Design Fail or Success?

Designing graphics for buses is a special kind of challenge. Unlike flat posters or screens, buses come with built in obstacles like lights, handles, exhaust pipes, doors, and hinges that refuse to be ignored.

When designers are not provided with a detailed vehicle template, things can go sideways fast. A perfectly polished portrait suddenly gains an unfortunate nose, an armrest becomes something else entirely, and a confident pose turns unintentionally awkward. The result is not what the brand had in mind, but it is definitely memorable.

The irony is that these placement mishaps do exactly what advertising is meant to do. They stop people in their tracks. They get shared. They spark conversation. So while these examples are clear design fails from a technical standpoint, they also succeed in grabbing attention.

Design fail or accidental marketing win?