You know they paid a bundle for this photo shoot, photographer and models.
Sigh.
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Upside down paddles, no pfd…
It goes to show that people in charge of advertising often are clueless about what they’re advertising.
It reminds me of this gem from years ago, when firearms manufacturer HK had this picture on the cover of their 2004 product catalog. For those not in the know, the bullets in the magazine in the lower left are inserted backwards.
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That’s funny. Wonder if inserting the bullets backwards make it any less accurate or reliable? 
See it constantly. Paddles should say this side up with arrows
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Even more than that are SUPs in commercials. Every single one I have seen (dozens) have the paddle backwards or are sitting on the boards.
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Perhaps the paddle is correct, Grasshopper. And the world is upside down.
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the other good one is using a bent shaft canoe paddle backwards. I have to mention to people that it is not a “scoop”.
A local tour company wanted to know for sure its kayak renters wore their PDF.
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I don’t see anything in the picture I havent seen on the local waters.
Must not have been out very long. No sun burns yet.
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They actually are not on the water for very long for a given shot. I have seen how outfits actually shoot the paddling stuff. A big ship company, Princess or someone, did a photo shoot where I summer one year. Some location person scouted it out and realized they could use the Cove for shots that would work for the Maritimes, PNW and Alaska.
They use very close shots. One of them was in a wooded path between my cabin and the rest of the cluster. I offered to take down my stuff on the clothes line in front, the spot they chose on the path was close enough to the house that I made sure not to crank up the Maine Classic station.
But the paddling shots were the biggest production. They had hired a local guide to get the paddlers into boats, used some general purpose kayaks the Cove had acquired over time, and roughly able to propel the boat. Suffice to say it was not a natural instinct for at least one of the actors. But they did have the paddles correct.
Once they were suited up the guide stood just off of the two in boats, they would paddle and film for maybe 40 feet then come around and do it again. Near shore so the shots would get a good bit of the varying shoreline and pine trees and maybe a dock.
Before they were done a visiting friend and I went out from the cabin for a moderate paddle. The guide was mostly freed up by then and we chatted. Some serious paddle companion envy going on there, but I suspect he was well paid for the day.
This reminds me of the ads you see showing people fishing. They are holding their spinning rod upside down.
It’s a H&K. Forwards, backwards or sideways, it still works.
Not only did both of those pictures get stages and taken like that, but multiple people edited, reviewed and approved them. Not like it was a quick candid snap posted online
Human error is another thing that’s certain along with death and taxes.
The paddle orientation looks quite deliberate to me. It’s a distraction; otherwise viewers will mock the boat.
Tourists don’t know the difference. Crappy little boat, no PFDs, upside down paddles. Who cares?
They have a photo and they stayed at the Marriott.
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Exactly. Where is this?
Ad doesn’t say
Somewhere with a 59.90/night “resort fee”, likely.
It’s a secret code to say, “experienced paddlers would probably not enjoy this.”
This shot is appealing to the person that rarely paddles, doesn’t oen a kayak and staying at the hotel may even be the first time they’ve ever been in a kayak.
I see people paddling exactly like this every day and many of them are people that have their own kayaks. The vast majority of the people looking at it will see anything wrong with the photo, especially for whom the photo is being marketed towards.
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