Mediocrity in design

Posted by: Yorkali on: November 15, 2006

• In: Business | Clients and Recent work | Design | Graphics | Panama
• 3 Comments

I read this article by Bob Garfield on Advertising Age. Excellent passionate commentary, just up my alley. As he whittles the grand Saturn/GM ad down to size I can see why brands like Oldsmobile eventually went belly up and why GM is in the financial mess that it’s in.

Mediocrity.

For decades whimpy design got pumped out of Detroit, now they have some fresh thinking but they are serving it up on cliche driven visuals and copy. The same thing is happening with Panama’s real estate advertising.

I am getting sick and tired of the same visuals and same copy EVERYWHERE. The low angle shot of the building, the infinity pools, the rolling view of Panama city. It’s nauseating! Then every other paragraph is genorously sprinkled with the word “lifestyle” Just typing it now gives me the hibby-jibbys. And of course the overtly repeated marble dripping luxuriousness of the apartments.

Now, let me be fair, not all develepors have this constrained, myopic approach to their ads. A few are actually quite uplifting, they draw you into the design and the use of the branding material is top notch. Makes me wanna call! My faves are Buena Ventura, Isla Viveros , Tucan Country Club, Valle Escondido and most recently Embassy Club.  Well targeted, well designed and millenia away from the prevailing mediocrity. The remnant I hope though will become the majority soon. As the party becomes more crowded and Balboa Avenue starts to look more like Biscayne Boulevard,  with the signal getting drowned in the noise of sameness, I look forward to the attitudes of the developers evolving and embracing a more mature, focused imaginative approach to thier advertising.

What most local promoters are having a problem with is transitioning from developing ad campaigns for the local market to focusing on a more design-savvy audience.

The baby-boomer.

Yes they have all the stats on how many are retiring and yes they are coming here in droves and are snapping up condos and villas at an alarming pace. Which is great for Panama and I hope it continues. BUT as the amount of projects escalate into the heavens and more Donald Trumps invest in the country, the developers will have to focus on a more powerful differentiator  than just location and the “new concept” design that emblazons thier current collateral. They need to write more tantalizing focused copy. Words that speak to people at this very special time in their lives. Not just an endless list of features and amenities. It’s time to be more creative. It’s time to use our noggins to escape this sea of mediocrity. Hopefully GM will do the same.

Yorkali
Just some thoughts from my Imaji Nation

disclosure:
i. I have worked on print design for Tucan and web design for Valle Escondido.
ii. I have decided not  link to or show the ads. I think it’s best to
simply mention the names of those who  in my mind are doing a good job.
iii. You be the judge. Pick up a couple real estate magazines while here in Panama and you will see what I mean.

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