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The aim of an advertisement is to grab your audience's attention. It must get your selling message over quickly and effectively, making potential customers identify a need. Using the six-point plan below will help you create an effective advertisement and ensure that you don't leave anything out.
1 Headline
Must grab the attention and have impact. Headlines could have a news angle, create curiosity, or offer a benefit.
2 Subhead
The sub headline should stregthen the headline and act as a springboard into the body copy, which contains the selling message. For example, the headline might “Fred Smith’s Green grocers has opened in town”, while the subhead adds “Offering the freshest fruit for miles around” or “Offering the lowest prices ever”.
3 Illustration
Statistically, people are more likely to look at your advertisement if it includes an illustration. An advertisement is known to have 25% more impact if it includes a photograph, drawing or other artwork.
4 Body copy
This is the main selling message of the advertisement. Why do we buy clothers from a catalogue? Because of the illustrations and body copy alone. It must not only contain facts, but the related benefits.
5 Action Line
This can be part of the body copy, but needs to be considered separetly as it induces urgency. Examples include “applications must be in by...”, “hurry while stocks last”.
6 Identification Line
Should contain name, address, details, logo, opening times, map, payment icons etc. Some advertisers have a tendency to want to see their name at the top of the ad but this is not necessarily the most effective way of advertising.
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“You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities and they can make or break them in the market place”
David Ogilvy |
