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Our World-Underwater 2008 Follow Up Brian Pautsch on 3/9/2008 in In Cart
We have been very busy since we left the Our World-Underwater show. It was our second year as an exhibitor and was a great experience. We were very happy to see both friends and family visit us at booth #121. We handed o...
Just in Time for Valentine's Day Brian Pautsch on 2/13/2008 in In Cart
In our last issue, we published a very good article submitted by Oceana. We trade emails periodically with them and received this one today. We thought you might like to see it too.Hello Brian,I wanted to pass along ...
New Advertisement - We want your opinion! Brian Pautsch on 2/8/2008 in In Cart
Even though we are a magazine that sells advertising space, we have to do our own advertising in other publications to spread the word!We have spent the past few weeks designing some new ads and want to know what you, ou...
CAPTAIN'S BLOG

New Advertisement - We want your opinion!

2/8/2008 by Capt. Darrick Lorenzen | 28 Comments | 566 Views

Even though we are a magazine that sells advertising space, we have to do our own advertising in other publications to spread the word!

We have spent the past few weeks designing some new ads and want to know what you, our readers, think.

Below are our top 4 ad designs. Please take a few minutes to review each advertisement and leave some comments below.

Please do not read everyone else's comments first...we want your real opinion and don't want you to be influenced by others.

Pay attention to the design, not the content so much. Content is easy to change and we plan to change it month to month regardless of the design we use.

Everyone who leave comments will be entered in a raffle to win a Freestyle Shark Buzz Dive Watch - $70 Value! A winner will be picked next week.

Thanks,
Captain Darrick and Brian


DESIGN #1

DESIGN #2

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DESIGN #3

DESIGN #4

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COMMENTS

On 4/29/2008 Nelson Howard said:

If I had another option it would be a great Midwest wreck pic otherwise #2 is it!


On 4/29/2008 nelson howard said:

Luv #2! Jumps out at you and "diving rite in!" is what we are all about. The pice has great texture and depth.


On 3/5/2008 Capt Walt said:

#1 Cover say MIDWEST all over it. It typifies what I think of when I think Diving in the Midwest. The water is Fresh and the lighting is correct. The other 3 covers all look ike the Carribian and blend in with all the other dive magazines that totally forget that there is great diving in lots of places. Like New England and the Great Lakes. Capt Walt NEW ENGLAND CHARTERS LLC


On 2/28/2008 Rob said:

#2 was the 1st pic I looked at. I usually go by the type of images that get my eye 1st when I advertise my own business.#2 also had better ad copy. Good luck and look forward to this mag.


On 2/28/2008 Capt. Rib said:

ITS FINALLY HAPPENED SCUBA CUBA WITH AN OFAC LICENSE Starting immediately, volunteer divers can dive in Cuba legally under an amendment of my license (CT-8990) from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department. I am putting together multiple R.E.E.F survey expeditions to Cuba in 2008 where American scuba divers can legally travel to Cuba AND spend money there. Each volunteer diver must be registered with R.E.E.F. and complete either a dive center Introductory Fish Identification course or a Beginning Reef Fish Identification Home-Study Course. In addition, each volunteer diver must be registered with the OFAC by filling out an application which I will be providing. The application process takes between 30 and 60 days. More information will be posted to my web site soon. In the meantime, if you or your dive center would like more information and/or a copy of my license, I can be reached at the numbers below. Best regards, Rib Capt. Rib Bolton, President African Insights P O Box 260023 St Louis MO 63126 636.671.9231 636.671.9399 Fax 866.203.2071 www.AfricanInsights.net Capt.Rib@AfricanInsights.net


On 2/22/2008 Carol Anderson said:

My eye went to number two right away. It conveys more adventure and exploration than the other ones. I like the use of light.


On 2/15/2008 m.r.moore said:

Midwest diving does not include include saltwater. Show the Great dive site, like the Willey out of Milwaukee Wis. and other site around the Great Lakes.


On 2/15/2008 Lori said:

I hope #3 doesn't make novice divers expect coral reefs in Lake MI...liked #1, and #2 especially, real nice picture. The words in #4 caught me first because the pic is rather monochromatic. #2 is my favorite


On 2/12/2008 MR said:

Nice covers, however I don't expect reefs in a publication that promotes diving in the Midwest. Maybe something with shipwrecks and Lake Michigan Diving, etc. Just my 2 cents...


On 2/12/2008 Elsabe Shore said:

As diver I feel number 4 and as designer I feel that the other ones can have any other background and your logo would get lost. Nothing about them SAYS MidwestScuba. I don't get the connection. Just pretty pictures. Number 4 conveys your identity the best and is also cuting edge with the typography. Great color use and as some previous comments, really eye catching!


On 2/12/2008 steve said:

1... dull and bland, 2... too commercial and arbitrary, looks like cheap discount store, 3... intriguing and a bit too pale in colour, 4... perfect, it reflects you, sence of adventure and something different. Exactly what we experience as divers, even the text at the bottom is a new way of putting it... very striking and creative!


On 2/12/2008 hendrik said:

In my opinion... darkness and discovering of "treasures" is what we usually get down there. number 4 for me. It also conveys the exciting colors and variety we see down there, cleverly portrayed as coral. Not too overly cliche magazine... yet fits the criteria of magazine layout. Subtlety, class, adventure and discovery can be felt in this one.


On 2/12/2008 Julie Scott said:

Number two! The image is eye catching, the text easy to read. Personally I find the others rather bland.


On 2/12/2008 Cindy Medley said:

I immediately liked #2. It's bold contrasts are eye catching; an added benefit is that the dark area makes it very easy to read the info. It also shows that you don't always need a lot of colorful reef fish or a macro shot to capture one's interest. There is almost a feeling of movement to it as if you can see the light shafts shimmering and watch the bubbles rising to break the surface. #1 has a drab appearance. #4 is a nice pic on it's own but it doesn't work as well with the print. #3 would be my second choice; it's creative and colorful but it just doesn't grab you like #2 does


On 2/12/2008 sue Bock said:

Design #2 caught my eye. I want to pick it up and find out more!


On 2/12/2008 Dave Pickens said:

I think Design #2 is the most balanced and eye catching. Others are good but there's just something off about them. Too dark or placement of text just isn't the best.


On 2/12/2008 Val V. Plouff said:

I liked #2, however; the magazine says Midwest Scuba. If the content is mostly about diving in the midwest, I would think lthe magazine covers should reflect photos of areas in the midwest.


On 2/12/2008 Bill McClain said:

I feel design 1 and 2 look too much like pamphlets or hand outs. Design 3 looks most like an appealing magazine cover that I would pick up and browse through, easy. I am sorry but I am just not impressed with Design 4, it’s to busy and hard to focus.


On 2/12/2008 Ron Beauchemin said:

Number 1 is too blurry and not very inspiring. Number conveys a sense of adventure and the shafts of light descending to the diver's depth add a lot to the photo. This cover is also gender neutral and will attract a wider audience (diver could be either male or female). Also the words on number two convey your message better than any of the others. Number 3 is bright and cheery but does not convey your message as well # 2. Number 3 is also not gender neutral which might mimit its appeal. Number 4 is interesting but too dark, It is also does not convey your messsage and is nmot gender neutral thus potentially limiting your audience. In summary, number 2 is the best choice.


On 2/12/2008 Rob Neto said:

Number 2 caught my eye immediately. At first I thought it was the photo (it appeals to me), but looking at the design more and trying to tune out the photo still brings me to #2. It's not too busy and provides just enough information for the potential reader. The other cover designs offer too much information. Sometimes less is better, and in this case it was for me.


On 2/11/2008 Dale said:

Ad #2 and Ad#3 really caught my eye. #2 is bold and does a great job capturing the diver. Ad#3 has more color. Ad's 1 and 4 appear to have too much empty space and doesn't focus on the the picture.


On 2/11/2008 Dean Nolan said:

Number 2 grabbed my attention. #1 was confusing, and I couldn't tell what I was seeing. #3 was too tropical, although I know you want to widen your influence. #4 was too dark


On 2/11/2008 Tony Chico2 said:

As an designer/art director/diver, I would like to see ad#3 pursued. My suggestions would be to use some of the swirly lines from the top repeated on the bottom somewhat transparent, and to see the smaller text layed out over them. I would nix the red splash, add the "FREE Mag" to read "interactive website & Free mag" (or vice versa) on top of the title and move the website info to below the title. Thanks for putting this great mag out for us!


On 2/11/2008 Peter McKinley said:

They all look great. I like the photo in #2, but not the text. I like the creativity of #3. And I like the colors of #4. Hope that helps.


On 2/11/2008 Joe Lindt said:

I like #3


On 2/11/2008 Tim Brown said:

#1 is a little dull. #2 is nice, but maybe too dark. #3 is different and busy. #4 is cool, but too dark. Hard to tell without seeing it on print.


On 2/9/2008 Bill Bryan said:

#1 is too bright and washed out, harded to read #4 catches my attention but is not very readable once you have my attention # 3 eyecatching, well laid out and easy to read # 2 grabs my attention with the contrast and, again, is well laid otu and easy to read - my favorite


On 2/9/2008 Art Garvin said:

Design #2 is the most eyecatching. Design #4 is too dark. Design #3 is pretty ho-hum. Design #1 was OK but when I inspected it more closely, I sort of lost interest. Good luck. Art



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