Could lousy Art Direction torture children?
I'm not being flippant.
The other day I signed up to a charity which tries to prevent children from being ENSLAVED, EXPLOITED and SEXUALLY ABUSED in poor countries.
I could only do so by clicking on an appallingly designed banner which had a white copy on a yellow background - almost impossible to read.
Only a very, very gripping subject could get me to reply. I doubt if I would have, except I'm the perfect target because I already support a similar charity.
That art director's ignorance is unquestionably causing added misery, pain and probably death to children in poor countries.
It may astound you to know that the vast majority of those who call themselves art directors or designers don't have the vaguest clue about some very important things.
- They don't know where the eye goes first on an advertisement.
- They don't know where it usually flashes to next, or where it tends to end up.
- They don't know what sort of pictures attract the eye, or what the eye shuns.
- They don't know what’s easy to read and what's hard to read.
THEY DON'T HAVE A BLOODY CLUE.
Some, for instance set all their copy in hard-to read capitals, which I have done sparingly here to draw your eye to things I want to emphasise.
Why don't they have a clue - or if they do they ignore it?
Because they're intent on being "creative".
But they don't understand true creativity.
Being creative - no matter what the field - means attracting people's eyes for as long as possible and so involving their minds and emotions as long as possible.
When I talk in October I will show you what art directors don't know and what they should know, and what you should know to look for.
No other copy seminar will show you that, I bet.
Why did I pose that question at the top?
Because if you make it hard for people to sign up to your charity then fewer will sign up, and if fewer people sign up to help protect these poor defenceless children then fewer of the children will be protected.
Hundreds or thousands may suffer more than they should do all because some prick wanted to be creative.
If you think the most important thing about marketing is to be creative please don't join me on October 25th.
Best,
Drayton