Friday Fix #1

We're proud to unveil a new and enlightening segment here at BrightBlog this summer.

Dubbed Friday Fix, the segment will be that of equal parts public outreach and public humiliation. We think it ... tough love.

Weekly, one advertisement will be pulled at random and have its inefficiencies put on display.

A note to those in favor of discretion: company names and phone numbers have not been omitted since the ad was designed with public consumption in mind.

Without further ado, this week's spotlight:

(-) The Cons.

Starting clockwise:

[1] Because of the grid-like layout, the ad reads like four different ads; a fatal mistake since separation from nearby ads is difficult enough.

[2] The ad begins with all capital letters and is made nearly impossible to read with the selected font and lettering that varies in height.

[3] The grass is apparently, "Always Green," but how is it always "Livable"? Do they mean "alive"?

[4] There is a problem with the agreement in the text. It should read: "Never ... mow, water, fertilize, ... Ever, ever again."

[5] The oversized logo in the bottom right-hand box is that of a product the company carries, which wouldn't be entirely bad if it weren't for the fact that the actual advertiser's logo is nowhere to be found (only its name in small print).

[6] The price reads, "as low as $4.95", but no measurable unit is provided. Does the price refer to to square footage? Square yardage?

[7] An asterisk appears in the bottom left-hand box, near the price of "$300-$600" but a matching footnote is nowhere to be found. Also, instead of providing a range of a $300 difference, the text should have read, "... as little as $300", and omitted any mention of the $600.

(+) The Pros.

[1] If you read the ad starting in the upper left-hand box, you are immediately faced with the open-ended question, "Has your pool deck seen better days?" Such an approach works to involve the reader.

[2] The boxes on the left-hand side display before and after images of a once decrepit pool deck that has been transformed; research shows that before and after displays work well to build consumer confidence.

[3] Good use of bullets throughout the ad help keep the information flowing.

[4] Some of the bullets mentioned in [#3] help to assuage some expected consumer fears: "Fast. Affordable. Professional. Hassle Free."

(+/-) Overall.

The marketing message is muddled and confusing. A typical reader wouldn't know where to begin reading the ad -- due in large part to its aesthetic shortcomings. In short, this ad for pool decking and synthetic grass doesn't cut it.