kids toy catalogue
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- brownie
Hey guys, its my first post i'm wondering if you can help me out, i'm after any inspiration for a childrens toy catalog im designing. photography/ illustration/ other catalogs/ ways to engage kids etc would be dead greatfull of any help ...cheers :)
- uan0
colors...kids love color...and good photography, so they can explore and wish.
- harv0
Here's a photographer I know that has done some kids/youth work. http://www.embryrucker.com/#a=0&…
- sebastianfrench0
crazy working with kids models enjoy!
but remember product placement, products come first! You see many photography focusing on the kids. But at the end the clients want to see their products display promptly.
Good theme! Tell a story to capture your target audience.
- ismith0
When I was little I didn't want to see anything other than the toy... if there was a kid in the picture I hated them... if I could see too much room around it I hated whoever's room it was... these were all things distracting me from the toy itself which I just wanted to see closer up! Though contrary to what uan said, I did not want to see lots of color... that made me think of something I didn't want or that a baby would look at. IMO use as few colors as possible to convey a certain mood, but then use as many moods as you need. Whenever I looked at the Lego or FAO Schwartz (and a few others I don't remember) catalogs and stuff I could usually tell by the colors near the edge if I wasn't going to care about whatever was on the page, i.e. pastel colors were going to suck, pink/yellow combined was going to be ponies and shit, etc. Pretty basic but within the context of a single page I didn't want to drown in color– the only exception being photographs of gumballs.
- ETM0
I agree. As a kid I just wanted to see the product. No kid models getting in the way. I wanted to see what the He-Man action figure or Transformers toy, or NES game screen shot looked like in as much detail as possible. If it was something like Lego or Robotix, I wanted to see both the packaging and the final result displayed and usually on dark backgrounds accented with primary colors. Anything else in the way was distracting. Exception was cool, related backdrops on the action figures that could give me ideas for my own setup. I was a detailed oriented kid and spent as much time setting up toys to play with as I actually did playing with them.
- Amicus0
How old are you talking about? Kids change so rapidly that was is suitable for a 5yr old is looking too young for a 7yr old etc.
- sebastianfrench0
Who is this catalog for?
Primary: Parent / Children / Client
Secondary: Parent / Children / Client- I think it's a mistake not to put 'Children' first in the order.ETM
- Primary: Parent or Children or Client
Secondary: Parent or Children or Client
The designers need to be clear with the brief before doing anythingsebastianfrench
- airey0
the catalogue isn't for kids you mooks. it's for the parents, or in simple language "the ones with the fucking money". the kids paying are a device to emotionally con the parents.
- ETM0
Bullshit. If it doesn't appeal to the kids first, no one is tugging at mommy or daddy's leg to buy. The kids have to fixate on it and be the ones intrigued.
- sebastianfrench0
Kids take this out to the playground and fight over it!
- airey0
since when do kids go to the mailbox? which kids have you ever seen take one home from the toy store (excluding rainman)? if it's an insert, which kid is ignoring the toy catalogue to read the financials section?
are you for real?
- this is asking ETM btwairey
- WTF are you even talking about? The OP was about a child's toy catalogue.ETM
- WHAT? dude my parents always gave me the toy catalogs... that was the only mail I got until I was what, 14?! :Pismith
- slight exaggerationismith
- same but you think the marketing of it wasn't towards your parents. would you have cared about people in shot?airey
- Parents don't care. Billy/Suzie does, then tells mom and Dad what he or she wants.ETM
- Do you really think parents peruse the toy catalogue for more than to confirm what Santa is supposed to bring?ETM
- ETM0
It may be ugly, but as a kid, this is what I wanted to see. Product front and center.
- people / no people = who cares. i want now!airey
- shit, i had the green tank!airey
- and the blue ninja+ others. i totally forgot these dudes.airey
- good old times!
My kids now just want wii games, only outdoor fun is just football seasonsebastianfrench - Video games have killed toys. I can totally get behind that.ETM
- if legos were cheaper i probably would never have bought a video game in my lifeismith
- cheaper to buy a lego game than the plastic choking hazard. shame.airey
- I need my little one to get older so I can play with Lego again. :)ETM
- a mates son just got old enough for xbox. he's more fun to partner up with than my mate!airey
- ismith0
airey: when I was a kid if there was a toy catalog in the mail, I FUCKING KNEW ABOUT IT, it was in my room before anyone else could even see what it was. Sometimes I did check the mail when I thought a certain fan club toy zine was coming, otherwise it was just the usual stuff but my parents always put it aside for me... I would look through it obsessively, multiple times, figuring out what I wanted and where I would put it if I had it. I would consider how it fit in with my other toys too... every detail had to be considered, which meant reading and rereading the catalog hundreds of times!
- Yes, I fully relate with your mild OCD, as I too shared your afflication.ETM
- ETM0
- This is the kind of artwork I loved as a kid. Held my attention and imagination.ETM
- loved that stuff!airey
- 80ssebastianfrench
- Yo mamma!ETM
- airey0
and then, who did you show it to? who looked at the catalogue, summed up the parts, weighed the costs, worked out what was a legitimate purchase and considered your presented wants?
- airey0
by that argument what does design do for anything or anyone?
i'm just saying that kids will look at any old tat if it's got toys but the target i would aim and communicate at if i were doing a toy catalogue would be the parents. just my 2cents. i'm obviously wrong. again.
- the photo of a happy kid is an emotional tool in as much as a hopeful aim.airey
- Having an opinion is not wrong. We should have different opinions.ETM
- i disagree.airey
- i'll be here all night. please, try the shrimp.airey
- I disagree with your disagreement. So then, I must agree...ETM
- "i'll be here all night. please, try the shrimp."
That's what she said.ETM - design has it's value, but consider from the standpoint of a kid not a parent as well! :)ismith
- ETM0
I think you're looking at it too much as a marketer/designer, where as iSmith and I are thinking back to strictly being a kid. Just different views.
- ismith0
Airey I think your argument can be broken down to this: Lego good, Megablock BAD. No further inquiry is necessary– if the parent knows this then they will forever be able to make good decisions on buying toys... they won't fall for stupid marketing gimmicks like happy children in photos, they will know OH this is what Johnny wants, this is AWESOME, I'm buying THIS because he wants it and knows exactly why...