Lawrence Medina

What is an Advertisement?

Quite a loaded question. Most will know an advertisement when they see one. Some may question if what they saw was actually an advertisement. However, an advertisement is only an ad… when it indicates its message clearly and efficiently.

What does that mean exactly?

You may think that an advertisement is simply a means of grabbing someone’s attention, but it is far more than that. A lot of elements are at play when you are creating an advertisement. The key element, however, it the idea behind and how that idea correlates to your brand.

If your brand is eccentric, then it would be confusing to your audience and clients, if your very first advertisement was a serene environment where nothing crazy or out of the ordinary is happening. However, if you were to take that same type of environment and add the eccentricity of your brand to it, then it would be far more effective.

Think of your branding as the flavor behind the advertisement. Your grandma’s recipe is a classic because the flavor is the same. It’s what you are expecting. The brand is expected with every advertisement—unless your rebranding, but we’ll leave that for another day.

Now, shall we get into what makes an advertisement?

Anatomy of an Advertisement

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. Which is great, as I’ve been exposed to and have watched many advertisements in my life. Perhaps it is because I’m American, but I look forward to watching ads on TV, online, or even scouring for them on the train and street. And I’ve begun to notice one key element about advertisements.

They all have a layout.

That layout is their structure. Their foundation. The very thing that makes that advertisement an advertisement. Don’t be fooled. Creating an advertisement is easy once you have a layout in mind.

Quick tangent—it is easy to make an advertisement, but it is extremely difficult to make a GOOD ad.

Let’s take a good look at print advertisements.

The Skeleton of Print Ads

They are perhaps the most straightforward of all advertisements. All you need are 5 things:

Headline:

The title of your advertisement. It will tell your reader what information they will get out of this specific advertisement. If the headline appeals to them, then it will essentially scream at them as their eyes scan it.

Body Copy:

The information your headline calls out to. You’ve already captured their attention, now you need to retain it and ensure that they remember what you’re all about. Make them laugh. Made them mad. Make them feel something. Be remembered and stay on brand. Otherwise, you’ll confuse them.

Image/Design:

Most advertisements will be accompanied by an image or a simple design. If you opt for an image, then make sure it’s one that either fits your current copy or your brand—but preferably the copy. Let the designs and copy work together. Don’t go thinking the words will do all the work (A painful thing for a writer to admit). While on the design side of your advertisement can be simple, again make sure it’s on brand. There are a lot of different colors and shapes in the world, but your brand has specific colors and shapes.

Logotype:

The easiest part of your advertisement. The logo and its placement. Your advertisement should always have a logo. After all, right after your branding, it will be the logo that indicates connects it all together. That way when your audience sees your future advertisements the branding will be associated long before the logo even pops up. That’s when you’ll know your branding has worked out effectively.

Layout:

This deceptively simple element often brings most advertisements to a grinding halt. Where should your body copy go? Should your headline always be at the top of the advertisement? Maybe the logo is better off in the bottom left corner rather than the bottom right corner? Is that the right shade of blue?

I would suggest you hone down your layout before getting all other elements together. If you save it for last—as I have… then you’re not going to have a good time.

The Bones Still Remain

All of the above was stated for print… but it’s really interchangeable. All advertisements have these elements. Most just swap them in and out. For instance, if you look to TV, then your image/design changes to video. The copy headline and body copy are still there, but instead of it being written, it’s spoken. Your logotype will always make an appearance as well.

Understanding the elements involved in creating an advertisement will certainly help you in knowing how to make an advertisement.

Will it be good? Most likely not, but everyone starts somewhere.

What are the signifiers of a good ad? Well… I guess you know what we’ll go over next time!