Where this newest series of ads succeeds is in its simplicity. Built for public transport, the ads are horizontal with dramatic action shots in stark, overexposed black & white. The copy is sparse, but cocky. One reads: "I have two pitches: fast ball, and faster ball." Another: "Please don't come to the ballpark with a cold, I'll catch it."The most thoughtful, and challenging aspect of the design is the large area of negative space in each. It can sometimes be difficult to make text feel grounded in a loose, open design. But the designers succeed by treating the text with the same rough texture as the photos. The large areas of white stand out in a cluttered ad space on the trains. By using both the exaggerated scale of the player's images, and the blank backgrounds, the ads are the first images to catch your eye when you step on board, seemingly defying their own space restictions. Anyone designing for a competitive space, such as a convienience store, magazines, or the Web for that matter, take note: less is more.
