restaurant ad - please critique

[carolyn]

This is an ad I just made for one of those "Community Guide" magazines (you know those little magazines telling you all the places to see and eat at in the town) for a vegan restaurant. The food is very ethnic and diverse. The chef creates a lot of Indian dishes, so that's where the inspiration for this ad (as well as the biz cards and website) came from. Ornate Indian design. I just sent this ad to the head of the magazine yesterday, so it's not too late to send revisions if anyone happens to notice anything in dire need of change. Let me know what you think!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/leaksmoke/balasia_ad.jpg

[WannaBrie]

The pic of the food looks tasty, but I'm not really digging the colors. I like the image/border, but it looks a tad heavy, kind of hems in the design. I do like the display font you've chosen, though, it seems to give off a vegan/indian feel. Hope that helps!

[seamas]

I actually DO like the colors except for the yellow used in the text.

I think you can go more subtle, something less yellow -a little closer to the background color. I think you can get away with a low contrast there. The other colors look relevant to the culture of the cuisine - the yellow looks garish.


Is there a bevel filter on the title? If so, get rid of it.


I think the mixed alignment is not helping here -not enough space horizontally to make it effective. You might just have to go centered text throughout -or at least the title.

[balou]

I agree with seamas, maybe a softer gold/yellow with the type? I think if you take off the border around the food picture, it might smooth it out a bit. Try not using a border on the photo and see what it looks like.

[Toxic Culture]

I don't like the colours and the fact its just one heavy colour. It makes everything look too heavy and uninspired. I would go for more subtle, lighter colours with a gradient or even an image with a lot of transparency on the background. Maybe multiple pictures could work, one of the actual place too- people are more likely to try it if they can actually see the enviornment they'll be dining in.
Oh and is the font used the same as the font for the actual resturant? Im a big fan of continuity

[emucru]

I agree with the majority on the colours. Too dark & drap, should be fresh and appetizing. Try and pull some colours from the image. I find my eye goes to the space between the phone # and address. Try grouping the contact info. I like the border and font selection.

[steve2112]

I like the idea of what you have but judging from the design of your website and other work you done i think this is at the bottom. I have seen your portfolio and you can totally do a lot better.

The whole thing is just boring to me. Which might work for this depending on where it will be seen and how much cash you are getting to do it.

steve

edit::: Also i think the pic of the food needs some color work to make it pop a little

[double A-ron]

I don't think it looks too bad at all. I agree with ditching the border around the image and getting rid of the bright yellow color. You could probaby get away with using the lighter green color you have behind the text "Vegan Organic Local". The only other crit. I have is to change the typeface of the website (and address if it's the same, it's so small, I can't tell), it doesn't flow with the rest of the text at all, I'd just use the same typeface that the restaruant name is.

[carolyn]

Well regarding the colors, the chef wanted "deep green, monk's robe orange, and fuscia/magenta." Luckily I was able to talk her out of the magenta but I had to stick with the orange and dark green. I wanted it to look earthy and Indian. I will mess around with different shades of yellow though and ditch the border around the picture. The text with the address and website url is waaay too small to use anything other than a simple sans serif font though, otherwise I would have made it the same font as the name. It's a really fat porky font.

[seamas]

Yes. I think with all except the bright yellow, you achieved the earthy Indian appeal.
If you keep that appeal with a new text color, I think you will nail it.

How about the text alignment?

[budafist]

The colours are totally not appetising. I love food, but that ad would never make me want to eat there.

The photo itself has a very blue cast which seems too sterile. I'm not saying make it a yellow cast, because that can make it look dated, but make it more natural by upping the yellow cast a little.

I realise that the food has Indian influence, but if it's not an Indian Restaurant, maybe you should suggest this with the design too.

[carolyn]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/leaksmoke/new_ad.jpg
eh?
i don't know, i think i hate the name centered

[budafist]

Nah, name doesn't need to be centred. The pale yellow is much better the previous yellow was very jarring to my poor eyes.

[tZ]

Doesn't really look like a ad but, the front of a menu.

Have you researched what established advertisers would call a successful ad?

In all honesty this is not it. I'd recommend spending some more researching the format before proceeding.

[carveacurve]

Looks good but have to accept wht tZ says

[Ovaltine]

might also be nice to know the open hours.

[carolyn]

Doesn't really look like a ad but, the front of a menu.

Have you researched what established advertisers would call a successful ad?

In all honesty this is not it. I'd recommend spending some more researching the format before proceeding. I'ts a Community Guide, ie a list of businesses in this particular community. Every single restaurant ad in this guide looks like the front of their menu. I do believe that's what they were going for.

I'm sorry the ad doesn't appeal to you. Our target audience is people who enjoy Indian food, or people who enjoy ethnic vegan food. In that respect I will disagree and say I do think it's successful. I'd recommend spending some time researching Indian design before you critique it (and yes I am being defensive; every post you write is extraordinarily condescending, pretentious and rude).

[Ned]

Well, a restaurant guide and a display ad for a newspaper or magazine are two very different things. You didn't clarify that in your original post, so Tz's post was justified. If it's going into a restaurant guide, then yeah, that look is fine.

I think you've done much better on the colors now, but I would go with a bit of orange in the yellow, to make it a bit more bronzy. I would also go with a more pale green on the backgorund of Vegan Organic Local, as there's not enough contrast to read it easily.

Funny, but I agree that you seem to have captured what we westerners would call the "Indian feel", but if it were an authentic Indian ad, it would have lots of bright vibrant colors. Everything there from their carts to their houses, are painted like that. Not that I would suggest doing this, of course... ;D

[carolyn]

hey come on now. read my original post, i was extremely clear. i even further clarified what i was talking about parenthetically.

you're right on about the bright vibrant colors, and that's pretty much what the chef wanted initially. she wanted pink yellow orange, the whole deal. fortunately we reached a compromise.

[frankster]

At first glance I don't find the colours (yellow and dark green) appetising either, but then I realised that they reminded me of Sag aloo and that is both Indian and vegan, so not a bad association.

Tz can come across a little overly loudly to new folk on here sometimes, but if you stick around a while you'll find that although he's still in school (I think), he's got a good eye for design and most of what he says is worth taking on board, even if you don't use it.

As a customer, if I'm going to be swayed into visiting a restaurant based only on a page advert then I'd be wanting to see not just a design around one photo of some food that I may or may not order, but a well shot photo of the interior of the restaurant giving a feel for the atmosphere and a sample list/overview of the menu or descriptions of the "chef's specials". That would tempt me to investigate further.

[urstwile]

If all the other restaurants ads look like the front page of a menu, and you make it so yours does not, wouldn't that benefit the restaurant by making its ad stand out more? I'm just sayin'. ;)

[tZ]

I understand unity at the same time being different makes you stand out. Its difficult to stand out by playing follow the leader.

What if you were to sell something different?

I'm sure that almost every ad in this guide sells the food so by selling something different wouldn't that make your ad standout more?

[Ned]

As a customer, if I'm going to be swayed into visiting a restaurant based only on a page advert then I'd be wanting to see not just a design around one photo of some food that I may or may not order, but a well shot photo of the interior of the restaurant giving a feel for the atmosphere and a sample list/overview of the menu or descriptions of the "chef's specials". That would tempt me to investigate further.

Myself, Frankster, I would want to see a picture of the chef. If he's skinny, I won't venture there. If he's fat, then I may check it out. Never trust a skinny chef. :D

[carolyn]

At first glance I don't find the colours (yellow and dark green) appetising either, but then I realised that they reminded me of Sag aloo and that is both Indian and vegan, so not a bad association.

Tz can come across a little overly loudly to new folk on here sometimes, but if you stick around a while you'll find that although he's still in school (I think), he's got a good eye for design and most of what he says is worth taking on board, even if you don't use it.

As a customer, if I'm going to be swayed into visiting a restaurant based only on a page advert then I'd be wanting to see not just a design around one photo of some food that I may or may not order, but a well shot photo of the interior of the restaurant giving a feel for the atmosphere and a sample list/overview of the menu or descriptions of the "chef's specials". That would tempt me to investigate further.
I was definitely torn on whether I should include a picture of the food, or a picture of the building. Especially since the building is really unigue, it's an old carraige house turned into a restaurant. But then the food is presented so beautifully I wanted to show that too! I just hoped people would go to the website if they were interested, all the pictures or info they could ever hope for are there.

[carolyn]

If all the other restaurants ads look like the front page of a menu, and you make it so yours does not, wouldn't that benefit the restaurant by making its ad stand out more? I'm just sayin'. ;)
certainly! see i thought the design itself DID stand out, especially in this guide.

Myself, Frankster, I would want to see a picture of the chef. If he's skinny, I won't venture there. If he's fat, then I may check it out. Never trust a skinny chef. :D
you'd never eat there then, she weighs maybe 90 lbs. whenever i bring someone there who is kind of unsure about vegan food to begin with, they see the chef and never go near tofu ever again (thinking eating it will emaciate them)

[nyc_skater]

you Said: (you know those little magazines telling you all the places to see and eat at in the town)

So where's the picture of the restaurant itself....I wouldn't go there just becasue of that, to me atmosphere is just as important if not more than a plate of something i never tried. I could tell if i'm over/under dressed, if it's classy enough for me etc...

And I like what TZ said, think outside the box, so what if that's the norm, break that mold and be better.

:)

[Ned]

On the one hand, I agree that a picture of the interior atmosphere and surroundings would be highly beneficial, and would certainly be an asset to the add.

On the other hand, I believe that the look and feel of the advertisement itself, should allow you to visualize the atmosphere and class of the restaurant, or at least how we want you to view the atmosphere in your head. That is our job, after all, to create that position and illusion in a person's mind.

Also, how do we know that the restaurant doesn't look like a dive? How do we know that the truth is really what we want the public to perceive, over the designer's forced perception? I mean, maybe it is a classy joint, and deserves to be seen, but I'm not going to jump to that assumption. :)

[budafist]

you'd never eat there then, she weighs maybe 90 lbs. whenever i bring someone there who is kind of unsure about vegan food to begin with, they see the chef and never go near tofu ever again (thinking eating it will emaciate them)

I believe that. I never feel full on vegan food so I can't imagine anyone getting fat on it either. One of my friends was vegan for years (and sick and always tired) but now she is vegetarian. I'm glad for her. Cheese rocks.

[Virgo Nightingale]

I believe that. I never feel full on vegan food so I can't imagine anyone getting fat on it either. One of my friends was vegan for years (and sick and always tired) but now she is vegetarian. I'm glad for her. Cheese rocks.
The human body is meant to eat a variety of foods, including meat. It takes a lot of research to figure out what alternate foods and supplements you need in order to replace the nutrients normally found in animal products, and to eliminate the nutrients you end up consuming too much of. Same thing with diets like Atkins. You can make yourself quite sick if you don't know what you're doing.

As far as the ad, I agree that it would make a nice menu cover. If I saw that in a magazine, I would likely pass it over. Though it would be very easy to overload the ad, I think a photo of a second or third dish or a short description would draw me in more.

[dsydesign]

I could change the brown to a green...

it says green, yet it is slightly brown, and projects a negative mood after you read "green" and expect a positive color palette.

or perhaps it is in CMYK(Illustrator imported?) and you didn't export it in RGB? I have made that mistake before...