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For an analysis of print advertising consider commenting on any or all
of the following issues and topics for your analysis of the
print ad. Your summary should be approximately 200 to 300 words - -
one to two pages TYPED.
A. Design refers to how the art director and graphic artist (or graphic designer) choose and structure the artistic elements of an ad. A designer sets a style by choosing particular artistic elements and blending them in a unique way. B. A layout is an overall orderly arrangement of all the format elements of an ad: headline, subheads, visual(s), copy, captions, trademarks, slogans and signature. The layout serves several purposes: Develop and evaluate, in advance, how the ad will look and feel, and serve as something for the agency and client to approve. Help the creative team develop the ad's psychological elements - the nonverbal and symbolic components for building brand personality, equity, and image, along with a mood. Serve as blueprint showing the size and placement of each element in the ad. C. The advertising design process serves as both a creative and an approval process. In the creative phase, the designer uses non-final art to establish the ad's look and feel. The approval process takes place throughout the entire design process. Thumbnail sketch (or thumbnail) - a small, very rough, rapidly produced drawing the artist uses to visualize layout approaches without wasting time on details. Rough layout - the artists draws to the actual size of the ad. Comprehensive layout (or "comp") - a highly refined facsimile of finished ad. At this stage, all the visuals should be final. Dummy - the hand-held look and feel of brochures, multipage materials, or point-of-purchase displays. Mechanical (paste-up) - the type and visuals are placed into their exact position for reproduction by a printer (prepress or production art). Today, most designers prepare this work on computers. Printers refer to the mechanical or pasteup as camera-ready art because they photograph it using a large production camera before starting the reproduction process (creating color keys, prints, and films of the finished ad). Approval - the work of the copywriter and art director is always subject to approval by the client. D. By using computer programs, today's graphic artist or designer can do much of the work previously performed by staff artists. Today's graphic artist, illustrator, and retoucher must be computer literate, in addition to having a thorough knowledge of esthetics, rendering, and design. The advertiser has only a second or two to grab the reader's attention (studies show 85 percent of ads don't even get looked at). Good design not only commands attention, but holds it. Traditionally, the highest scoring ads employ a standard, "poster-style format" (also called a "picture-window layout" or "Ayer No. 1" in the trade) which features a single dominant visual occupying 60-70 percent of the ad's total area. a. Ads scoring in the top third have visuals averaging 82 percent of the space. b. Next in ranking are ads that feature one large picture and two smaller ones. c. Visuals can stop the reader, arouse interest, and may contribute to long-term memory. d. When the headline appears below the illustration, an ad looks more like an editorial and gains about 10 percent more readership. e. Readership drops considerably with more than 50 words. f. Copy blocks should be kept to 20 percent of the ad. g. Ads for high-involvement products do better with long, informative copy when the advertiser is more interested in quality rather than quantity. h. Company signatures and logos should be placed in the lower right-hand corner or across the bottom of the ad, but need not occupy more than 5 to 10 percent of the area. Principles of design are to the layout artist what the rules of grammar are to the writer. Basic rules of design include: a. The design must be in balance. b. The space within the ad should be broken into pleasing proportions. c. A directional pattern should be evident so the reader knows in what sequence to read. d. Some force should hold the ad together and give it unity. e. One part of the ad should have enough emphasis to dominate all others. E. Visuals should be designed with several goals in mind: a. Capture reader attention. b. Clarify claims made by the copy. c. Identify subject of the ad. d. Show the product actually being used. e. Qualify readers by stopping legitimate prospects. f. Help convince the reader of the truth of copy claims. g. Arouse the reader's interest in the headline. h. Emphasize the product's unique features. I. Create a favorable impression of product or advertiser. j. Provide continuity for the campaign by using a unified visual technique in each ad. Selecting the focus for advertising visuals often determines how well the big idea is executed. Print advertising uses many standard subjects for ad visuals, including: a. The package containing the product. b. The product alone. c. The product in use. d. How to use the product. e. Product features. f. Comparison of products. g. User benefit. h. Humor. I. Testimonial. j. Negative appeal. The kind of picture used is often determined during the visualization process. Selecting an appropriate photo or visual is a difficult creative task. Art directors deal with several basic questions: a Is a visual needed for effective communication? b. Should the visual be black-and-white or color? c. What should the subject of the picture be? Is that subject relevant to the advertiser's creative strategy? d.Should the ad use an illustration or photograph? F. In print advertising, the copy and art are linked. The key format elements are: Headlines, the words in the leading position of the advertisement , will be read first and are situated to draw the most attention. a. Role of headlines: 1 Attract attention to the ad. 2. Engage the audience. 3. Explain the visual. 4. Lead the audience into the body of the ad. 5. Present the selling message. b. The headline is the most important thing you say to a prospect, adding to the visual's meaning and establishing your position. Headlines: 1. Present the complete selling idea - three to five times the people read the headline as read the body copy. Most headlines average eight words, ten words or more are considered unable to gain readers. 2. Should offer an emotional or rational (or both) benefit apparent to the reader. 3. Should present product news. c. Headlines may be classified by the type of information they carry: 1 .Benefit headlines - promise the audience that the product or service will be rewarding. 2. News/information headlines - announce news or promise information. 3. Provocative headlines - provoke reader's curiosity. 4. Question headlines - asks a question, encouraging readers to search for the answer in the body of the ad. 5. Command headlines - order reader to do something. Subheads - an additional smaller headline, may appear above or below headline. A subhead above the headline, called a kicker (or overline), is often underlined. Subheads may also appear in body copy. Subheads are usually set smaller than the headline, but in larger type than the body copy. Subheads generally appear in boldface (heavier) type or italic (slanted) type or a different color. Most people only read the headline and subhead. Subheads usually support the interest step best. Body copy (text) - sells the complete story in the body copy. The body copy comprises the interest, credibility, desire, and often even the action steps. It is a logical continuation of the headline and subheads, set in smaller type. Body copy covers the features, benefits, and utility of the product or service. a.Body copy styles - experienced copywriters look for the technique and style with the greatest sales appeal for the idea being presented. Common copy styles include: 1.Straight-sell copy - writers immediately explain or develop the headline and visual in a straightforward factual presentation, appeals to the prospect's reason. 2.Institutional copy - used to promote a philosophy or extol the merits of an organization rather than product features. 3.Narrative copy - tells a story, sets up a situation and then resolves it at the last minute by having the product or service come to the rescue. Allows for emotional appeals. 4.Dialogue/monologue copy - using this style, the advertiser can add the believability that narrative copy sometimes lacks. The characters portrayed in a print ad do the selling in their own words. Poorly written dialogue can be dull, hokey, or seem unreal. 5.Picture-caption copy - uses illustrations to tell the story. Particularly useful for products that have a number of different uses or come in a variety of styles or designs 6.Device copy - may be used to enhance attention, interest, and memorability. Device copy uses figures of speech as well as humor and exaggeration. Humor should always be used carefully and never be in questionable taste. Humor can increase memorability dispel pre-conceived negative images, and help differentiate a product. b.The keys to good body copy are simplicity, order, credibility, and clarity. Four basic format elements are used to construct body copy: 1.Lead-in paragraph - a bridge between the headline and the sales idea presented in the text. 2.Interior paragraphs - develops credibility by providing proof for claims and builds desire by using language that stirs the imagination. 3.Trial close - interspersed in the interior paragraphs should be suggestions to act now. The trial close allows them to make the buying decision early. 4.Close - the action step. A good close asks consumers to do something and tells them how. The close can be direct or indirect. A direct close seeks immediate response in the form of a purchase, a store or Web site visit, or a request for further information. Slogans (theme line or tag lines) - often begin as successful headlines, and, through continuous use, become standard statements. Slogans have two purposes: to provide continuity to an ad series and to serve as a brief, repeatable positioning statement. Reference source: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072415444/student_view0/chapter12/els.html for text: Contemporary Advertising, 8/e, William F. Arens |