthermore, it helps you keep track of any big projects you want to do for a certain holiday or event. So in a sense, it is always nice to have a demonstration before you need to show it off to a big presentation. As they say, the early bird gets the business deal with the graphic design firm!

                  So we have a few reasons why you would want to be early already listed so far, and there is more to come.  Having the ability to get feedback for future reference is always nice, as it leads to better products. Moreso, there is the added benefit of being able to move into the next project, stress free. Finally, I would like to point out that with deadlines existing, you need all the practice  you can to deal with them. At the end of the day, getting work done early is a bit difficult, but it can be fun.

                Now with that put of the way, I'll show off some work I got done early. Holiday cards have been made, so feel free to take them for anything other than commercial use. If you have any comments, please let me know with a comment. Other than that, thank you for reading!

Hidden Details

               In this sentence, i have hidden something. I won't tell you what it is, but I think you'll notice it if you have a good eye. That is sort of what this blog post will be about, just an appreciation of hidden details on media. Many designers and writers tend to do this as a way to have fun, test the audience, or just to build something up. These details can range from obvious like the A to Z smile in the Amazon Logo, to secretive  like the arrow on the FedEx logo. Both have a special meaning that you could understand if you look closely.

Images property of respective brands.

            So, why is it that hidden details seem so fun? I like to imagine it has to do with the feeling of accomplishment. As if you were able to insert or find something new about whatever you looked at. It could also be pretty embarrassing though, as it you just noticed it, and conclude what you saw should never have been in. Now I am not going to make an example of this, for the sake of protecting other designers. That being said, I think we all know something like this.

            Keeping what I said in mind, I hope you all pay more attention to details in any work, be it yours or not. Stay on the look out for what's in plain sight, and thank you for reading. Hopefully you found the detail I hid in the first sentence. With that said, comment below your thoughts, share this blog, and tell me if you liked it or not. As always my valued readers, stay tuned!

Are Fads Important?

                    So, I was taking a walk one day, when the idea of fads suddenly struck my mind. Essentially, I remembered what someone said about the 3d craze for video games.  How he believed that while it ruined what could have been great games, it showed what works, and what doesn't. Now, I am not saying 3D games are a fad, but the idea that every game has to be 3D is. Eventually that idea died down, people learned from it, and moved on. So what I am asking is, do fads teach us what works and what doesn't?
   
                  To give you an idea of what I mean, remember silly bandz? Those weird toys kids would bring to school, wear, trade, etc?                                   If you don't, hopefully this image they own, and from their Amazon listing will remind you. They were pretty popular for awhile, but most teachers found they were distracting kids. Eventually, it got to points they would take them from kids, or ban them, and then one day.... They weren't popular anymore. The generation that liked them grew up, and someone showed the kids something else, all in the span of a year.
   
                   So what happened to them? Well, when people age, or certain events like banning occurred, nobody would be interested anymore. Either that, or a sort of semi-controversy formed.  Advertisers will see this, and move on to something else, or they go bankrupt. So fads are important, as they show what will work, and what won't Anything that works will stay, and you build around it. Stuff that doesn't, well they disappear.

                 End of the day, just pay attention to them. I'm not saying you have to buy them, or cash in on them, but see what can be learned from their success or failure. You might just be surprised. With that, thank you for reading, and stay tuned!