Friday, September 3, 2010

The University Where it's Always a "D+"

How many people would want to go or send their kid to a school whose advertisement is "D+"?  I don't know about you, but I might personally take that as a negative.  No one ever want to see D+ anywhere on his reportcards, because nothing about a D+ radiates achievement.

So my question is, who in this PR firm thought that the "Drake Advantage" campaign for Drake University should ever, in a million years, be represented by "D+".  That's almost as bad as something like Kit Kat coming out with the Krazy Kit Kat and calling it the "KKK."  Maybe my example is a little much, granted, but it's the same idea - failing to realize the negative connotation of an idea.  Maybe if it had been "Drake+" instead of "D+" that would be understandable.  You could even go so far as to say "D" with the "+" sign on the inside of the D, but to have them butted up together in a way resembling a failing grade is just downright poor proofing on the part of the PR firm.  I would be utterly embarrased, that's for sure.  I don't think it's worthy of being fired, granted, so I hope the designers still have their jobs!  I might just write myself a sticky-note reminder that says "BE OBJECTIVE" or "GET A 2ND OPINION!", laminate it, frame it, and stick it on my cube wall!

Remember, there's never anything wrong with getting feedback.  In fact, that's how all of us grow and become better at what we do.  However, their failure to catch their slip up definitely led to a nice afternoon laugh.  Way to go.  "D+"

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