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Signs of the Time Vehicle Contest

Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
Apparently all these years I've been wrong. I always assumed that clean, legible, and attractive was the most effective way to advertise to potential customers.

Who would have guessed that cluttered up, impossible to read, and hit with so many effects the company image is "Hey, look what the Easter Bunny threw up" is the way to go?!

I'm gonna go home and turn my two year olds loose on the shop truck with a dozen cans of Krylon and some sidewalk chalk. We're gonna win it all next year!
 
Craig Sjoquist

Craig Sjoquist

New Member
Now I got to see if it's online, you got my interest, must be alot of winners in this town then because most of them you can not read across a narrow 2 lane road.
 
weaselboogie

weaselboogie

New Member
Thats interesting... That's what I thought of the latest Sign Business mag.auto contest. Most of the wrapped vehicles were prime examples of what not to do. A clusterfk of visual vomit, 50 photos collaged together with an eclectic mix of necessary photoshop filters (Use them all; BTW). I'm convinced that the general public has no clue what good design is and for that matter, the judges of Sign Business mag.
 
S

speedmedia

New Member
"Signs of the times" is what he is talking about. My business partner and I where looking at it this morning wondering where in the hell they get these judges from?

The "Digital Graphics" Auto Art Contest was just as bad this year. Seen some really nice stuff in these magazines but when it comes to the contests I don't know what they are thinking? Another reason we don't even bother...

Sorry folks, but some of this crap people are putting out is pretty sad!

Thanks,
Kurt
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
I'm sometimes perplexed by what is held up as good work in some of the mags, and it goes beyond digital printing. I was just looking at one that had some dimensional signs in it , that though they were attractive, were illegible. I think the writers of the articles are often clueless about the sign business.
 
Joe Diaz

Joe Diaz

New Member
Maybe someone should right a "letter to the editor" type article for these magazines.....

NOT IT!
:ROFLMAO:
 
Si Allen

Si Allen

New Member
I looked at the winners and threw the magazine in the trash!

I didn't bother looking at who were the judges ... because I would want to hunt them down wrap them with all the left over backing paper and transfer tape ... then set them on fire!

Aiding and abetting crap!


:design:


:banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
speedmedia said:
...looking at it this morning wondering where in the hell they get these judges from?
Click to expand...

Two FastSigns franchise owners, a wrap shop owner, and another shop owner.

I know these things are completely subjective, what one person likes another will hate, and I'm also wondering how many submissions they actually had. Could be that what they selected was the best of what they were offered to choose from.

All I know is that I've seen stuff Dan Antonelli, K6, and a few other people have posted that, to me, are in a whole different league than most of these. That's my opinion, though, and the next time somebody pays me for it will be the first.
 
A

azcolor

New Member
I was a judge on last years Sign Biz Magazine contest. MOST of the wraps that I voted for did not make the cut and it was unbelievable what the other judges outweighed me on. If the Signs of the Times contest is a reflection where design in our industry is going, count us out. Most of the designs put out in the two major contests this year look like the economy hit them. It appears that they could only put an hour or two into design in order to get the job. Don't get me wrong both contests had some standouts that were very clean and impressive but don't stack up to years past.
 
Patrick46

Patrick46

New Member
azcolor said:
both contests had some standouts that were very clean and impressive but don't stack up to years past.
Click to expand...

Of course not.

Back in the 'Good old Days', you had to sit down with a paper & pencil and draw out what you wanted to do on a vehicle. It was so labor intensive to produce the work that when it came down to doing the final job, you wanted to make sure that you had it (your design) down right...the first time. There wasn't any going back and modifying your design...not without a buch of extra work.

Now...it's a simple click of the mouse. "There...Tah-Dah....it's done!!"



Hell.....even my dog can do that!!! :frustrated:



I used to really look foreward toward the 'Vehicle Graphics Issue' too. Not any more.
 
phototec

phototec

New Member
Pat Whatley said:
Two FastSigns franchise owners, a wrap shop owner, and another shop owner.

I know these things are completely subjective, what one person likes another will hate, and I'm also wondering how many submissions they actually had. Could be that what they selected was the best of what they were offered to choose from.
Click to expand...


What I know about Fast Signs, is "Get'er done", I've not seen them produce award winning graphic designs, yet two of their folks were judges, that's like having McDonald's judge the food at a high end Gourmet food contest?

I think one of the best designs was the Corners Truck wrap, third place, in the Unique Vehicle category, page 72.
 
Dan Antonelli

Dan Antonelli

New Member
What Pat is observing represents an opportunity to distinguish your work from the absolute crap that is out there.

If they want a blur of meaningless colors, no branding, and a missed advertising opportunity, then go somewhere else - cause that ain't us.

And if your logo sucks, and it's not going to work - well either do it over with us, or again, go waste your money with someone else who will be happy to take it, with little or no regard as to whether it's in your best interest or not.

No hands barred, simple truths. Education is key, but most small businesses still have too much ego in play to accept that you know more about branding their business than they do. Thankfully, I have many who do get it. And the others - well I have no patience for, and no desire to work for.
 
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