We can factor an advertisement
into seven important components;
1. The Headline
The Headline is the most read
part of an advertisement. So advertisers try to tell maximum part of the
product story through the headline. A headline will introduce the product or
makes the promise statement or puts a question. It basically tries to attract
the attention of the readers and create curiosity so the audience or reader
sees further. The major types of headlines are:
- Direct promise of benefit
- News about the product
- Curiosity or provocative, and
- Command headlines
Direct headlines make a direct
promise about how the product will benefit the readers. Readers are often
interested in what is new in the product so the words ‘new’, ‘improved’, etc.
are often used in headlines. Such headlines provide some new ‘information’ and
are called news headline.
Sometimes the promise or benefit
is not offered in the headline. Instead an indirect approach is adopted by
either posing a question or making a provocative statement, the headline tries
to create a lot of curiosity about the product. It also forces the readers or
the audience to see the copy and the promise is made in the copy of the Ad. In
command headlines, the readers are urged to buy the product by promising a
reward. For example, ‘buy one, get one free’ or ‘buy for the price of two’.
Usually they command or ask the consumers to buy.
Another type of headline is the
select headline. This is directed at the headline scanners. Such a headline
selects it own audience and can reach selected groups by either addressing them
directly or by discussing their specific problems.
2. The Sub-Headline
This is not always used in ads.
However, when the advertiser wants to say a lot at the beginning but the
headline cannot do the job, then the subheading is used. The headline and
subheading together can contain a longer message. The subheading usually spells
out or elaborates the promise made in the headline or it stresses on the
product’s unique features.
3. Slogan
It is a phrase or a sentence that
describes the benefit derived from the product or one of the product’s most
important attributes. The term slogan comes from the Gaelic words sluagh gairm,
meaning battle cry. These days it is the battle cry in the field of sales and
marketing. It consists of a single phrase by which an advertiser conveys an
important idea, which will presumably lead readers or audience to remember and
think favorably of this company. Slogan is thus a short and catchy
phrase that gets the attention of the audience, is easy to remember and comes
off the tongue easily. Slogan can of different types:
- Slogan that emphasizes product or reward- every product has some
reward to offer consumers. It may have some hidden quality that
differentiates a product from the competitors.
- Slogans that emphasizes action to be taken- the slogan might urge
directly that you use the product or service.
4. Body Copy
When the headline usually makes a
claim, the body copy elaborates upon it and provides supporting proof. When the
headline poses a question, the subheading answers it. The amount of detail in
an advertisement should be sufficient to answer the questions arising in the
minds of a prospective buyer. And if the consumers require more details or
information, then they can be requested to come back to the company for
information booklets or can be invited to come to the retailer or dealer for
more information or demonstration.
Sometimes the consumer wants a
proof or evidence of the claims made in the advertisement. So proofs about quality,
performance, durability, etc. are provided through arguments, proofs by
experts, testimonials by users or through demonstrations in the body copy.
5. Visualization
The headline is a major
attraction –getting device. Another device is the visual impact of the ad. This
is the combination of the visuals used in the advertisements and the visual
treatment given to other elements of the ad. This visual impact becomes strong
if the idea has been properly visualized.
Visualization means to think in
terms of visuals or pictures. And one need not be an artist or painter to be
able to visualize as all it require is thinking.
For example think about the
picture, which comes to your mind when you think the word ‘flower’. It could be
a bouquet of flower or a garden full of beautiful flowers. These kind of
perceptions need to be portrayed in the advertisements. A visualizer need not
draw or paint these things but can just describe these and leave the drawing to
the artists.
Visuals and pictures help people
dream and project themselves in to another time, place, or situation. Pictures
appeal to our hidden and suppressed emotions. Also pictures communicate ideas
quickly and easily and also there is no chance of misinterpretation. Visuals
not only attract attention, they hold the interest and often tell maximum part
of the story. Visuals also identify the product, arouse interest, create a
favorable impression of the product or the advertiser, clarify claims made in
the copy, make demonstrations, emphasize the unique features of the product.
And finally the visuals provide continuity for all advertisements in the
campaign through the use of similar visuals.
6. Layout
Layout has two meanings. One
means the total appearance of the advertisement, its design, the composition of
the various elements. The other meaning is the act or process of placing the
elements (copy, visuals, etc) together.
A layout could be the first
pencil sketch, which puts the idea on paper or could also be the final piece
after finishing touches. Good layouts are unimaginative. The various stages of
a layout are:
- Thumbnail sketches- Advertising people usually
work in pairs. A copywriter and a visualizer sit together and create
ideas. The first thing they do is to come up with as many ideas as possible.
And as they get the ideas they put them on paper, which is called thinking
on paper. This helps in many ways-it records all the ideas options on
paper, it gives some kind of a shape to the idea without using any
expensive color, wasting much paper, etc. and without spending much time
and efforts. In the thumbnail sketch the various elements of the
advertisement are just schematically or diagrammatically represented. For
example, a thick serrated line represents the headline. Thinner serrated
lines represent the subheading and the slogan. Straight lines or dotted
lines represent body copy. Boxes crossed inside represent visuals. Also
thumbnail sketches are very small in size. Only the shape is proper-being
proportionately smaller.
- Rough sketches- in the rough stage, bigger
layouts are made so that more details can be accommodated. Hand
lettering is done for the headlines and other copy parts that are to be
composed in bigger type sizes. A rough sketch of the visual is pasted.
These rough layouts are presented to the agency creative director for
approval. Then the rough layout is further polished.
- Comprehensive stage- the rough layout is still
small in size, with no color, with no proper borders and no proper
lettering and visuals. Now it is enlarged to its actual size. All the copy
is lettered or composed. Proper borders and other marks are put on the
layout. Photographs and other visual are cut from other places or
Photostatted and pasted. Some coloring-particularly using crayons, water
colors, etc is done. This stage is called the comprehensive stage. As the
name suggests this layout is easy to understand. This layout is presented
to the client for approval. Once the client approves the layout, it is
then ready for the final finishing touches.
- Art work-this is the final stage of layout. Here care is taken to look into
each minute detail. The copy is properly composed or lettered. Proper
photographs, paintings, sketches, or graphics are used. Other elements
like borders etc are properly places. Coloring is done. Finishing artists
give the final touches. This stage is now ready to be printed. All these
various stages of preparing the layout are beneficial in a many ways.
First these stages save time, money and efforts. If you prepare a final
layout without taking the approval and it gets rejected, then all the
material used, efforts and time spend are wasted. Also working on only one
idea curtails the various other possible options.
A layout starts with a blank
piece of paper. What the layout artist does is to place the copy, visuals and
other elements on it. This placing of elements is not just mere decoration.
What is required is a good, clear vision and interpretation of the selling
concept of the story. A good layout allows all its elements-visuals, headlines,
subheadings, body copy, charts, maps, logo, borders and other elements-to work
together to do the job of telling the product story.
A good layout takes into
consideration the principles of balance, proportion, unity, contrast, harmony,
rhythm, and direction. And finally a good layout must be attractive, must
create an appropriated mood or feeling, must have individually to stand out
fr9om the clutter of advertisements.
7. Trademark
The term trademark includes any
word, symbol or device or any combination there of adopted and used by a
manufacturer or merchant to identify his goods and distinguish them from those
manufactured or sold by others in the market. Trademarks are important because
of two reasons:
- It increases the credibility of the firm because the buyer buys the
product only after looking at the brand name.
- Registration of trademarks prohibits duplication.
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