The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

The following two examples are ads from magazines. The two ads have few words but they get their messages across without confusing the reader/viewer.

This ad from Car and Driver magazine really caught my eye. For the concept and the message to be so simple, the design aspect is very original and detailed. I like how Suzuki shows their brand to be above the rest.  It shows the competitive nature of the car industry in a visually appealing way. Good job, Suzuki!

This ad by Hillshire Farm makes the product do all of the advertising. This is a good example of graphic design because of the use of imagery. The product is likened to a magnet, attracting all of the different flavors and ingredients. This ad uses a limited amount of text but the message is strong.

Now for the not so good. Though I am a writer at heart, I believe the next two examples are extremely wordy and/or the designs could be a lot better.

This two-page ad from Weather Tech (sorry for the bad merging) is very wordy. The designers of this ad were trying to include a letter from CEO and a very busy picture. The white font is hard to read through the photo. For the lengthy amount of text with this ad, I think another picture or a more solid background would be more appropriate.


 

This ad for Pearl Izumi shoes was featured in Runner's World magazine some years back. I found this ad to be very interesting. Like many of you, the heading grabbed my attention. Before I get into the content, the ad is very wordy. Magazine ads are meant to catch your eye. If you are like me, pictures and designs always catch my attention. I think that the content of the ad is very morbid. Though the ad was memorable, I think that the company's vision was missed. The consumer will remember the "dead bodies" aspect before they even think about buying the shoes.  A little creepy.