Ad design How to create effective advertising Establish the objective Is the ad meant to sell the total company image or to sell a product? Is it a new product or an old one? Present one central proposition Keep exactly to the pre-established objectives. Avoid clutter and extraneous thoughts. Support the basic proposition with all elements of the ad The headline and illustration must support each other and establish the subject of the ad. The reader should know at a glance what is being advertised. Sell the merits of the product/service What is the product/service? Why is it good? Appeal to the reader's needs and self-interest Go right to the point of the message. Make it clear what the product or service will do for the reader so interpretation is not necessary. Design the overall ad for easy reading. Emphasize benefits, not facts Facts are static pieces of information that only describe a product/service. Benefits are dynamic interpretations of what the facts will do for the product/service user. Illustrate the product in use The reader must be able to relate to the product and its use through illustration. Repeat a successful ad...drop a low scoring ad Stay with a winner. A good ad doesn't wear out as fast as the advertiser thinks. Source: Ad Effectiveness: "How to Create Effective Advertising," Readex, March 2002