Forms and Conventions

What makes a good Advert?

To help me create my advert I first need to research what makes a good advert and later look at successful ones to give me inspiration.

A good ad:

• Connects with its audience
• Is memorable and easily recalled
• Provides information quickly and sufficiently
• Doesn’t confuse the viewer or make them hunt for the pertinent information
• Calls the viewer to action

It’s okay to have white spaces, pauses, slow pans, or other elements that some might call a “waste” of space. Effective advertising does not lambaste the viewer with information; it allows room for the message to get the audience’s attention and connect.

1. Sentimental Stories:

Advertising that guides viewers with relatable characters in a storyline helps people to remember the advertisement far better than one that simply touts the product or company with a laundry list of benefits to consumers.
For example, in a heartwarming MasterCard commercial, a puppy finds himself astray from his family and winds up hitching rides from various travelers. In the end, the dog never found his way home as he jumped into a truck and rode down a long road. This ad actually was structured as two separate commercials: Parts 1 & 2. Part 1 posed a question of whether this dog would return home. A question that goes unanswered means it lingers in the consumer's mind. Weeks later, Part 2 aired showing the dog returning home his family, satisfying the question.

2. Make them Laugh:

Laughter is one of the highest forms of emotional therapy and allows viewers to let down their guards. The Got Milk commercials were some of the most memorable and talked about ads for years.
Rather than discussing a list of nutritional benefits of drinking Whole, Skim, 1%, or Fat Free milk, the advertisers brilliantly told hilarious stories of characters placed in situations where they desired milk after eating a delicious cookie. The milk of course, eluded their grasp every time and caused viewers to empathize with the character at an emotional level rather than an intellectual one.
Researching into these theories, is allowing me to identify the points we need to hit in order to make our advert successful. Making the audience laugh was something we decided to do as soon as we chose to create an advert and now with this research and evidence that comedy works in adverts, I think making our advert comical is key now.