Media Spinners

Between “Bladerunner” and “Minority Report,” the total immersion of the human race in advertising messages has been foretold and retold. But just when someone says there’s nothing new under the sun, along comes hubcap advertising.

Hubcap ads may have started in Singapore. They may have started in the UK. But they’re definitely in the US now and they’re supposed to be the next out-of-home sensation. In a copyrighted article in The Houston Chronicle, reporter David Kaplan covered it neatly…hardly any reason to expand upon his words.

Bumper stickers are so last century. Spinner hubs are flashy, but I hear they’re already out of fashion. Be the first in your neighborhood to try these hubcap messages for your junior soccer team.

There is another lesson being taught today. The first photo is from HubAds in the UK. Look at the other photos on its Web site. Look at the photos on its North American counterpart's site. Now compare those with the picture immediately above, a much more compelling photo taken by a professional news photographer, the Chronicle’s Nick de la Torre. It appears with Kaplan’s article.

It is composed with greater drama in mind - one that shows the "product" clearly, but with far better design. It’s the difference between giving some sales manager a digital camera and telling him to go shoot some pix of the product, and using a talented professional photographer to help you tell your story. A picture's worth a thousand words, right? But some photographs are worth a lot more. What value do you set on your product?

Upper photograph: HubAds Limited. Lower photograph: Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved.