How many layouts are too many layouts?
Recently, I saw something I'd never seen before - 14 layouts for the same ad.
Not 14 different ads, but 14 different layouts for the same ad. Right there up on a conference room wall.
Each ad was the same size (full page) and had the same headline, the same font and type size, the same visuals, the same copy and the same color scheme.
The weird thing was (as if having 14 layouts wasn't weird enough), 8 people were sitting around the conference room table debating which 3 layouts should be presented to the client - the CD, the ACD, the AD and CW, the AE, the Asst. AE, the Planner and the Production Mgr. And they debated for over an hour.
I have to be honest, nothing really distinguished one layout from the next. They all looked basically alike.
Now, maybe it's just me, but 14 layouts for the exact same ad seems a little too much.
What's your take on this? How many layouts are too many? Or is the sky the limit? I'd like to know.
Oh, by the way, the ad totally sucked. In every layout.
Not 14 different ads, but 14 different layouts for the same ad. Right there up on a conference room wall.
Each ad was the same size (full page) and had the same headline, the same font and type size, the same visuals, the same copy and the same color scheme.
The weird thing was (as if having 14 layouts wasn't weird enough), 8 people were sitting around the conference room table debating which 3 layouts should be presented to the client - the CD, the ACD, the AD and CW, the AE, the Asst. AE, the Planner and the Production Mgr. And they debated for over an hour.
I have to be honest, nothing really distinguished one layout from the next. They all looked basically alike.
Now, maybe it's just me, but 14 layouts for the exact same ad seems a little too much.
What's your take on this? How many layouts are too many? Or is the sky the limit? I'd like to know.
Oh, by the way, the ad totally sucked. In every layout.
posted by BillyD at 9:31 PM
1 Comments:
As a seasoned (holy crap, it's been 12 years!) art director, I think I might recognize this situation. When I was young I felt I had to give every layout decision representation, partly because I was not confident in the decision I had made and wanted feedback, and partly (being the lazy bastard I am) to look as though I worked harder than I actually had.
So the natural question is ... how young was the art director? And how lazy?
On the other hand, I'm disturbed by the ACD and CD sitting through this torture. How could they let this waste of time happen? I must say I blame the ACD. All of the best ACD's I've worked with would ask, "What's this crap?" way before the CD got exposed to it.
And where was the CW? All you copywriters out there, please do us AD's a favor ... don't hold back. Please let us know exactly what you think. If we're dominating the meeting with our stupid little layout choices, please kick us under the table. We tend to think everyone sees the details that we see, when in fact sometimes it's just not that important. Let's agree on the concepts ... AND THEN do the designing.
So, my question remains. Was this a young crew? or was everyone looking to bill some extra time to the client?
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