# Help Me Pick A Photo For My Ad... Pretty Please =)



## BekahAura (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm going to design an ad to go across the rear windshield of my car. Could you please help me out by voting on the best choice? Thanks everyone!

CLARIFICATION: This is not the ad, these are just the photos I may use in the ad. I haven't designed the ad yet, but I will probably silhouette one of these dogs into it and I need help deciding which photo is the best. Please vote!

(1)






(2)







(3)






(4)






(5)






(6)


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## CCericola (Dec 4, 2011)

They all look the same, ie: they all are gray boxes with a padlock and says "Content Protected by Owner"


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## tirediron (Dec 4, 2011)

I'll go with #1; the gradient seems a little more distinct and the definition of the lock  and the "Content Protected by Owner" text appears just slightly better defined!


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Without looking at the design I can tell you right now it is a stupid idea.  Most of your business comes from word of mouth or from internet search engine or links.  Nobody is going to write down your number without looking at your work.


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## IndigoStarsNiagara (Dec 4, 2011)

I like 5. But I have to agree that it's a lot of word of mouth.


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## Demers18 (Dec 4, 2011)

I like number 4 or 5. But I think it would more important to come up with a nice logo to garner interest in your brand than actually having a picture on your vehicle. Branding in this case would more important and from what I can see, your logo needs work.


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## BekahAura (Dec 5, 2011)

Sorry for the locks... it's all fixed now. 

My word of mouth is just now starting to come back to me. I do realize that word of mouth is the strongest way of grabbing a customer. But really do you think it's going to hurt me to let other people know I exist? It's cheap advertising considering that it will last the life of my car which is only a year old. 

Schwettylens: I'm not expecting to get a phone call from someone who sees my ad, numbers are way too hard to remember unless it's an 800 number that spells out a word. But I do think I can get a few people to my website, or facebook page, because words are far easier to remember. The photo I'm hoping you guys will help me select with be one example of my work that will be on my ad. I also thought I might get a couple of 12 x 18 magnets of other photos (one for each side of my car) and that would be more examples of my work. 

I live on a lake and it seems like every day I'm driving out of my neighborhood I see a new dog and owner. Tons of people like to jog or walk their dogs around the lake and since I park on the road it would be like having a billboard on the highway.  I also drive in rush hour traffic around 3 days a week, it's a 45 minute commute to a pretty populated city. Honestly, I could be wrong and I'll waste $150 or so, but really I've wasted more money on stupider things. 

So despite your warnings, I'm going to do this. Please let me know which you think is best. I'd really appreciate it.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 5, 2011)

The text needs to be much larger and readable at a distance. 

I would want people to see my name FIRST.

Look around at car advertising. What is the first thing you usually see? WORDS.


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## BekahAura (Dec 5, 2011)

Demers18 said:


> I like number 4 or 5. But I think it would more important to come up with a nice logo to garner interest in your brand than actually having a picture on your vehicle. Branding in this case would more important and from what I can see, your logo needs work.



Thanks for your picks! 

You really think that a different logo is more important than an example of my work? How would you suggest I improve my logo?


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## BekahAura (Dec 5, 2011)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> The text needs to be much larger and readable at a distance.
> 
> I would want people to see my name FIRST.
> 
> Look around at car advertising. What is the first thing you usually see? WORDS.



LOL wow I think everyone is misunderstanding this. Bitter these are not the ads... I will most likely be silhouetting one of these dogs into the ad... I just don't know which one to choose. The ad I haven't created yet... but yes it will have my website, facebook url, phone number and one of these photos.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 5, 2011)

Ah. Got it. I thought you were just putting those images on your car. 

Post a mock up of the whole thing, and you'll get more useful help.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 5, 2011)

Dont forget vinyl wont last you that long when you put it on rear windshield with wiper.


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## BekahAura (Dec 5, 2011)

Schwettylens said:
			
		

> Dont forget vinyl wont last you that long when you put it on rear windshield with wiper.



There's no wiper


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## GooniesNeverSayDie11 (Dec 5, 2011)

I think #2 or #6 would work best as a silhouette. I agree that the text should be large, and you should probably buy a domain with [yourname].com if you don't have one. If you don't want to build a site, you could link that domain to direct to your facebook page. However, IMO, having ONLY a facebook page reeks of amateur.

On a side note, I saw something similar to this, when driving last week,  except it was just [photobyJohnDoe].com ( I can't remember the actual name ) and it had no image, just text. I visited the site just out of curiosity, and the images were AWFULLLLLLLL. I am not usually one to put down anyones work, but this was bad. There was some bizarre lens zoom/blur painted around the edge of every photo. The pictures literally made me sick to look at them due to this crappy effect. I wish I could remember the site. Lets just say, this guys advertisement was not getting him anywhere. So I guess the point is to make sure that you don't get ahead of yourself. Make sure your work is up to snuff before putting out a driving billboard because it has the possibility to do you more harm than good. Good luck though.


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## paigew (Dec 5, 2011)

Those are great! I work in the 'dog' industry and the best most well known dog photographers in our town advertise by having framed work in all the nice/popular dog places. Vets, training facilities, daycares, grooming shops, boutiques, bakeries etc. They have large photos with their logo, and also a few business cards stuck in the corner of the frame. I would think that would be more effective than a car sign. I do think car signs are good though, my husband has some for his business....he hasn't gotten calls from them but they look professional .

My favorite is #2, I like the way he is looking up and over. Sees like you could use that to your advantage and put your logo up in that corner.


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## GooniesNeverSayDie11 (Dec 5, 2011)

You can also get a bunch of magnets made up in the shape of business cards. When you park somewhere crowded, like Walmart, you can attach several of the magnets to the back of the car so that anyone walking by that notices your advertisement, can take a magnet card.


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## shootermcgavin (Dec 5, 2011)

Ok well this may not be helpful but I wouldn't pick any of them.  You need a different breed or puppies in my opinion.  The collie is fairly safe but I would go with a lab or something to appeal to the masses.  I think puppies would be the safest though because most people love puppies regardless of breed.


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## Demers18 (Dec 5, 2011)

BekahAura said:


> Demers18 said:
> 
> 
> > I like number 4 or 5. But I think it would more important to come up with a nice logo to garner interest in your brand than actually having a picture on your vehicle. Branding in this case would more important and from what I can see, your logo needs work.
> ...



Absolutely! You want people to recognize your logo(company name). By putting the picture as the focal point, on a vehicle anyway, people will see the picture but won't remember the name of the company rendering your advertising pretty much useless to you. Get a nice logo, slogan or whatever to spark interest and direct them to check out your website.
As for your current logo, I just feel it's missing depth and will be hard to read with the "reflection" on your vehicle and THAT is something you want to make sure people can read and recognize.

And as Bitter said, show us a mock up of what you are thinking for your ad and it will be much easier for us to critique.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 5, 2011)

shootermcgavin said:


> Ok well this may not be helpful but I wouldn't pick any of them.  You need a different breed or puppies in my opinion.  The collie is fairly safe but I would go with a lab or something to appeal to the masses.  I think puppies would be the safest though because most people love puppies regardless of breed.


What? She's not selling dogs.


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## borisnikon (Dec 5, 2011)

I like all the pictures, number two is good because it could look at something else in your ad but I like number three because it's a nice photo with a lovely, fluffy, model. I think that the fridge magnet idea is good as you could put them on friends fridges on everyone that visits them is going to see and also if you give them out people will remember more than if you just give them a business card.


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## ManhattanShutterBug (Dec 5, 2011)

#3


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## BekahAura (Dec 6, 2011)

GooniesNeverSayDie11 said:


> I think #2 or #6 would work best as a silhouette. I agree that the text should be large, and you should probably buy a domain with [yourname].com if you don't have one. If you don't want to build a site, you could link that domain to direct to your facebook page. However, IMO, having ONLY a facebook page reeks of amateur.



Where did you get the idea that I only have a Facebook page? I've had a website with my own domain, for over two years, and my Facebook page for only a few months. Take a look at my signature again 



GooniesNeverSayDie11 said:


> You can also get a bunch of magnets made up in the shape of business cards. When you park somewhere crowded, like Walmart, you can attach several of the magnets to the back of the car so that anyone walking by that notices your advertisement, can take a magnet card.



That is an awesome, awesome, awesome idea! I was planning on getting these little magnetic photo frames and giving them out. The center pops out and serves as a business card too. Now I can just order another smaller sticker that says take a free photo frame and stick em on my bumper. I love it!

@Paigew Yeah I really need to get my photos in local pet businesses, there's no doubt about that. I have a long of marketing work ahead of me =)

Thanks for all your comments everyone, I think it's going to be one of the first 3 photos.


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## shootermcgavin (Dec 6, 2011)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> shootermcgavin said:
> 
> 
> > Ok well this may not be helpful but I wouldn't pick any of them.  You need a different breed or puppies in my opinion.  The collie is fairly safe but I would go with a lab or something to appeal to the masses.  I think puppies would be the safest though because most people love puppies regardless of breed.
> ...



Doesn't matter what she is selling in any advertisement you want to connect with the most viewers possible in a desirable way.  You wouldn't want to put a picture of a pitbull because of the message it may carry.  Labs and golden retrievers probably carry the best message and other than puppies probably make the best models in the dog world.  It's not wrong to go another way, but in advertising terms it's not desirable.


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## c.cloudwalker (Dec 6, 2011)

Schwettylens said:


> Without looking at the design I can tell you right now it is a stupid idea.  Most of your business comes from word of mouth or from internet search engine or links.  Nobody is going to write down your number without looking at your work.



I really don't think it's a stupid idea. A friend of mine has a truck with his studio name, phone number, etc almost permanently parked on the main street through his city and he gets business from it. And there are no photos...

Now, from my own experience advertising a business (not photography) in that way. Do the whole car. Both sides and the rear anyway. No need to do a car wrap although I have no idea what they run these days. But vinyl decals over the entire car cost me just under $300 just about 8 years ago. I got that back in no time with the extra orders we got from it. We even regularly gave out brochures out the window at redlights 

The main priority of the design was the readability of the text from a distance and while moving. We did have graphic elements but no photos as it was cheaper. If you really want a photo on you back window, make sure it takes the whole window (so it needs to be see through like car-wraps) with the text as an overlay. Use very simple, easy to read fonts. If you're not a designer, get a friend who is to help you. Way too many bad designs out there that don't do the job they are supposed to.

If you don't do that much driving around, make sure and park the car where it can get the most exposure or it's useless. And if you advertise a photo studio/business, don't ever leave cameras and gear inside unattended.

And last but not least, that's one a lot of people don't bother with, when you use your car as an advert, make sure it is clean, inside and out. A dirty car and piles of junk inside do not make me want to contact the business...


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## BekahAura (Dec 6, 2011)

All great information Cloudwalker! 



c.cloudwalker said:


> And if you advertise a photo studio/business, don't ever leave cameras and gear inside unattended.



A photographer I work with mentioned this also. He said the fear of letting everyone know he has lots of expensive equipment keeps him from advertising on his own car. The only time my camera gear is in the car is when I'm going somewhere to use it, and then it all comes out with me, so I should be good.

I'm very excited about all of this! I'm going to work on my design and hopefully finish it by tonight. I'll post a new thread with the design when I'm done.


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