Layout & Design CNBAM AIDA: The Classic Formula for Effective Ads Great ads have four things in common—they create Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. When creating ads, keep this simple AIDA formula in mind: A=ATTENTION Grab reader’s attention with headlines, type, white space and visuals. I=INTEREST Make the copy interesting and benefit-oriented. D=DESIRE Make sure the copy answers readers’ most basic question: “What’s in it for me?” People read ad copy to find out how your product or service benefits them. A=ACTION Urge your readers to act now—and make them do so.
The Breeze, James Madison University
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Layout & Design CNBAM Twelve Things a Good Ad Does 1. Stops the reader from turning the page. 2. Works like a good salesperson by telling potential customers what a product will do for them. 3. Builds on a concept or idea. A reader must instantly recognize the concept being communicated. 4. Sells a product’s benefits rather than its features. People buy based on what the product will do for them—not what ingredients it has. 5. Promotes the name of the store while visually creating an image for the store. 6. Speaks to a specific group of people. 7. Provides the facts a reader needs without providing too many. 8. Conveys its messages simply—is believable and honest. 9. Is supported by good store management, in-store merchandising and good customer service. 10. Remembers who the customer is and what makes that customer buy. 11. Is news: Readers say advertising in newspapers is as important to them as other content. In fact, it’s the primary reason why readers seek out good advertising in the local newspapers. 12. Sells answers to consumers’ current needs—advertising sells to people’s wants, not just their needs. People need transportation; they want a Mercedes. They need clothing; they want Polo. NAA Newspaper Advertising Planbook 2007
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Layout & Design CNBAM cnbam college newspaper business & advertising managers, inc.
1d. Best Newspaper Promotion Ad– Black & White School: ________________________________ Newspaper: _____________________________
Division
A
B
Creative Strategy
Does the ad target the appropriate audience? Does it present the central idea in an interesting, fresh manner? __________ Score 0-20
Design
Is the ad well balanced? Is white space used effectively? Is there a dominant element that gets attention? Is it arranged to create a clear path for the eye? Does the choice of typefaces and the overall typography enhance the ad? __________ Score 0-30
Execution
Is the ad distinctive? Does it present the central idea clearly and concisely? Is the copy well written to speak persuasively to the intended audience? Is it free of typos and errors? Is the ad uncluttered? Does the ad invite emotional involvement, hold the reader’s attention? Does the headline work with art to convey a clear, compelling message? Is the advertiser clearly identified? Is the graphic style consistent? _________ Score 0-30
Overall Rating
Is the audience and goal for the ad appropriate to the offer being made and the medium being used? Is there something unique about the ad? _________ Score 0-20
Total Score: _________
Judge’s Comments:
Collegiate Times,Virginia Tech Third place, over 40,000 circulation Best newspaper promotion ad campaign, CNBAM 2006
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Layout & Design CNBAM 21 Layout Tips 21 Layout Tips for Effective Advertisements 1. Keep your ads simple and uncluttered. 2. Use white space. 3. Don’t use distracting borders. 4. Make the headline stand out. 5. Use easy-to-read line breaks in the headline. 6. Use readable type styles (serif body copy is easier to read than sans serif). 7. Don’t use all caps. Upper and lower case type is easier to read. 8. In longer copy, keep column width between 30 and 55 characters. 9. In longer copy, use drop initials to increase readership. 10. Set body copy flush left. 11. Make sure the copy is large enough to be easily read but not so large that it has to be read at arms length. 12. Don’t over use reverses (white images on dark background). 13. Don’t print text over pictures. 14. Give each ad a graphic hook…a large dominant element (usually the illustration). 15. Photographs are more believable than drawings. 16. Illustration must be relevant…and should clarify the headline. (The best illustrations show the product in use or demonstrate a product benefit). 17. Put captions with pictures. 18. Pictures should face into center of ad. 19. Pictures with people pull better than pictures without people. 20. Best logo placement is bottom right or bottom center of ad. 21. Use color for more impact. Source: The Tampa Tribune
Check out these sites: www.arttoday.com www.freefoto.com www.eyewire.com
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Layout & Design CNBAM The Meanings of Color Yellow – registers with the brain faster than any other color: The best color to grab attention. Men, in particular, are likely to read something that includes yellow. Yellow connotes health, cheerfulness, spirituality. Red – Visually exciting color that stimulates the eye. It has stopping power. Red is a hot color, intense and passionate, a forceful color. Red is an advancing color that seems nearer to the eye than it really is. In full strength, red should be used in small quantities. Blue – The favorite color of most people, blue has a calming effect on us. It reminds people of passive, cool, subdued, dignified, somber and gloomy things. Green – The color of money, green connotes good things. Green makes people feel comfortable. Green has opposite effects on people. It is peaceful and frightening, refreshing and ghastly, quieting and disturbing all at the same time, depending on how it is used. Green is a cool color that seems farther away than it really is. Orange – Has broad appeal that crosses age, income, race, education barriers. This color works to give the broadest reach possible. It suggests energy, humor, exuberance and folly. Unfortunately orange into newsprint often comes across as gaudy and overdone.
Legibility of Color Combinations The following two-color combinations are often used because they are considered most legible, ranked from the most to least readable. Black on Yellow Background Black on White Background Yellow on Black Background White on Black Background Blue on White Background White on Blue Background White on Green Background Green on White Background The Great AD Venture, NAA
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CNBAM
Layout & Design 21 Clues for Effective Advertisements 1. Large ads containing fewer than ten items enjoy better recall than ads with more than ten. 2. Ads mentioning sale prices get a 30% higher recall than those listing only regular prices. 3. Low scoring ads had logos placed only at the bottom left of the ad. On large ads, logos should appear at both the top and bottom of the ad. 4. Prominently-shown prices score well. 5. Ads with 70% illustration or white space and 30% copy are the most effective. 6. Copy appearing immediately adjacent to the illustrations is more effective than keying copy and placing it elsewhere. 7. Ads running in conjunction with holidays did better than those running at other times. 8. Readers should be able to tell at a glance what type of product or service is being offered. 9. Select one dominant element as a main feature and give it a feature position. 10. Clearly state the price. Studies show that 47% of tested readers overestimated selling prices of items not priced. 11. Name the merchandise. Clearly state the merchandise being sold. 12. Include related items. 13. Urge customers to buy NOW! 14. Use a distinctive logo. Be sure it doesn’t blend in with the rest.
The Arbiter, Boise State University, Best Display Ad Spot color, under 40,000 - First Place, CNBAM 2006
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Layout & Design CNBAM 15. Let white space work for you. White space is what makes the black marks show up. 16. Use the AIDA theory: Each ad should ask for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. 17. Five times more people read headlines than body copy. 18. Ads with news are recalled by 22% more people than ads without. 19. Include brand names in headlines or 80% of readers will never know what product you are advertising. 20. Headlines of 10 words sell more merchandise than short headlines. 21. Headlines in quotes increase recall by an average of 20%.
The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania, Best Display Ad, over 40,000, Second Place, CNBAM 2006
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Layout & Design CNBAM Effective Ad Elements Attract Readers According to the 1999 NAA study of newspaper ads conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, there are six key elements in ads that attract readers. 1. A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words … and More Visuals (illustrations and photos) draw readers. Compared to ads with no visuals, ads with visuals that occupy about half of the total ad space are nearly 30 percent more likely to attract readers . Plus, when a visual makes up nearly 75 percent of the ad space, readers are 48 percent more likely to take note than if the ad has few or no visuals. As the number of visuals increase, so does readership. Ads with four to nine visuals are noted 28 percent more often than ads with fewer or no visuals. And, ads with 10 or more visuals are 55 percent more likely to be noted than ads with none. Photos and illustrations of models are 25 percent more likely to be noticed than ads using either line art or no visual at all. If you use a visual of the advertised product, you’ll attract the readers’ attention 13 percent more often than if you show no product. Even better, showing the product in use provides a similar edge over a product-only visual. Ads with multi-product visuals are more likely to attract readers and are 40 percent more likely to be read thoroughly than ads without multi-product visuals. 2. Information, Please Newspaper readers are information seekers. They respond best to ads that help them decide how and where to shop. The more price information included the better. Ads that list 10 to 12 prices are noted over 80 percent more often than ads that list fewer than seven prices. But don’t go price-crazy. List too many, and you’ll run the risk of confusing readers. And, if you’re advertising a sale, be sure to feature the sale prices. Ads including sale prices are noticed 23 percent more often than ads without, and readers pay more attention to sales ads, too. 3 Go for Size It’s no surprise that larger newspaper ads increase readership. For example, full-page ads are noticed 39 percent more often than quarterpage ads. And much like ads with color, larger ads also result in greater in-depth reading.
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Layout & Design CNBAM 4. Color Me Powerful In a largely black-and-white medium such as newspaper, one might guess that color would draw readers’ attention. That’s an understatement! Four-color ROP ads are noted 13 percent more often than two-color ads. And full color doesn’t just get your ad noticed; it boosts in-depth reading 40 percent compared to two-color ads; and more than 60 percent compared to black-and-white ads. Plus, color influences image and attitude—to really involve readers. So, it’s easy to see why color is one of the newspaper advertiser’s most powerful tools. 5. Just the Right Spot … Anywhere It’s been long believed that placement is crucial to advertising readership. Not true. Research shows it doesn’t matter if an ad is positioned in a gutter (inside), on edge of page (outside), above or below the fold, on a left-hand or right-hand page, surrounded by editorial or no editorial. So, what about other ads on the page (otherwise known as clutter)? Doesn’t matter either. But two ad placements do affect readership. Being the first ad to appear in a section boosts attention by more than 40 percent. And appearing on the back page of a section makes an ad 15 percent more likely to be noticed. 6. Creative License Legible reversed type has neither a positive nor negative impact on ad noting or in-depth reading. But, long reversed copy or reversed type that’s not easy to read, negatively impacts attention and readership. Plus, white space should be used only to complement good advertising design. Ads in which white space dominated at the expense of other ad elements (e.g., production cramped type or tiny illustrations) are less-noticed and less-read as the amount of white space increases. Does this mean reversed type or white space shouldn’t be used? No. Both can be effective when used appropriately and in balance with other elements of good advertising design. Source: 1990 10-market study of 671 newspaper ads conducted for the Newspaper Association of America by Roper Starch Worldwide. Source: Newspaper Advertising Planbook 2007
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Layout & Design CNBAM cnbam college newspaper business & advertising managers, inc.
Division
A
1a. Best Display Ad–Color School: ________________________________ Newspaper: _____________________________
B
Creative Strategy
Does the ad target the appropriate audience? Does it present the central idea in an interesting, fresh manner? __________ Score 0-10
Color
Is the color used strategically to command attention? Does it enhance the ad, not overwhelm it? __________ Score 0-30
Design
Is the ad well balanced? Is white space used effectively? Is there a dominant element that gets attention? Is it arranged to create a clear path for the eye? Does the choice of typefaces and the overall typography enhance the ad? __________ Score 0-30
Execution
Is the ad distinctive? Does it present the central idea clearly and concisely? Is the copy well written to speak persuasively to the intended audience? Is it free of typos and errors? Is the ad uncluttered? Does the ad invite emotional involvement, hold the reader’s attention? Does the headline work with art to convey a clear, compelling message? Is the advertiser clearly identified? Is the graphic style consistent? _________ Score 0-20
Overall Rating
Is the audience and goal for the ad appropriate to the offer being made and the medium being used? Is there something unique about the ad? _________ Score 0-10
Total Score: _________
Judge’s Comments:
Da i Co ly Vid l CN or Be ette, I ll BA s M t of C inois 200 S ate gor tate U 6 y, ni
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Layout & Design CNBAM Elements of Effective Newspaper Advertising The Strength of Color Ad performance is strongly influenced by color. Four-color ads have a greater payoff than black and white or two-color ads. Four-Color Ads - 62% higher retention than black and white ads - 40% higher retention than two-color ads The Effect of Ad Size Larger ads enable advertisers to establish page dominance and increase readership. Full-page ads are remembered 40% more than quarter-page ads. Visual Impact Consumers want to see what they are getting. As the number of illustrations increase, so do readership levels. Ads with illustrations using three-quarters of the total space are read 60% more than ads with no illustrations. Ad Placement The first ad to appear in a section and the ad on the back page generally affect readership the most. - First Ad – 44% higher retention than other positions - Back Page Ad – 15% higher retention than other positions How to Win and Hold Consumer’s Attention – The Elements of Effective Newspaper Advertising, NAA 1999
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