Warning - Art Direction Run Amok

An esteemed colleague asked the question, “Why are so many ads so ugly?”  Why indeed. I ask the question, “Why are so many ads hard to understand? And why do I have to decipher what I’m suppose to do or think?”

Images tell, copy sells. The game Simon Says is a classic example of human nature. People see before they hear, before they read, before they think. But, once you have their attention, copy sells.

We reviewed a landing page design yesterday with a client. It wasn’t pretty. This client is intelligent, reasonable and open. Really all you can ask for. The meeting went well, it was the landing page that wasn’t pretty. But, we are betting it will work. It presents all the information the consumer needs to make a decision in a clear and straight forward manner. Every element was there for a specific reason.

For advertising to work hard for you, the ad’s design needs to support the ad’s communication goals. The design needs to support the ad copy. This is much more important than an ad that’s “pretty.” Experience shows, more often than not, the ugly duckling landing page will win because the message is clear.

Hip Shots

• Does the design support the communication objective of the ad? The design for an awareness ad will be, must be different than the design for a response ad. Adding an 800# or URL to an ad doesn’t make it a response ad. Ask how the design supports the communication objective. If you don’t get a good answer don’t approve the ad.
• The ad copy is the soul of the ad. Don’t let the words be obscured by the design. Insist that the design support the words and the communication objective.
• Be sure the communication hierarchy is supported by the design. Is the design giving the main message the importance it’s due? Or, said another way, if all the type is the same size then nothing is important. This isn’t a good idea.
• Does the image support the communication objective? If the image doesn’t provide a logical or emotional reason for the consumer to connect with the ad and the copy don’t allow it.
• Clients like to say, “Make the logo bigger.” I like to say, “Make the font bigger.” For many products the most likely consumer is in their forties or older.  It’s hard for us doddering old fools to read 8 point type. Insist that the font be large enough for the intended target to read easily. 14 points is nice.
• Reverse type is hard to read. Headlines, maybe, but not body copy. Don’t allow reverse type unless there is really good strategic reason to do so. And please, gray on a colored background, or even worse, a textured background is even harder to read. Through a temper tantrum if you must but don’t agree to this.

Tagged as: Art Direction, Copy Writing, Effective Advertising