I just published a column all about those... distinctive... computer-magazine ads.
You know the ones I mean.
If you've seen a magnificent example of the breed, I invite you to scan it (if it's not already online), upload it somewhere, and bring it to the world's attention in the comments!
(For spam-prevention reasons, you can't embed an image in your comment. Just list the URL in plaintext and I'll image-ify it for you, as per the "Geek Ink" post. An image URL by itself will turn into a clickable link: http://www.dansdata.com/images/ltgf2/fancygraph.png)
21 June 2010 at 11:01 pm
These advertisements are endearing more than anything. The fact that it's so ubiquitous leads me to believe it's part of the style guide for computer component advertisements. I honestly hope the industry continues the trend.
Along these same lines, I found some fantastic retro advertisements mimicking the style of the late 70s that someone made for fictitious MP3 players, cell phones, laptops, and hand-held gaming doodads.
We recycle all our magazines, so I sadly don't have any amusing images to add to your burgeoning compendium of glossy wenches and their heaving video cards.
21 June 2010 at 11:09 pm
My first thoughts went to Penny Arcade:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/7/26/
22 June 2010 at 2:42 am
Clearly I am culturally deprived - I don't read magazines, I don't watch TV, and I surf the web with adblock. So where would I see these ads?
Maybe a better question is, do these ads actually sell products? I mean, if I'm trying to decide on which fan to buy for my PC, is seeing an ad in a magazine actually going to affect my decision, whether the ad has giant robots or sober statistics?
22 June 2010 at 9:30 pm
I immediately thought of this older example. :-)
http://www.lauppert.ws/images2/bc3kad.jpg
23 June 2010 at 12:30 am
Everyone knows that red cars go faster....
so obviously the video card with the biggest boobs goes faster, and the case with the hairiest alien goes...umm cooler?
23 June 2010 at 1:47 pm
I absolutely loathe these ads. I cant buy a figgin' video card without some pre-pubescent boy's idea of a half-naked 'warrior princess' adorning the box.
Its embarrassing for everyone involved.
23 June 2010 at 8:14 pm
I am really glad to know that I am not the only one who thinks these ads are awesome. Ads for almost anything else are loaded with Madison Avenue patented Boring Copy and recycled pics - often, yes, of attractive people, but still... boring. These at least are fun. Childish, yes. But fun and they look like they were fun to create. When and if they go all professional and politically correct, it will be a sad, sad day.
23 June 2010 at 8:54 pm
It's not just the English who do the louder/slower thing. I spent two months living in Spain, and was frequently the target of LOUDER and FASTER, even if I begged them to use simple words at a slower pace in my basic but serviceable Castilian Spanish.
28 June 2010 at 9:45 pm
Does anyone still have their old copies of BYTE magazine?
Back in the 80's they ran a series of adverts, with a woman at her desk. She was touching up her makeup - which was "Camo" (Camouflage) green.
Try as I might, I can't recall what she was actually selling.
11 August 2010 at 9:29 pm
The majority of those ads are actually done by Australian IT wholesalers using local English-speaking staff in their marketing departments. The copy is intentionally designed to look the way it does, to convey the image that it's been done by an Asian-based business - it's not an accident.