Silence can be a virtue...sometimes.

So this weeks blogs is ads without words, and sometimes I think ads without words are sometimes the best ones out there. In order to have a successful word-less ad, your concept has to be so simple and clear that words aren't necessary in order to portray the intended message. Here are some good ones that use the technique well:

 This ad is for fabric softener. Not even a tagline is used here, because the concept is so apparent that this fabric softener smells so good that the wrestler in blue just gets lost in the scent. Simple, easy message that comes across with just visuals. Now yeah, the concepts a bit overdone (Febreze essentially monopolized this with their TV commercials, backflipping dog and massive TV, etc) which is unfortunate, because without the logo this could very well be mistaken for a Febreze ad (or any other product that makes your fabric smell good), but you win some, you lose some. The point is, it's executed nicely without using words.

Not gonna lie, I laughed at this one. Which is good, right? The tagline ties it all in together - "Fits Naturally" - oranges being a natural food. Ads that make you laugh are probably high up on the scale of the most effective ones, and ads this simple that make you laugh are just a double whammy. Memorable, with a beautifully executed, clear message. A+, Wonderbra.

Pilot Extra Fine - so precise, you can draw incredibly intricate and detailed tattoos on a Lego guy...if that's what you like to do with your free time. Not to belabor the point because I think we all get it by now...simple. Easy to understand. Great composition as far as execution goes.


Unfortunately, there are some ads out there where words would probably come in handy, yet are absent. Take this 3M Scotch double-sided tape ad...

 I don't know, maybe I'm just out of the loop, but I don't get what double-sided tape has to do with 69...making a sexual reference like this without a clear message and no words to explain yourself can be a very risky thing to do.

Using words in your ads doesn't necessarily mean your concept sucks because it can't speak for itself. The trick is just knowing when you don't need words, and when you should probably use them (because some ads just need a little bit more explanation in order to clear up any grey area - are you listening 3M?)

Just some food for thought.