On 4 March select users of QuarkXPress began receiving some interesting mail.
The six postcards (the first is pictured here, with more below) are ostensibly an upgrade enticement to users of QuarkXPress versions 4-6 who have not yet taken advantage of 6.5. At the same time, the cards attempt to disparage Quark’s competitor, Adobe InDesign, while inspiring a feeling within creative pros that Quark is one of them, that it gets their humor, and it is as sarcastic and edgy they.
Unfortunately, the cards failed. Worse, they backfired.
Over the last few weeks hundreds of users have received the now infamous Quark postcards, though members of the press were apparently omitted from the mailing list, which is highly unusual. None of our staff has received them, nor have any of the other well-known industry journalists and experts to whom I spoke. Fortunately, in something of a coup, Quark VS InDesign.com was able to obtain all six postcards, which we present here.
We also asked a few recipients of Quark’s marketing campaign for their reactions to the postcards. Remarkably, we didn’t receive a single response in support of the postcards.
Katharine Shade, principal Corner Cottage Desktop Publishing:
Childish and immature. Like kids who stick their tongues out at others while hiding behind their mother, knowing that they’d lose in an actual face to face battle.
Samuel John Klein, principal SunDial Graphic Arts and Quark VS InDesign.com contributing writer: