Desktop background downloads
I find it interesting how desktop background downloads are still used as a method of marketing offline or seen as providing customers with a "free bonus". Most of the time the wallpapers are so ugly and unoriginal (typically a bloated 3D logo with drop shadow on an overly-gradiented background, surrounded by whatever Photoshop effect is available) and lack creativity to the point that they don't add any value to the brand.
A perfect example of this: Vodacom Blue Bulls. If you're a fan, would you ever consider putting this on your desktop? Wow. How about this one! If that's not bad enough, they're still using an old logo on some and the new one on others, or in some instances, both at once. Also of interest, their current sponsor Vodacom's logo doesn't appear anywhere.
The only people I imagine who would want these particular Microsoft Popfly ones on their desktop is the Popfly team.
Oh, and Microsoft, since the current display trend is a screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher (80%), why are you offering these wallpapers at 800x600 only? Not that I'd use them anyway.
Some of my favourite wallpaper sites include:
- Customize.org
- deviantART (I'm a huge Jesar and CrisVector fan)
- Pixelgirl Presents
- mandolux
- Vladstudio
- depthCORE
- leave a comment
16 Comments
I agree with you, but I still think is a good idea with free branded wallpapers. It’s just plain bad when the wallpapers are shite.
Shameless self-promotion – check my website for some good wallpapers. ;)
I clicked on the first blue bulls link and was overcome by vertigo…so much so I blew chunks onto my keyboard :( Thanks!
Oooh, carrots…
Heh Stii, I didn’t even watch the game. ;)
Jacob: Whoaa man, excellent! I recognize a lot of your older stuff dating back to ‘99, I still have a couple of them in my collection! Glad to see you’re still at it.
And Chris, good to know that you’re getting your vitamin A!
Some of those desktops are just atrocious. (The only one that I remotely like is the Popfly one with the girl and the dandelion; but even then I’d probably clone out the Popfly bit. Or, better yet, go straight to the original source (iStockphoto.com) and download the picture without the text. *nods*
haha, I love the BULLS old vs new logo desktop! How blind!
This one is one of my all time favourites from Jesar which has enjoyed many months on my laptop desktop!
Nice article Coda. I wouldn’t even wipe my bum on those wallpapers!
Sadly, I reckon those clutchies who drive Nissan Hardbody’s with Steve Hofmeyer pumping out their car speakers and the bulls horns on their bonnets love these wallpapers.
I use desktopography to find wallpapers, which i think is a division of Customize.org.
Anything to do with the Bulls rocks
Nice to see your site is still awesome dude…keep it up
Mark, Desktopography is only hosted by Customize.org; they don’t have anything to do with its operations. It’s run by Pete of Aeiko.net
jiggg,
Lets hope the poor designer that made the wallpaper was forced to create something sooo horribly ugly.
I am a big Bluebull fan, but there’s no excuse for backgrounds like that.. That URL: http://www.thebulls.co.za/default.asp?cId=6527&cl=yes
Well – really ugly ugly ugly. But you didn’t state my favourite wallpaper site. celebs, babes, you name it.
http://www.skins.be/ is it – really really nice girls everywhere :) and they’re updating daily
Wulffmorgenthaler Wallpapers! Sweetness.
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20 May 2007
Stii02:16 pm
At first when I read this post I thought: “Yeah right. Just a pissed off Sharks supporter”. Then I clicked on the two links…
OMFW!!!! It is beyond horrible. Way beyond. It is disgusting.
As far as Desktop backgrounds go, I love my Firefox/Flock/Microformats collection of backgrounds.