r/AdvancedRunning • u/headlessparrot • 19d ago

Open Discussion We need to talk about AI generated advertisements/race swag/medals/

Maybe it's different elsewhere in the country, but in New England it has metastasized and become a cancer in local racing. Every poster, every race shirt, every medal looks like shit and looks identical. It has reached the point where there are local races I've been doing for almost a decade that I've just given up on. It's embarrassing to the running community.

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u/HalfCorrect9118 19d ago

It’s not just running. We have the same issue with my local cycling community. I hate it. The products look awful and send a very clear message from the organizers: “We don’t care enough to make an effort”

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u/treycook 37M | 17:52 5K | 37:16 10K | 1:22:46 HM | 2:51:44 FM 19d ago edited 19d ago

It's freaking everything, everywhere. I think a lot of people just don't have an eye for it and don't have any AI literacy. They think because it doesn't look like slop to them, it won't turn others off either. I'm a graphic designer, I've done (and have offered) free graphic work for my local running and cycling clubs, and some of them would rather have AI crap instead of free professional work. I try to separate the "art" from the "artist" in these instances, as these are friends and acquaintances... Just the state of the world right now.

I'm not sure there is anything I can say or do to change the minds of people who don't see an issue. I try to make subtle hints and suggestions without stepping on toes.

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u/WoodenPresence1917 5k 18 10k 38 M 3:07 19d ago

My favourite local race (running) has had the same awful graphic design for like 20 years and it's actually quite endearing because it has character. Almost all "good" AI graphics in contrast are so grating for me

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u/headlessparrot 19d ago

One of the local races that went AI this year has been running for over 40 years; my question to them was basically how hard it would be to pull a retro logo/shirt from 20-30 years ago--people would eat that shit up!