Comments on: What’s wrong with this picture?

By: Speedlinking 8 July 2008 » Treadly and Me

Speedlinking 8 July 2008 » Treadly and Me — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:30:23 +0000

[...] you had a good laugh at this ad for a popular over-the-counter analgesic yet? Talk about [...]

By: BACBikes

BACBikes — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:54:30 +0000

Um, maybe she could just stand in the corner and look pretty, or make the tea, or sumpin’. . . ? Who says the bike industry is sexist? I’m as liberated a feminist as the next man!

I reckon every cyclist is a bike mechanic in the making – yeah, you’re right. She’s probably only pretending anyway . . .

By: Treadly and Me

Treadly and Me — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:13:00 +0000

Yeah, I saw that ad in the paper too and immediately noticed the bell, the reflector, the elbow pads, and the shiny new bike that looks like it’s never been ridden (look at those completely unscuffed grips and there’s not a speck of mud or the smallest ding on the frame). It all just didn’t look credible—and I don’t know the first thing about mountain biking.

I agree with your analysis overall and in particular Adam_Y’s comment about the unwillingness to portray sick people in ads for medicine, and I think that’s what it’s really about. The “It’s my choice” campaign includes other active and attractive young women who seem to ‘need’ the product to see them through their chosen activities (including playing hockey and going out partying with ‘the girls’). So I don’t think it’s a specific dig at mountain biking but it’s certainly an eye-rollingly inept effort.

And if you want to get even more picky about the graphic [lack of] design, the sun shadow is on the left of Tess’s face but on the people in the stock background photo, the sun is shining from the other direction. Sheesh, how hard would it be to flip one or other image?

And just out of interest, do you really want someone hanging around BAC Bikes who wouldn’t want to get her hands dirty in case she chips a fingernail?

By: BACBikes

BACBikes — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:00:30 +0000

Yes, it’s a tangled web they weave, I suppose they want to push as much product out there and hope that some of it does some good, sorta, kinda. The scattergun effect.

Meanwhile we’ll all keep taking our soma, and every other drug we addict ourselves to, until we’re so bent that we don’t know what straight feels like any more. That reminds me – time for a coffee detox . . . but can I do it? Coffee cold turkey – challenge time!

By: Adam_Y

Adam_Y — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:47:16 +0000

Ahh, phantom feet, I’ve hear that they can cause excrutiating back pain.

The problem the pharm companies have is that they have an aversion to showing sick people… which considering they are the only consumer of their product (well, the sick and the addicted, and the not so sick that have been convinced they are sick, and the poor… let’s not forget them) is bad form.

Sick people don’t sell, you need an image of fitness and vitality… someone cured… someone in a red helmet with a pretty smile.

By: BACBikes

BACBikes — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:32:02 +0000

Yes, I noticed the 1/8th wheel segment, but a phantom foot too! You’re right: very sloppy graphic design work. Maybe these little snafu’s indicate the rushed and hurried premise of the whole idea of the ad: “Ok, go mountain biking if you must, you say it’s good for you (though I doubt it), and don’t come running to me with aches and pains when you’re done, or I’ll be forced to say ‘I told you so’. Mother knows best – just take these little tablets and lie down for a while, and no more silly adventure sports, hmm?”

Piss off, gsk, you and your vampiric piggybacking of popular culture. Yeah.

By: MickP

MickP — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:44:38 +0000

If you take a close look at the picture you will notice a foot below the bell and the bottom of a wheel under the head stem. Pretty sloppy work really. Glad I didn’t pay the bill.