During the Small Press Idol 2008 contest, we created a variety of promotional banners and marketing materials to promote Spud and encourage voting. Here's a look back at the creative assets that helped make Spud the runner-up in this prestigious contest!
View the Original Teaser Image
The very first banner rolled out before inital art concepts had been completed. Hinted at the upcoming campaign theme and set the tone for future promotional materials.
- Purpose: Ad placements on forum and social meda sites
- Format: Animated GIF
- Visual: Meteor impact scene (foreshadowing the inciting incident in the #0 issues)
An empowering message encouraging supporters to root for the underdog. This banner hinted at Spud's diminutive stature as a "little hero" to create an emotional connection with voters. It also uses VERY early concept art of Spud and the general characters Mark created before doing full Character turnarounds for Round 2.
- Purpose: Emotional appeal voting drive
- Format: Animated GIF
- Message: Underdog appeal
A tall vertical banner featuring Mr Dark spraypainting over "Vote for Spud" with the word "Stupid" alongside the Small Press Idol logo. Perfect for sidebar placements, this banner combined character art with contest branding. We received lots of great feedback on this one as it showed our ability to have fun with the title and characters.
- Purpose: Sidebar advertising, partner sites
- Format: Static JPG
- Character: Mr Dark
A bold orange-themed banner with voting call-to-action. The warm color palette and clear messaging made this banner stand out and draw many vistors to the page to view the title and review the characters ahead of the vote for Round 2.
- Purpose: Voting campaigns
- Format: Static JPG
- Color scheme: Orange/yellow
A compact, eye-catching button designed for easy embedding on supporter websites and forum signatures. The bold blue and yellow color scheme made it stand out in any layout.
- Purpose: Forum signatures, website badges
- Format: Animated GIF
- Message: Direct call-to-action
A bold orange-themed banner with direct voting call-to-action. The warm color palette and clear messaging made this banner highly effective for conversion.
- Purpose: Voting campaigns
- Format: Static JPG
- Color scheme: Orange/yellow
The tagline banner featuring Spud in action pose with vibrant colors and dynamic composition. This banner emphasized the core concept of the series and was rolled out during Round 3.
- Purpose: General promotion, forums, web ads
- Format: Animated GIF
- Emphasis: Series tagline
A humorous later round banner playing on popular culture with Spud in a playful reclining pose. This tongue-in-cheek approach showcased the comic's lighthearted nature and appeal to pop culture references.
- Purpose: Comic/entertainment/(early) Social media sites like MySpace and Friendster
- Format: Animated GIF
- Tone: Humorous, pop culture reference
Campaign Results
Final Placement:
2nd Place Overall
Total Votes (Round 4):
34 Votes
Copies Sold:
43 Copies
Rounds Completed:
All 4 Rounds
Through creative marketing, community engagement, and the support of amazing fans, The Adventures of Spud achieved runner-up status in the competitive Small Press Idol 2008 contest. These promotional materials played a crucial role in building awareness and driving voter participation throughout the competition.
