AGD needs some Feedback on this Ad

[shartley]

manike
I am sure it does.. unfortunately there is nothing that hasn't been done already. LOL

This style is not my favorite, but has that stacked and unorganized (yet actually IS organized) look used by the younger gen stuff. I like the smoother, more integrated styles personally. But this one works as a point of conversation, and idea sparking for the process.

That is why having several styles and then discussing them with clients, and tweaking them TOGETHER with the client, helps bring it all together. I always shudder at the "concept" stage... LOL I am just way too picky. But you have to start someplace.

[Muzikman]

Hmm...no picture...

[PBchopR]

That's good stuff Tom, but I would refine someof the bullet points down to a short list. I think that some focus should lie on resources, technical or otherwise. It's that level of support and involvement that makes AGD the most talked about company in paintball. The confidence that the public has in AGD products and services is tremendous, based in large part on the concept of giving end-users a forum to interact with staff on a high-level. Great Job!

[Failure]

The Ad is good Shartly but its really busy. Me being a fan of minimalism, I would do it differently if I had the skill you have. You should also bring up the fact that the Emag was 'created by a player for the players'. I feel that the ad should run 2 pages...one focusing on the SFL Emag and the other on the classic emag, the one posted as an example for the fantasy emag. Black backgrounds, saturated colors on the pictures of the guns. Have the guns portrayed in a fashion as to accent their curvature and natural sexiness. Give them a 'floating look'. Forgive my vocabulary here, I know nothing about ad presentation or graphic arts. But something more cutting edge so-to-speak. Something sophisticated and clean looking. Not too busy. Make one page advertising the guns and the other advertising the forums. Lets be honest, the guns put food on the table, not the forums. Maybe note that there is a contest going on now, that would attraact more people than just the ad alone. I do like the screenshot of the forums and the heading at the top. Very nice.

[shartley]

Failure
Thank you. And if you read my other posts you will see that I agree with much of what you said. The Ad sample was designed to spark the types of comments you gave. It gives people something to use as a direct reference point.... Just like you did.

"I would take X and do Y with it, and then slide W under B.. etc."

I hope that noone thinks that is anywhere close to my standards for a finished copy... LOL I tried to stress that in my other posts. This is a beginning point, and for only ONE style (again, not my favorite style). I would NOT run that Ad even close to what it is now, but it gives ideas.

I am all for "helping", but I am sure most would agree that it would be silly of me to work up an actual Ad Copy. I have probably done more than I should have already.

[Failure]

Thank you Shartley and I hope you didn't take my opinion as criticism, it wasn't meant to be. I just feel that the target market of gun buyers in paintball is a more juvenile crowd. That should be taken into account. This may be an opportunity to get it going on the 'good foot'. Advertisement is key to making good business. Take Intel for instance. They advertise all over the place, this is why everyone knows of them. The averagre Joe computer user has never heard of AMD, suprisingly because they make superb products. If they advertised then they would be in a lot better shape. I feel that Tom should give you a call and do some discussion, if its feasable Having nicer ads brings about the feeling of a company that is doing very well in the industry. Anyway, advertisment always pays off in the end. Look at Garden Burger, the veggy burger company. They ran a commercial during the Super Bowl last year or the year before, can't remember. They paid so much money for the time slot that if they didn't get the recognition they would be hurting very very badly. Needless to say that a 15 second commercial raked in a 500% increase in sales there after.

[shartley]

No.. I did not think you were criticizing the work. LOL I just wanted to make sure people did not think I was saying THAT ad should be used... quite the opposite, ....or that it was an indication of what I would consider finished copy, because that would could not be farther from the truth.

I tend to be more critical of my work than anyone else anyway. I took no offense at your comments.

[shartley]

.... just a quick example on how the SAME elements arranged a bit differently, and colors changed can give a new "feel". And again, this is taken from a design I don't really care for.. but shows clearly that even at that, with some tweaks, it can head in a different direction pretty fast. And this is STILL in the same basic style, but reduces the "cluttered" look even more.

And take this a step farther, and you get the idea. Not to mention scrapping the whole thing and going with another look.

[MajorDamage]

But Shartley...Where's my name? I want my name in there! , Ive told bunches of people "HEY! I'm prolly gonna be in a magaziene! TOM SAID!" or somin like that, lol.

ENDO!

[shartley]

LOL Sorry... how about this? But now it looks like a magazine cover.

[Jeb_Hoge]

Originally posted by Shaft
I don't like your ad, Tom.

A bit too cheesy. Sell EMag extremes and 4.5k flatlines and show a link to this site. Then I'd visit.

I'm agreeing here. I think it's noble to want to present AO as a top-notch online gathering place for paintball players, but you're advertising a free, zero-profit website and hoping to get sales by association. Use your ad space and dollars for the equipment first and foremost, and secondarily include the AO web address and just a few buzzwords; make it into a graphical element of the overall page. People will come here of their own interest or curiosity, not because you list off names of people who post here and why the public should be interested. It sort of sounds like name-dropping, really.

Maybe I'll knock some ideas around and find a way to post 'em.

[shartley]

Jeb_Hoge
I also tend to agree that the PRODUCT is more important at this stage in the game. If you were going to run two pages... sure run an ad for AO and one for the Product(s), but if you were to run only ONE ad.... AO would be my second concern.

But whatever he (Tom) decides to run, it should not be thrown together, but be carefully planned and designed. I kind of think Tom might be trying for the "If OA has so many Members, AGD's products HAVE to be great!".. and this angle would work nice with two ads in the same magazine... even if not next to each other (separate is better in this case... you want them to see you twice by flipping, not two ads with one flip).

Again, I have not talked to Tom, nor has he contacted me about it... so I don't know exactly where he wants to go with all this. I guess we will all have to see...

[zvanut]

i like them shartley,

all of them

[MajorDamage]

Perfect Shartley! Now add my universal calling card "ENDO!" and I will be styling! lol!

ENDO!

[Failure]

That was funny Shartly, Lol. Major got his name in the headlines. Im the same way when it comes to anything that I do. It will never be perfect to me no matter how many times I redo it. I think the phrase is being anal (retentive?). Or more commonly termed perfectionist.