Time for Ads! Lia Margari
By 2016
Athens, 11 February
Types of ads » Product-oriented (advertising a specific product) » Companies/Corporate (promoting a company) » Social (pushing messages that concern people and/or the society in general) » Political (messages about political parties)
Forms of ads » Direct (they show the product directly) » Indirect (they show the product indirectly, e.g. we see an actress using it) » Gray (without talking about the product, they try to pass it to our subconscious, e.g. a well-known actor wearing a recognizable pair of glasses wherever he appears) » Negative/Unethical (also known as competitive ones, they present their product saying that it is much better than the competitors’ – these are only allowed in the USA).
One aim – one target » To attract attention in order to “pass” their message, to enter the viewers’ or readers’ subconscious in one way or another…
Which is the way to achieve it – the strategy?  There is not one strategy. They are numerous, countless. Depending on what they are advertising, where, and according to the advertiser’s imagination.
Who do they address? » All of us, young, old, minors and adults, rich and poor, educated or not, regardless of sex, age, religion. » But every ad has its own audience; what we call “target audience or target group”. » Depending on the target audience, the message, the style, the speech, the image, the audiovisual style are configured.
Where do we see ads? Âť Everywhere: TV, radio, magazines & newspapers, printed matter, cinema, outdoor ads (means of transport, stations, metro, posters, etc.), internet.
Are ads useful? » It depends… On us. Some are useful at the specific time when we see them, others are not, some are entertaining so we buy their product even if we do not need it, some make us think, some trouble our thoughts, some make us laugh, some stick to our minds and make us repeat their slogan to our friends. What they all – or most of them – do is pass into our subconscious!
How is an ad created? » Methodology:
1. We study (the market, the public, our strategy, our aims, we think, we re-think, we write, we tear, we plan…) 2. Always as a team. 3. The idea comes up. 4. A scenario is created, or an entry, or for the radio, or a poster… or… or… cont.
5. The ad is designed and produced (directors, graphic designers, musicians, sound engineers, studios and many more technicians) 6. It has to be approved by the company who owns the product or the service who wants to promote it. 7. It goes on air.
Who “plays” in an ad? » Happy and smiling people FIRST AND MOST OF ALL!!! Families, children, mums, teenagers, adults, famous or not, animals, cartoons, politicians…
What’s an ad after all? » It is publicizing or promoting a product, a company, a person or a service with a view to receiving financial or other benefits. » It is the projection of messages for social reasons. » It is the distribution of information at times useful or not.
Advertising is: » A form of communication about a product, an idea, a piece of goods. » It has a certain design and it is aesthetically appealing, or at least that is how it should be. It has specific content in order to “reach” its target audience. » If an ad is not designed correctly to attract attention, it will fail.
Ms. Lia Margari, is a Business Unit Manager of a big advertising company with a 22 years experience in the advertising field. She did us the honor to visit us at the 2nd Experimental Lyceum of Athens, on February 11th, 2016, to talk to us about advertisements and to discuss our students’ questions. It was a very useful, interesting and enjoyable experience for us all! Anna Chaidemenakou