Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There I was, minding my own business and clicking through the Boston Globe’s ePaper, when I came across this ad for the 2024 Women’s Leadership Forum, which “recognizes and honors an inspirational group of (approximately 8 segments) women each year for their leadership qualities and accomplishments.”

Is it just me, Doc, or is that headline harder to read than a teenage boy’s intentions? Plus, I still don’t know what the subhead says.

– Ad Hack

Dear AH,

Ages ago when the Doc was a practicing huckster, pro bono work was every agency’s favorite sandbox. “Pro bono clients can’t afford to turn down our best creative” was the official party line of joyful art directors and copywriters. All too often, however, it was merely their most self-indulgent.

Times might or might not have changed, but that Ad Club advertisement is certainly a font of misguided typography. Beyond the typeface’s basic illegibility, the point sizes seem totally backward.  Shouldn’t the names of the speakers be at least as prominent as the eye-wrenching headline?

Asking for a friend.