Loooonngggg Copy.

So I posted this ad really big so you could read the itty bitty teeny tiny copy.

I'm not absolutely thrilled by this ad, but it takes a LOT to get me really excited about long copy ads. I think they're not the most effective and are the hardest to do well. Not only do you need an excellent headline that draws the reader in and makes them want to keep reading, which is always tough, you have to make sure the long copy part of the ad will bring them from start to finish without allowing them the urge to turn the page and move on with their lives.

I don't really think this one does either.

I like their headline. I'm not wowed by it, but I think it could be effective depending on the placement of the ad and the reader.
The problem I have with most long copy ads is...their copy is great BUT I never want to read a story in an advertisement. Pretty much ever. So it's got to be pretty baller to make me want to read the whole thing.
You can have a great piece of writing on an advertisement. It can flow well, have great syntax and prose, and be a really nice read. But the fact of the matter is, syntax, prose and flow can only do so much. In order to read what you're saying, I have to care. And how to make me care is the question at hand, for which I don't have an answer.

Just some food for thought.

Lions and tigers and guerrillas, oh my!

Guerrilla advertising is fun. That's what makes it so effective. People see advertising in places they wouldn't normally expect to see it, and if it's good it'll make them smile, or at least react in some way (hopefully a positive one). But the point is, most times people aren't annoyed by guerilla advertising like they are with traditional media, because their lives aren't saturated with it. Take this for an example, a guerilla campaign for an exhibit at the Calgary Zoo:

 

Sure, people may advertise on trash cans all the time. But what makes this cool is the fact that you take an ordinary, every day object and you turn it into something unexpected, something cool, something clever. Something people will remember. 

Something that'll make people do a double take - 

my favorite kind of advertising. =)

The Art of Copy

Copy is not my strong suit, I'll say that right now. I find a lot of times I come up with a visual first, and then my supporting copy comes second (guess that's the graphic designer in me). But it truly is a feat to be able to create an effective ad that is solely comprised of words. The words have to be concise and to the point, portray the right message and mood; but possibly the most difficult thing about words-only ads is you have to get someone to actually read your ad. It's much easier to grab a viewers attention with an arresting visual and then have them continue on to the copy for the complete message. Copywriters - especially for ads that are sans visuals - have the incredibly difficult task of making people want to read.

Because everyone knows these days reading is for squares.

Anywho, here are some nice examples.

This ad is for an NGO called Prajwala, which works to combat prostitution and human trafficking.
While I think this ad does a nice job of sparking curiosity in a reader enough to make them stop for a second on this page to take in the ad, I do take issue with the copy itself. The sociology minor in me begs the question - who says this person chose prostitution? What if she didn't have a choice? Anyway, that's just my beef with this NGO in particular, not necessarily with this ad.

I think the typography is nicely designed, easy to read, and blood spatters definitely grab attention.

 The bottom tagline says "Enjoy the silence. The quietest cabin in it's class. New Golf."

What this copy does well is paint a picture in the readers mind. This is one of three ads in a campaign, each of them describing a scene where anyone within earshot would either wish they were deaf or they had earplugs. I can only imagine what this would sound like in real life - glad I've got a Golf so I don't have to experience it first hand.

Painting a picture in a persons mind is possibly one of the greatest signs of a successful words-only ad. Instead of showing them a visual, it allows them to create one of their own in their minds.

Wonderbra does it again! They don't even need more than one word. They don't even need a word other than the name of their brand. It paints a picture in the viewers mind (which I'm guessing most wouldn't mind having in their minds), involves very little effort on the readers end as far as readability goes, and is a beautiful combination of graphic design and efficient copy.

My favorite ads with only words are ones that use typography to their advantage, and while they don't involve any visuals, still use graphic design to their advantage in catching the readers eye.

The first thing people see when they turn a page is the design of the ad. They don't necessarily process the copy right off the bat. It's only when a words-only ad is typographically interesting do they then continue on to actually reading it.

Copywriters, hire yourself some good graphic designers.
Like me. =]

Just some food for thought.

Oh, The Great Outdoors

Outdoor ads don't necessarily have to be billboard ads. I have a great sense of respect for those who use the resources of the great outdoors to their advantage in order to send a message. Some of the best outdoor ads are placed strategically in locations that one wouldn't think to be typical - which automatically gives the ad a better chance of catching someone's eye. My favorite part about outdoor ads is the most successful ones tend to make the viewer do a double take: the very premise of this blog. Case in point:

Sure, these are ads for a strip club in Paris, but the creativity of placement is what amazes me. Lamp posts as stripper poles? Brilliant use of an existing structure, a normal everyday object used to the advertisers advantage. Talk about doing a double take if you were to see this.

This ad is for Nike (obviously), but what's interesting is that I wish I could see it in real life. On the website, it says its a "transparent" outdoor ad. But is it a piece of plexiglass that you can just see through, or a metal border with nothing in the middle so you can actually run through it (I think I'd like it better if it were the latter). But imaging what the thought process must have been behind this - "Let's just through a billboard in the middle of the road, that'll make people stop and ponder it." You're damn right it will.

This ad is for Rejoice DeTangling shampoo. Again, commonplace structure already present in everyday life (massive amounts of electric wires) creatively used to portray the essential simple message of an outdoor ad.

This could be dangerous to install, though.

Just some food for thought.

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.

VW: doing it right since the 60's (and probably even before then)

I love VW. I love them as a brand, as a product line, as a company, and as a community.
I also love them as an advertiser.
I am constantly re-convinced again and again that VW, and whatever agency they've been using, knows what they're doing. Take a look at these ads they did in the 1960's, specifically the copy.

Even back in the 1960's, VW knew how to sell cars. They knew how to be remarkable - they knew how to be purple cows, if not purely by virtue of the product they were selling, then by making the product seem like a purple cow through their advertising.

And they're still doing it to this day. To be completely honest, I just pulled the first VW print ad I came across, because if I spent any considerable amount of time trying to find one of my favorites, I'd be here all night, get distracted, and never actually post this.

They've moved their focus from long copy to short and sweet, but it works. Everything works.

As far as German manufacturers go, BMW should take a page out of VW's book.
Just some food for thought.

I like junk food more than I like these ads.

I came across these ads on my Tumblr. Clever way of changing the product, for sure. But I'm not so sure it's all that believable (especially for a junk foodie like me). How exactly DD smoothies affect the way we look at other snacks escapes me. Granted, the tiny copy at the bottom infers that they're better for you, blah blah blah, but everyone knows what you're biting into when you open that bag of Doritos - calories, artifical coloring and flavoring, and a bunch of other unhealthy additives.

The fact of the matter is, I don't think DD attacking the junk food market is a smart idea. They might be better off attacking other health foods (maybe? who knows.) I'm just not convinced.

Some (literal) food for thought.