Print Billboard Ads that Work

Every now and then, my eight year-old son will ask me about the meaning of an ad.

When that happens I’m always very interested.

That’s because if an ad has broken through the clutter of advertising messages and caused my son to ask that question, it’s probably worth an examination.

It happened again yesterday.

We were in the car at the time – on our way to school. 

I noticed the ad immediately. It was a poster that was displayed on the back of the bus in front of us.

Normally I don’t notice these ads. Even with my passion for marketing, a lot of them pass by me – lost in a “sea of sameness”.

This one was different.

Something about it caused me to take a second look...

And a third.

And I wondered if the same was true for my son.

Then from the back of the car came the question: “What’s that ad about Dad?”

Bingo. Two for two.

Whoever had designed this ad had passed the first law of advertising – it had got the attention of both of us.

But does that make it an effective ad?

Well, if you ask a lot of people from the advertising industry, they’ll say “yes”.

But if you ask those with a direct marketing background, they’ll tell you that winning attention is only half the battle.

From their point-of-view, the job of the ad is to sell.

So where does that put the poster or the drive-by billboard?

Well, from where I sit, the job of a poster is to get people to think about the message.

It might be about a product.

It might be about a service.

It might be about an action you want them to take…

Or not take.

And because the person viewing the poster is often driving in the car, the stimulus for that action has to be pretty powerful.

And succinct.

Intrigued, I probed a little harder as to my son’s understanding of the message.

“What do you think the person who created that ad wants you to do – or not do?” I asked.

“Not to smoke” came the reply.

At which point I had to hand it to the people behind the ad.

They had in fact caught our attention, and delivered the message…

With gusto.

So why did the ad work?

Three reasons.

First and foremost, it was an ad that stood out from the crowd as a result of the image.

Secondly, it tapped into the principal driver behind any effective ad – emotion. If you can tap into the emotions of people you’ll go a long way to delivering your message.

Thirdly, the link between the emotional image and message was valid (if slightly obtuse). The words:

$16 A PACKET ISN'T ALL SMOKERS COUGH UP 

obviously play on the double meaning behind the phrase "cough up" - which helps stimulate the brain. More than that though, the message is very relevant to the image. It supports it.

This is an important point. Sometimes, advertisers are tempted to use any means possible in order to get the message read.

The one you most often read about in a negative context is the headline: “Sex”. Which is often followed by the sub-head. “Now that I’ve got your attention, this is what I really want to talk to you about.”

I would avoid that tactic at all costs if you don't want to annoy people and erode their trust – probably for good.   

1. Great image.
2. Emotional image.
3. Valid connection to message.

This is the formula for print billboard ads that work.

Note: This is a post I wrote (but never published) last year. My son is now nine!