Advertisement Anatomy

The Headline

The headline tells people right away if the ad is worth looking at. It promises a substantial benefit that interests the reader and ensures that the ad is read. The headline needs to be benefit orientated rather than simply clever. The objective of the headline is to compel the viewer to read the ad. Keep headlines with all capitals to a minimum. Heading and subheadings are used to organize & break up the information in the ad

The Offer

A specific benefit orientated offer that promises to quickly and measurably improve the consumer’s life

Postscript

Where you eliminate fear of taking action/ Or inspire fear of NOT taking action. Take away risk by offering a guarantee. Or tell consumers that the offer is only available for a limited time, or something else that will persuade them to act on the desire you have instilled throughout the ad

The Main Graphic

The main graphic should serve to support the Headline and should quickly convey what the benefit you are offering is. The main graphic has to work together with the Headline not separately; they need to form an integrated whole

First Subhead

If the headline has worked the reader will arrive at the first subhead. The subhead should help the reader understand how the rest of the ad will explain the benefit promised in the headline

Body Copy

The first paragraph should summarise the benefit offer and promise the reader a clear and believable improvement to their life. It should also encourage them to read on for more. Body copy should be used to expand on your promised benefit: it should be short, impactful and to the point: no more than a couple of points in a single ad and each point should explain and build on the others

The Last Paragraph

The last paragraph is the place to inspire action: make the reader feel that he or she is very close to enjoying the benefit you are offering, all the have to do is pick up the phone, visit your website, whatever the call to action is. Further points regarding content/style/layout:

• Ads should always strive for maximum readability
• Pictures should always look professional/ appearance needs to be excellent
• Everything in the ad should contribute to the main message (if in doubt about including a certain piece of information, leave it out); Everything included in the ad should have a definite purpose
• Information needs to be broken up and organised efficiently
• Readers have short attention spans; overwriting will kill an ad
• The best ads are those that speak in the language of the reader (if you write like a university professor your audience will be restricted to university professors)
• The language, tone, and content need to be authentic. Readers are too wised up these days to be easily taken in by excessive claims and overuse of superlatives
• Readers are much more likely to believe specific claims that are backed up by examples they can relate to