Transformers promo pictures paint jobs

[munim]

I've tried searching online for this issue but I haven't really found any answers, perhaps because it's too obvious.

I've noticed that the promotional photos for most new transformers have really nice looking paintjobs that look metallic in nature and seem to have shading as well. However, in actuality the toy is just a plain, dull color. Random example of DOTM soundwave http://www.tfw2005.com/resources/tf3...oundwave-5783/.

Is it just the diffuse lighting they're using or is it like a Japanese variant that they use for the photos?

[down_shift]

The pics you see on boxes are hand painted prototypes that get a touch of photoshop at the end. Those pictures look nicer then what the actual figure will look like because that promotional image is used to help sell the line to both retailers and consumers.

Best example I can think of is universe Cyclonus.

[Goaliebot]

Think of them exactly like the burger photo on the menu at a fast food place.

[munim]

How disappointing. If I had an airbrush and skills I'd do the shading myself but honestly, I don't like the figures that much!

[Knockout]

It's photoshopped that's why. They want it to look amazing so people will buy it

[Hellboy]

Yes, as someone who worked in the advertising industry as a photoshop artist I can tell you, like the women in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues, it's all digitally retouched and enhanced. Same goes for the Big Mac you see on the ad compared to the Big Mac that gets tossed onto your tray.

[Pascal]

I remember reading an interesting article about food photography. It was surprising to see how much food isn't actual food in photos...

[Hellboy]

Originally Posted by Pascal

I remember reading an interesting article about food photography. It was surprising to see how much food isn't actual food in photos...

It's actually against the law to use anything but the actual ingredients in food product advertising. Food stylists may spend hours prepping a Big Mac for a shoot but they must use all of the real ingredients.

One of the biggest lawsuits that set the precedent for how food is advertised was with Campbell's Soup when they used marbles in the bowl of soup to "lift" the vegetable and noodle chunks to the surface. It falsely gave the illusion that there was more chunky ingredients in the can than in actuality and they got hit hard.

You can make your product look as nice as you want but you can not outright deceive the public.

[Pascal]

Pretty sure they were using glue instead of milk for cereals.

[Hellboy]

Originally Posted by Pascal

Pretty sure they were using glue instead of milk for cereals.

That's possible. But that's also okay if you are only advertising the cereal. The milk is not included as part of the product. Loopholes are everywhere.