The AboveTopSecret.com Ad Banner Contest! (cash prizes)

Originally posted by thesaint
And nerbot i think your av is a absolute classic and should be entered after a bit of tweaking with some text effects

Cheers dude, I got a background to go with it but needs some tweeking!

Not sure if and what I'll come up with yet, should be fun to see just how creative the members can be. Can't wait to see some of the silly ones too.

I think this is a great idea and I thank you for the opportunity.

However, I don't understand what you mean by this:

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

You will receive your prize award check after you convert and submit your winning banners in IAB sizes: 728x90, 160x600, and 300x250.

Do I have to make a Banner for each size after I win the contest? what is IAB?

I don't know if my banner can be converted to those sizes. I thought you had to submit one in a 728x90.GIF file.

Any information on that would be greatly appreciated.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by 7Ayreon
Bribing respectable members with CASH to promote ATS? I've seen it all.

/7A out

I take it you like this idea then.

Well whatever others say, i will give it a shot. I am even prepared to let the 3 Amigos give my winnings to a charity of their choice and afford me the 100,000 points - IF i win anything of course hehehe. I think it is GREAT that we can be included in the site and its look.

Wow, this is an awsome idea! I won't be joining in but I can't wait to see the different banners that people enter into this contest. Will we all be able to view them? The rules said to email them not post them on ATS.

So Mods will you share them with all of us?

I hope so, it will be fun for us all then.

Are we allowed to use the ATS logo?



(Sorry, I couldn't find a good sample hosted on-site.)

great! just got back from vacation. can't wait to get started!

Thats a good idea..

thats a very good idea..

While I am very supportive of the fact that the administrators of ATS have decided to tap the talent pool available among the ATS membership for advertising images, I find it sad that only certain members (mainly those with animation skills) can participate. True, there are no rules preventing anyone from entering, but let's face it, only those members with Photoshop, Animated .GIF skills etc. will win the cash prize, so no point in any one else trying.

In my opinion, I feel it would have been nice to have a variation that would allow all to participate, maybe an expert category and a beginner’s category, or something along those lines, with each one eligible for a cash prize. Perhaps it could go one step further and the person who wins the beginner category would have their design "enhanced' by the winner of the expert category so that it too could be used to promote ATS.

Unfortunately, I feel that perhaps this contest was not in the true spirit of the community, as bigdanprice suggested.

Originally posted by DCFusion
Unfortunately, I feel that perhaps this contest was not in the true spirit of the community, as bigdanprice suggested.

Or SkepticOverlord could have done it himself as opposed to engendering that community spirit.

Skeptic, if I had any talent in producing banners and experience with flash I'd do it...

But alas, I am not that artistic either .

The best I can do on my current laptop is edit comic book strips (see the political bash thread ).

Originally posted by digitalassassin
I think this is a great idea and I thank you for the opportunity.

However, I don't understand what you mean by this:

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

You will receive your prize award check after you convert and submit your winning banners in IAB sizes: 728x90, 160x600, and 300x250.

Do I have to make a Banner for each size after I win the contest? what is IAB?

I don't know if my banner can be converted to those sizes. I thought you had to submit one in a 728x90.GIF file.

Any information on that would be greatly appreciated.

IAB is the "Internet Advertising Bureau".

clsc.net....banner size info here

It's fine to make a wonderful banner that looks and functions great, but to be used in different locations and different pages (at different costs) it would need to be customised to fit the other requested sizes.

It wouldn't be fair to our hosts to have to do this work themselves without knowing exactly how it was done and not having the original reference material.

This is something all artists here need to consider. Your main banner entries, if chosen, must be adapted to suit the other sizes and supplied to ATS before you will reap the rewards.

[edit on 13/7/2007 by nerbot]

Originally posted by 7Ayreon
Bribing respectable members with CASH to promote ATS? I've seen it all.

More like rewarding members for coming up with good ideas.

Do you mean don't use the "ATS" abbreviation, or ANY reference to Abovetopsecret.com?

Use the full "AboveTopSecret.com" with the A, T, and S capitalized

Do I have to make a Banner for each size after I win the contest? what is IAB?

Yes... since it's your concept, we'd like to see you produce the banner into the two other primary aspect ratios. The "IAB" is the Internet Advertising Bureau.


Here is a clean ATS logo...



The banners you produce would be used in "general interest" websites, and would be an inspirational jumping-off point for custom banners used in other locations with specific topics.

For example, we're considering sites such as HuffingtonPost.com, GlobalSecurity.org, and a host of smaller sites available through some of the same banner networks we see on ATS.


Some copy examples (not to be used in competition banners) for ideas:

- Is the news confusing?
--- Visit AboveTopSecret.com for answers...
------- and maybe some new ideas.

- "The truth is out there."
--- > strike that <
------ the truth is IN here...
--------- AboveTopSecret.com


I've created online advertising that has made me a finalist for the Yahoo Purple Chair... but I would prefer to use inspired ideas from our members.

ooooo. and i'm trying to stop working after work!
this sounds fun!

Hmmm... *scratches chin*

I might have to give this a shot...

I'll see what I can come up with.

Originally posted by DCFusion
Unfortunately, I feel that perhaps this contest was not in the true spirit of the community, as bigdanprice suggested.

Your local library has free books on how to use photoshop. You can use a computer that has photoshop on it for a reasonable price at FedEx-Kinkos.

I've never even tried it before, but I'm seriously considering doing it just to make my point.

Edit to add: you can practice and familiarize yourself for free using the free trial available on Adobe's website before going in to Fedex. It will save you money.

[edit on 14-7-2007 by The Vagabond]

Originally posted by 12m8keall2c


Why shouldn't said efforts be A[re]warded? Whether it be in a monetary manner, or otherwise? I know MY time is money ... why should someone else's be deemed otherwise?

I agree that is fine to reward peoples efforts and is brilliant to 'engender' members, to take an active role in promoting the site. My personal reservations lie with cash incentives for it, though I appreciate it is a recognition of peoples talents but is this the best way to do it? I would like to reiterate I have no problem with other people taking part and I look forward to seeing other peoples efforts, I know there will be some amazing creative contributions. I just wonder what kind of precedent this sets for the community.

I laud the efforts that Skeptic and the other admins have made making this the best community on the internet and its amazing the way the site has grown. Its difficult to grow the site and keep our original ethos and integrity intact and they have done a brilliant job. I am just highlighting an area I think could become problematic.

I dont normally speak out on matters like this, but I think I would be remiss if I didnt share my views....

Thats probably more than my two cents, but if you convert to pounds sterling, then its my 4 pence worth...

Thanks

Dan

Okay I got some great Ideas for two banners already, but I'm too lazy to install flash and learn it all over again, but who wants to team up with me?

They all have a tint of humor to it, but bare with me I swear it will spread the message. Humor is just part of my nature.

Just send me a u2u.

Well if any of that prize money happens to come my way I'm gonna order a shed-load of ATS "goodies" from the "gear" shop. So some of it will get ploughed right back to the site!

ps...how much would these banners cost out there in "graphics" land anyway?

It's a great idea, and certainly proves that we are a real "community" and can have our imput rewarded.

Really though, it's not all about money I think (although that is a bonus), but to see a banner that one of "us" members created would be "supercalafragalistic-expialidocious".

I think this is a great project and I hope it will also result in the removal of the new cartoon faces of the mods that have appeared. It makes the place look like it is full of cheap furniture salesmen.

Everytime I see that banner at the top of the page "ATS Mix is here" with the two cartoon faces, all I can think of is:

"Come on down and get this leather sofa and living room set for only $999 at Bob and Joe's discount furniture..... Theses prices are insane!!!"

I look forward to seeing new ATS banners appearing on other web pages and hope that ATS will share a peek at the runners up and other notable, but not chosen, designs. I have seen how creative people can get with their inventing of 'Facts'' here on ATS and I truly look forward to seeing what they can come up with in the graphic advertising realm.

where can i download the font used for the ATS images
so i can use it ?