A big red Honda 90 and fine print in advertising

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Have you ever paid attention to the “fine print” at the bottom of some of the advertisements in the newspaper or, for that matter, any other print publication?

I’m sure most of you have not. Many of us are too busy to take the time to read them. The same applies to the legal notice at the end of some radio commercials. I suspect they speed up the recording to take less time.

While working on an ad a few years ago for one of our advertisers — Precision Water and Power Sports — I had to reset the “fine print” for a Can-Am ad they were running.

There were 345 words in the small print at the bottom of this advertisement. For comparison, there are 725 words in this column.

The fine print for this advertisement was set in six-point condensed font. Six-point type is about as small as we can print and still be legible — and that is stretching it. Most people (including me) need a magnifying glass to read 6-point type.

The type in this column is set in 11-point Times New Roman. For a little background, a point is the smallest unit of measure used in typography. It is used for measuring font size, leading (the distance between lines), and other items on a printed page.

There are 72 points in an inch.

Now I don’t want to alarm or scare you. A big percentage of the 345 words at the bottom of that ad were there to help protect the manufacturer from lawsuits. The rest are just plain common sense.

As I was typing, I started thinking. Most of the sentences could also be applied to advertisements by any car manufacturer. In the example below, substitute vehicle anytime you see the word ATV.

Here are some of the warnings found in the small print:

BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course.

ATVs can be hazardous to operate.

Watch the safety DVD before driving.

Fasten the lateral net and seat belt at all times.

The operator must be at least 16 years old.

Always remember that riding (or driving) and alcohol/drugs don’t mix.

Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speed and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Always ride responsibly and safely.

All of the fore mentioned warnings could be included on any new or used car ads. The difference is the consumer doesn’t sue the car manufacturer when they do something stupid and cause an accident.

If you look closely at any advertisement — print or video — for an ATV or UTV, the driver, and any passengers, where applicable, always wear helmets plus a lateral net or seat belt.

I’m surprised that they don’t include a warning about talking on your cell phone or texting while operating your ATV. Actually, they should. I will suggest that.

They need all these warnings in today’s advertisements because of the power many ATVs and UTVs have.

Richard Boettcher was part of the group I hung out with in high school in the late 70’s. His parents, Herb and Shirley (now deceased) owned a big red Honda ATC90 (All Terrain Cycle). Ninety refers to the size of the engine — 90 cubic centimeters.

The Boettchers were the only family who, at that time, could afford an ATC. Now, it seems, everyone and their brother has a UTV.

I don’t remember that Honda having a speedometer, but I bet it could reach 30 to 35 mph. The best time we had with it was one winter when we tied our sleds onto it and drove in circles on a frozen pond.

The runners on my sled were never the same again.

The movie Diamonds Are Forever and TV shows Magnum, P.I. and Hart to Hart are credited with spurring on the popularity of those three-wheeled cycles.

Today the smallest ATV that Can-Am makes for adults is the Outlander 500. That is a 500 cc engine, over five times more powerful than the 90 cc we road in high school.

They make a 70 cc for youth, typically for children age 6 and up. A 110 cc ATV is recommended for children age 10 and older.

Thank goodness the vehicle I currently drive is not five times more powerful than my first car, a 1972 Nova. On second thought that would be fun to drive.