Ad Council Offers Up Almost a Good Map
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — As regular readers know, maps of Downtown have taken their share of liberties with our geography, particularly when it comes to where landmarks are located.
When this new map, part of a campaign by the Ad Council encouraging parents to spend quality time with their children, started popping up around Downtown, we had to take a look.
Overall, the map is a success. The message may get lost for those driving by, but for those who get a chance to take a look while walking past or waiting for a bus, the strong composition of the design gets the point across clearly.
It's the map's data that lets it down. Missing are the Los Angeles State Historic Park (better known as the Cornfield), Vista Hermosa and even Pershing Square. Those could be conscious choices: the art direction relies on keeping the markers balanced with negative space.
Less excusable is the prominent presence of the Los Angeles Children's Museum, which left Downtown in 2000. Ambitious plans to open at a new facility near Hansen Dam took a negative turn when the museum filed for bankruptcy protection in April 2009. Even if the museum were still Downtown, the map finds it a good two blocks west of its former L.A. Mall home.
Still, the piece isn't quite worthy of the "Bad Map" moniker. By featuring small pocket parks and lesser known neighborhood Recreational Centers along with the Natural History Museum and California Science Center, the main message that a park doesn't have to be fancy is focused and clear.
A good Downtown map; so close, and yet not quite.
Zach Behrens on February 16, 2010, at 08:14PM – #1
Great point, Ed! I saw that when walking back to the subway from the Street Food Fest and was like, "what Children's Museum?"
Guest on February 17, 2010, at 10:48AM – #2
i said the same thing aloud to myself when i saw the ad while waiting for the bus. especially because the children's museum tag is right smack in the middle of the poster. maybe this says something about the lack of more prominent, family-oriented spots in downtown? it's sad that the city can't even generate enough support for a children's museum anywhere, let alone downtown (heard the bankruptcy had more to do with an unrealistic vision than from monetary support, though) - cj
Guest on February 17, 2010, at 06:17PM – #3
They have that ad up at the bus stop by my apartment. I hate it, though, because of all the silly typos in street names, presumable caused by lazy cutting-and-pasting:
http://twitpic.com/13v4p7, http://twitpic.com/13v4nc, http://twitpic.com/13v4lk
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on February 17, 2010, at 07:01PM – #4
Weird. Those are pretty bad. Perhaps it's more deserving of the 'Bad Maps' label than we gave it credit for.
Ed Fuentes on February 17, 2010, at 11:54PM – #5
We may have to reconsider. This map now seems to be out of medal contention.
Guest on February 18, 2010, at 07:39AM – #6
obviously the person who did this map does not live in downtown or with kids. Please, only 2 places for kids in center city? Lame.