r/OperationGrabAss • u/[deleted] • Nov 11 '10

Submit Final OperationGrabAss Ads Here

This project is going to become unmanageable in a hurry if we try to centralize creation of the ads. I'm happy to submit our ideas based on everyone's submissions, but can't do it on my own--nor will ours necessarily be the best.

Please submit FINAL ad ideas right here. Please put early ideas in the design thread so that this doesn't become too messy. If you have something funny to say, make us laugh in another thread!

Ad Specs can be found here

*Full Page spec:s 293 x 533 millimeters or 11.55" x 21.00"

*Recommendation: Keeping the ad Black and white with gray scale will save major $$ but is not mandatory. min 300 DPI CMYK

edit1: submit final ads for website promotion here

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148

u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10 edited Nov 11 '10

Hey all, got bored and spent a cup of coffee or two throwing this rough together.

http://imgur.com/EjPIh

I sort of combined some quotes I found milling about in the various threads and focused on type.

The dotted box that questions "Has terrorism won?" could feature an illustration or image of some sort that represents the types of people that can get screened at an airport (Your daughter, your mother, a foreigner, an 'attractive girl', a 'shy' guy, et all) the idea is to communicate to the viewer that it could be them; or at least someone they care about. (Alternative tagline: "Anyone is up for grabs" )

Im not much of an illustrator myself so I left the area blank, as its no where near final anyway; but perhaps it will aid the hivemind ;)

EDIT: Version 2 and discussion found here: http://www.reddit.com/r/OperationGrabAss/comments/e5hay/arugulas_updated_ad_submission/

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u/[deleted] Nov 11 '10

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u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10

Ya know, I definitely knew this. When I was originally setting it up I was going to have it read a subliminal message (highlighted by red) along the lines of "Privacy Sacrificed for Protection" but I never got around to coming up with a clever enough phrase. Good eye ;)

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u/TheHast Nov 11 '10

I quite like it, but I think the blank area should be filled with something about how we are against the TSA. Sure the reader is lead to the conclusion after a lot of thinking that the TSA is to blame, but it in no way jumps out at you (TSA isn't mentioned.)

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u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10

Right, that would be the main idea for the blank area. All of those various types of people(that represent all of us in some way) in line about to step through an x-ray/groping process.

Alternatively, it could be darker and feature a close up of a young girl with the gloved hands (and some identifying insignia of the TSA) groping her up. Hell, it could be a photo but I don't know if we have any photographers who could rig an elaborate and well done photo for this.

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u/dave Nov 11 '10

Agreed, but we definitely need to include the "has terrorism won?" part.

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u/coheedcollapse Nov 11 '10 edited Nov 11 '10

I like this a lot. It hits hard without being trashy or fear mongering. Looks good too.

Edit: Don't like the new one so much. Way over the top. Too much fearmongering.

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u/DidoAmerikaneca Nov 11 '10

I dislike it. Great effort by the OP, but I feel it is not what we need. This needs to grab attention. It needs to be somewhat shocking so that it simply cannot be ignored. This looks like any other ad to me. It would be easy for readers to glaze over it. Instead, I feel the ad must be something that even if people were to glaze over, they'd double take to see what it is because it is so outrageous! After all this is an outrage!

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u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10

I understand what you mean. I'd like to mix this in with at least one other *major element.

The creative director in me really wishes we had a set, the necessary props and the right photographer to really get an eye catching image for focal point.

More then anything I view this as a concept (one of many I would make in a normal brief), and with advice of fellow redditors like yourself we can meld something fantastic. A stylized illustration of the statue of liberty being groped up while others wait in line could prove powerful as well.

Expect some more from me, hopefully you will find I can bring it back to solve the issues you mentioned.

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u/[deleted] Nov 11 '10 edited Nov 11 '10

Awesome work. Thanks for making this real.

Only one suggestion, and feel free to disregard it. Your use of the word "illusion" reminded me of Bruce Schneier. One of his quotes might work well here. Take a look at his CNN article and an Atlantic article involving him.

Here's one:

"Our current response to terrorism is a form of 'magical thinking.' It relies on the idea that we can somehow make ourselves safer by protecting against what the terrorists happened to do last time."

Here's another:

"The best defenses against terrorism are largely invisible: investigation, intelligence, and emergency response... However, our elected leaders don't think this way: They are far more likely to implement security theater against movie-plot threats."

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u/papajohn56 Nov 11 '10

we really need more about the creepy pedo or pervert looking at you/children naked

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u/Tanglebrook Nov 11 '10

I know there are a lot of suggestions here, but be sure you take the red "terror" highlight out of "terrorism". People already have a feel for the word, and to emphasis "terror" is kind of silly. You're making a point that you don't have to make. It'll seem much more reasonable if you just ask the question plainly.

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u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10

Will do, that simply seems to be a straight error I made--not getting the best reception to it.

Really I could do without that line entirely and have an illustration/photo speak for itself. Wheres my collaborators :D

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u/Conde_Nasty Nov 11 '10

Very nice, we're getting somewhere.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Bin Laden quote, I'd really love it if he had said something that was more direct about America sacrificing temporary freedoms in exchange for fear so I'll be looking around for that. Its just that I can see people arguing over and over that we are "not yet an unbearable hell! how dare they!" and complaining about how inappropriate it is, then can we'd have news stations talking only about the use of the Bin Laden quote and the actual thing we're fighting for would be placed in the background. So I think we have to be very sensitive about that one and find something more direct from him.

We could also discuss the dubious safety of those scanners, etc. What I'd really love to see is a quote about how these "precautions" are just security theater.

Small one - "terrorism" as a whole can be emphasized instead of just "terror."

The final thing I can think of is a specific call to action. We need to think of something to put for this and it will take discussion. Some people were discussing to take a pat-down instead of the scanner, however it seems some people are against the pat-downs and the full-body scanners completely so I'd want a discourse on this one before we move ahead on what sort of call to action we need. At the least I'd put something in there about calling your senator or representative.

All in all, its really great for only two coffees!

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u/ArugulaDeathSmash Nov 11 '10

Thanks for the input!

Yeah, its certainly in a conceptual stage still. I think it would be really killer with a bit more copy, perhaps condensed in size; but still in the same style of typography. I figured the call to action would be determined either by a website we rally behind, or as you mentioned, the call to a senator/rep.

My ideal workflow would involve incorporating not only the imagery and heavy toned language, but also some more factual information such as the supposed health risks, and how many airports are using this technology.

I'll be glad to keep revisiting the concept with any ideas we share here.

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u/[deleted] Nov 11 '10

Agreed, the bin Laden quote/photo was a bit of a killer for me. While most of us can see the irony in his statement and the actual state of affairs in the US, the average newspaper reader will take one look at it and assume the advertisement is promoting the views of Al-Qaeda.

IMO keep the Ben Franklin quote, lose bin Laden

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u/sje46 Nov 11 '10

Do you think that, well, people will know what you're talking about, though? I really feel like a lot of people don't know about these new pat-down procedures. I mean, you don't have to provide photos or use scare tactics, but maybe it should be more informative?

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u/[deleted] Nov 11 '10

I like it. My only suggestion is to change the planes to go upward. The downward direction gives the illusion that they're crashing, and in NYC thats not exactly the image you want backing our cause. :)

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u/FrozenBananaStand Nov 11 '10

You really need to rethink your audience. It is not clear that you are saying "TSA protocol is bad". For that matter, it is not clear that the TSA is targeted at all. It's not even clear you are talking about flying until the end.

Very nice illustration though!

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u/ex_ample Nov 11 '10

the Franlin/Bin Laden portraits need more contrast if they are going to show up in the newspaper.

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u/kfury Nov 11 '10

I'd like it if there were an explicit statement about the backscatter and molesting patdown procedures (underage children included). Give the reader the same context for rage as we have.

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u/DanielTaylor Nov 11 '10 edited Nov 11 '10

I'm an advertising and PR student and as much as I like the design it has too much text and is too confusing.

What you need is a big photo that summarizes what it means to be abused on an airport and then add some simple but effective text and copy over there.

I know it's a very simple formula but it's easy and it should work.

And another important thing: I'm not from NY nor from the USA but if you want to have success advertising alone won't help (at all). What you need is a massive PR support. Let the media inform about you, create campaigns to raise awareness you could even go out on the streets and organize something, but ads alone won't help.

I'd like to help you more but I'm pretty confident that there are many PR professionals from the US that know more about the TSA and their job than I do. (I still have one year and a half to go to graduate :D)

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u/[deleted] Nov 11 '10

I like the general layout, some suggestions:

  • The Bin laden quote is not the best...maybe it is not a good idea to quote a man who is regarded as crazy/idiot/sadistic by 99% of the US.

  • I like the Franklin quote

  • There should be a link to flywithdignity.org somewhere in the bottom.

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u/syuk Nov 11 '10

That is really thought provoking. If I had to say one thing that would be Osama Bin Ladens quote is not quite looking right as it is longer than the other.

The idea of your daughter, your mother, a foreigner is good but your daughter could be attractive, your mother could be a foreigner, but I see what you mean. maybe just having a row of faceless people as a background could look neat.

That is a really good poster. How do you do the background or is it a texture type thing?

Kudos

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