Victor Racket Graphics...

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by hannster, Dec 27, 2014.

  1. hannster

    hannster Regular Member

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    This may have been discussed before, so my sincere apologies if I'm repeating. Or if I sound frivolous. But I just had a look at the Victor catalogue for 2015, as well as the (confusing, as has been pointed out) racket map... and I can't help but get this uncanny feeling that Victor is really taking a leaf from Yonex on not only the racket chart, but perhaps the racket graphics as well.

    Back in the days (not so long ago) when the Superwaves and Braveswords were released, Victor had a rather minimalist graphical language. The graphics on the Braveswords were clear and simple, and in some cases (BRS12 and BRS LHI), attractive in a rather understated and confident manner.

    Enter the Meteor X80, which looked just like the preceding Yonex Voltric 80. If not for racket stencils, one would find it hard to differentiate the two from a distance. Then the asymmetrical graphic designs came - on the MX JJS - possibly taking a leaf from the Arcsabers that were released a bit earlier. (It has to be said though, the MX JJS is probably the best looking Victor racket I've seen.)

    With the recent Jetspeed Bao and the upcoming Hypernano X800, the asymmetrical graphic designs more than bear a passing resemblance to the latter-day Arcsabers (colours aside).

    The upcoming Jetspeed Ahmad looks something like a close cousin of the Yonex Nanoray Z Speed... and Victor had already used that same colour palette on the midrange Thruster K15. On the JS Ahmad, the design motifs are uncannily similar to the Z Speed's as well.

    And then we have the Thrusters, which carry the same design "language" as the Yonex Voltrics - sharp high-technology trapezoidal shapes and motifs. And the new JS10 can't seem to decide if it wants to look like a Voltric Z Force 1, or Z Force 2.

    (Let's not even discuss the graphical nightmare on the Victor Transformer series.)

    Now, I'm not from the Yonex camp, but they do exercise much more constraint on the graphics - with the exception of the Nanoray 800 and perhaps the Arcsaber FB. (And maybe on a lot of the midrange rackets!) But one could never fault them for lack of originality... and the graphics on the Z Force 1, ZF1LTD and ZF2 are probably the best in recent times - a good balance between boldness and restraint. This has in some way become a branding identity for Yonex - not screaming out for attention like some of the chrome Li Nings, nor the cacophony of mismatched colours in the Victors (a TK7000 comes to mind).

    So, I guess my point is, manufacturers such as Victor, in making such quality rackets, should really look into developing a graphic design language for its rackets, that can develop into its own brand identity. Otherwise, it can go down the way of Ashaway, Fleet or Apacs (and many other manufacturers) who have a good arsenal of their own products, but have had to resort to clone rackets (or at least graphically identical ones) just to boost sales numbers.

    Likewise, the decal designers at Yonex should ask how much is too much... the NR800 really cut it too close to that line!

    Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my Braveswords and Armortecs - rackets so distinctive and no-nonsense in their graphics, that also translates to efficient play on court... and certainly less visually distracting!

    (The above is just purely the opinion from someone who appreciates goodlooking things - including rackets. So please don't flame me!)
     
  2. dbswansea

    dbswansea Regular Member

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    Victor shouldn't really worry. Paint and graphics don't stay on the recent yonex racquets too long anyway.
     
  3. Mark A

    Mark A Regular Member

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    Victor's latest "rotational" design really makes me think they're chasing Yonex...
     
  4. yan.v

    yan.v Regular Member

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    One thing that was told to me is that Yonex and Victor designers are probably actually taking their designs from the same place. Their designers are looking at the latest fashions when designing rackets and end up using the same colors because those colors are the actual fashion.

    I was told skis were a big inspiration.
     
  5. hannster

    hannster Regular Member

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    Haha yea... you're right. Especially on the Z speed. What's with that anyway - lower production QC, different type of paint...?

    Having said that, every mishit on my BRS LYDN seems to leave a souvenir decal peel!
     
  6. hannster

    hannster Regular Member

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    Yea that's what I felt and why I wrote the first post... similar advertising visuals as well.
     
  7. hannster

    hannster Regular Member

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    That's interesting. Skis! I read somewhere that the LCW version of the ZF2 took its colour from the Pantone Colour of the year in 2014. Looks like we'll be getting some Marsala coloured ones in 2015...
     

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