Sort of a cross between the venerable “how-to” ad and a high-road corporate ad–with an arty photo treatment of the product. But it’s more than arty. The photo zooms right in on the actual working surface of the product, in keeping with my long-held tenet of engaging the reader by showing the product in such a way that they can “taste it.” The ad is for a recording console, some versions of which can be longer than twenty feet! Showing a full twenty-foot console means essentially just showing the shape of it, since all details are lost. My feeling is that recording engineers, who were the target market for this console, would find the working area more engaging than a mere overall silhouette.

What: Concept, copy, design, art, photo art direction
For: What To Do About Your Competition, full page color ad
Client: Mitsubishi Pro Audio Group
When: 1988