Here are the most effective body shots – we show you what to pay attention to!
1. 1. „Make the logo bigger!”
2. This is a true classic, I've heard it at least a thousand times (in fact, we mentioned it in a previous post). 3. Most clients have some visceral fear of empty spaces. Therefore, if they come across a little free space in an advertisement, they try to fill it with something. In such cases, increasing the logo size represents a quick fix for them and another gray hair for their graphic designer.4. If you've ever slipped into this as a client, don't be discouraged, take a deep breath and check out the Rolex website, for example! The logo is small, and the spaces are generous. Do you think it's a coincidence? Not at all. In fact, if you ask next time, your graphic designer will gladly explain that airy space usage creates a premium feel.
5. Image source: rolex.com.
7. There's an American saying: „I wish I had a dollar every time I hear that.” It means that if I got a dollar every time I heard this, I would probably be a millionaire.”
8. It's understandable that sometimes you urgently need a modification. But please, just as you wouldn't rummage through someone else's pocket, don't do it in their calendar either. Ask your graphic designer: I need the modification within an hour, can you make it this time? If they say no, accept it, because they are likely really swamped, or the modification is more complicated than you imagined, and more time is needed for proper execution.
9. We are a service company, we are driven by client satisfaction, and we don't like to say no. A leader of a large graphic agency working abroad said: we give the client more than they ask for. If they insert a clipart into the presentation, we redraw it. If they send the logo in Word, we extract it from there. If the logo's Pantone colors are missing, we first look for them online, then ask them for it. In other words, if you get a no to any of your questions, the agency has probably already tried to solve it themselves but ran into difficulties.
10. Image source: http://i.imgur.com/ghc6w2C.jpg.
12. If there is no problem, surprisingly often the answer will be yes, and moreover, your overworked graphic designer will not feel like you forced something down their throat.
13. 3. The brief, or the lack thereof.
14. The story below does not take place in the advertising industry, it is somewhat of a radical solution, yet it well illustrates the problems that can arise from the lack of a precise and inspiring brief. A taxi driver told me, the story takes place in the mid-nineties, before the spread of mobile phones. He worked a lot at night, and on one such occasion, a rather drunk man got into his cab. It immediately became clear that he was not only intoxicated from alcohol but also from his own ego, because when asked where he wanted to go, he simply replied:
15. "You know where I live, fuck you!"
„16. Our taxi driver needed no more, he took his celebrity guest to the top of Gellért Hill, charged him for the fare there, and then left him in the pitch dark at two in the morning. The story does not mention how long it took and what difficulties he faced getting down from there.”
17. The lesson is that if there is no brief, there is nothing to hold the agency accountable for. Nevertheless, my experience is that those who provide the most terse briefs will later become the most critical clients.
18. I had an extreme case when a client was designing a landing page. We suggested putting in a striking image that would grab users' attention, but he refused, wanting only text content. What could we do, we created it for him. The result? He indignantly rejected the plan, saying it was too bleak! As if we had tried to explain this to him from the beginning...
19. There have been countless cases where we were asked to design something beautiful*, of course, without a brief, target audience, or competitor analysis, and then he stated that this was not what he had in mind. To this, I can only say that this reflects reality. The thing is, neither now nor at the start of the design did we know what was on his mind!
There have been dozens of cases where we were asked to design something beautiful*, of course, the brief, target group, and competitor analysis were missing, then it was communicated that this was not what he had in mind. To this, I can only say that this corresponds to reality. However, neither now nor at the start of the planning did we know what was on his mind!
(*- can be replaced with these words – trendy, cool)
4. Target group? Everyone!
Even when awakened from a good marketer's dream, they know how to define the target group. Let's start with demographic characteristics – gender, age, residence, occupation, income, marital status, hobbies, pets, etc. Then let's move towards attitude segmentation. This is already deep water, as it includes whether they don't like to wake up late in the morning, whether they make rational or emotional decisions, whether they squeeze the toothpaste tube from the beginning or the end, Apple or PC, rock or disco, procrastinate or are punctual, and a thousand other factors. Those who haven't bled out here will then create a few personas that embody the typical characters of their target group.
The long introduction was necessary to understand the anger and despair I feel upon seeing the following target group definitions:
- Children
- Young, discerning women
- Women with A/B status
- Men
- Everyone
Is this serious? Do you really know this little about who, when, and how consumes your product? Is the buyer the same as the consumer? What is the place of consumption? How is the purchasing decision made? What motivates repurchase? Who are the main competitors and what are their strengths?
The difficulty after this is that it's hard to create a very distinctive creative for a completely vague target group. The end result will be „meh” at best. And after the big work is done and we send it over, what is the next comment? Of course, it's that you thought of something more characterful 🙂
5. „It should have something original*”
*(revolutionary, shocking, wild, cool, jumps off the poster – can be freely substituted).
I will show you some favorite ads that are truly original.
Edeka is a German discount chain, similar to Aldi here. HP Baxxter's solo performance on the checkout conveyor is fantastic, while also reinterpreting the lyrics of How much is the Fish? Its success can also be measured by the fact that this ad is copied by Kasszás Erzsi, Icuka, and even a Media Markt ad in Germany, where she also appeared.
There is a Hungarian example as well, although not the freshest, but simply an unavoidable masterpiece. Péter Janklovics owes his stand-up career to the 2009 Sziget advertisement, where he crudely mentions band names. Since then, you can't help but laugh at Armin van Buuren.
Finally, an Australian artwork featuring British comedian Ricky Gervais, who has built a career playing the most authentic arrogant, primitive jerk. A particular interest is that he breaks the fourth wall in the ad and that the set is absolutely minimal:
The common point of the above advertisements, besides originality, is the large budget and the clear, straightforward message. Moreover, in the case of Sziget and Optus, the exciting product also helps.
The question of originality typically arises from the client when we are struggling with the sixth round of revisions for a low-budget, adapted graphic wobbler and have run out of ideas. The situation is that this is not the most inspiring scenario; neither the medium, nor the material, nor the budget allows much room for creativity. Moreover, some clients tend to forget that traditional advertisements, which no one pays attention to, sell very well, yet the message gets through to the target audience. Think of the weekly promotional newspapers of grocery chains. They rarely contain revolutionary original content, but week after week, those who handle family shopping flip through them.
„I thought I had already sent these modification requests. So we won't be able to finish on time, right?”
Let's talk a little about time management. Or the lack thereof. Day by day, we encounter tight deadlines and do everything we can to send quality material on time. But we are not miracle workers. If there are 2 weeks for a key visual, it will always be better than what we allocate 3 days for. Yes, I know the saying, „the palm grows under pressure,” and that the best creative ideas need time pressure. There is some truth to it, but not always. Unfortunately, there is an equal chance of a hefty "slip-up" from the overstretched pace.
Therefore, if you listen to me and want to receive quality work from your graphic designer for the same amount of money, allocate enough time for it. The finished creative will appreciate the care.
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For more gems, visit this page. The unknown, but undoubtedly knowledgeable account colleague has gathered some real little gems from the world of client communication…
disclaimer: this article is highly subjective and biased. It presents the most common mistakes clients make during graphic development. Its aim is to have a good laugh at the collected anecdotes. It does not aim to make proclamations, form sweeping opinions about a heterogeneous group, or hurt anyone's feelings. We all know what it feels like to stumble around as a greenhorn beginner. We also know that with most of our clients, the collaboration is wonderful most of the time; they are open to professional discourse, pay attention to our observations, and we do the same for them. If you recognized yourself in any way, on one hand, it is a coincidence, and on the other hand, it indicates that you are willing to engage in some self-reflection, meaning you have stepped onto the path of development. I wish you much success with it 🙂
