I had received an email recently with the image above pasted three deep in the content of the message. It was a forward from my father, Dan Lacy(http://www.danlacy.com). I thought to myself. Wow! This is a great advertisement for Pioneer Suspension! And that is where it hit me.
The forwarded email read:
It had NOTHING in the message about Pioneer Suspension. The person who forwarded the email to my father was under the assumption that the picture of the vinyl speed bump was meant as speeding restraint. He completely missed the fact that it was actually an advertisement.
Of course, Pioneer would never have been able to use a government roadway as a advertising medium unless something had been fully worked out pertaining to SPEED regulation.
Is the ad worth it?
Is it dangerous? I would more than likely SWERVE IF I WAS DRIVING TOWARD A MASSIVE POTHOLE and completely miss the ad. With my luck, I would probably drive straight into a tree or the man on the bicycle. I might even hit a hot dog cart vendor and be covered with beautiful yellow mustard. Who knows?
The point is, I love the piece because of it’s creativity but did it work? In the advertising world creativity is KING and the increase of sales is secondary. Keep winning those awards Bass & Yager, because in the end, it may be all you have.