100 ways to create a great ad

209 Pages·2014·10.03 MB·English

by  Collins

Wa ys
10 0
t o Cr e a t e
a G r e a t A d
Tim Collins
Laurence King Publishing
Published in 2014 by
Laurence King Publishing Ltd
361–373 City Road, London
ec1v 1lr, United Kingdom
t [phone]
f [phone]
[email protected]
www.laurenceking.com
Text © 2014 Tim Collins
Tim Collins has asserted his right
under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act of 1988 to be identifi ed
as the author of this work.
This book was produced by Laurence
King Publishing Ltd, London.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or
any information storage and retrieval
system, without prior permission
in writing from the publisher.
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-78067-168-0
Design: Mucho
Picture research: Ida Riveros
Printed in China
CONTENTS
Introduction 04 37 / Killer Facts 78 75 / Product Sampling 154
38 / Self-Awareness 80 76 / Topical 156
01 / Reveals 06 39 / Anti-Advertising 82 77 / Puzzles 158
02 / Mash-Ups 08 40 / Advertising Parodies 84 78 / Illusion 160
03 / Double Meanings 10 41 / Brand Mascots 86 79 / Diagrams 162
04 / Puns 12 42 / Bringing the Product to Life 88 80 / Annotation 164
05 / Visual Puns 14 43 / Personifi cation 90 81 / Perspective Change 166
06 / Visual Metaphors 16 44 / Catchphrases 92 82 / Details 168
07 / Visual Similes 18 45 / Neologisms 94 83 / The Eff ects of Time 170
08 / Analogy 20 46 / Long Copy 96 84 / Dramatizing the Negative 172
09 / Omission 22 47 / The Curiosity Arouser 98 85 / Dramatizing Product Experience 174
10 / Minimalism 24 48 / Arguments 100 86 / Scale 176
11 / Rhyme 26 49 / Advice 102 87 / National Identity 178
12 / Alliteration 28 50 / Insults 104 88 / Regional Identity 180
13 / Questions 30 51 / Compliments 106 89 / Alternative Uses 182
14 / The Rule of Three 32 52 / Challenges 108 90 / Transformation 184
15 / Contrasting Pairs 34 53 / Crusades 110 91 / Product Transformation 186
16 / Lists 36 54 / In-Jokes 112 92 / Heritage 188
17 / Storytelling 38 55 / Interaction 114 93 / Product Story 190
18 / Consequences 40 56 / Crowdsourcing 116 94 / Product Features 192
19 / Sequences 42 57 / Ambient 118 95 / Local Knowledge 194
20 / Homages 44 58 / Installation 120 96 / Endorsement 196
21 / Borrowed Interest 46 59 / Special Builds 122 97 / Testimonial 198
22 / Reversal 48 60 / Stunts 124 98 / Reverse Testimonial 200
23 / Displacement 50 61 / Using the Medium 126 99 / Manufacturer’s Testimonial 202
24 / Disruption 52 62 / Hoaxes 128 100 / Staff 204
25 / Contradiction 54 63 / Hidden Camera 130
26 / Repetition 56 64 / Documentary 132 Index 206
27 / Hyperbole 58 65 / Big Ads 134 Credits 208
28 / Visual Hyperbole 60 66 / Branded Content 136
29 / Understatement 62 67 / Playing with the Logo 138
30 / Comparison 64 68 / Symbols 140
31 / Surrealism 66 69 / Typography 142
32 / Shock 68 70 / Pricing 144
33 / Irony 70 71 / Competitive Ads 146
34 / Bathos 72 72 / Range 148
35 / Paradox 74 73 / Product Demonstration 150
36 / Slang 76 74 / Product Shot 152
04 / 100 ways to create a great ad
INTRODUCTION
A quick confession: when I was working I found that thinking about these diff erent I also hope this book will be useful to
as an advertising creative and found myself techniques could open up new ways into the wide range of people who encounter
stuck on a brief, I would sometimes fl ip tricky briefs. Not always, of course, but creative ideas in their working lives.
through awards annuals for inspiration. often enough to make it worthwhile. Marketing executives, account handlers
It wasn’t that I wanted to steal ideas – and other professionals are often
honest. It was more that I noticed the This book gives an overview of a hundred required to evaluate ads, and these brief
same types of ad coming up again and diff erent approaches to creating an ad. introductions should provide them with
again: some showed two diff erent things They don’t all work in the same way: a helpful framework.
combined into one; some showed objects some are rhetorical devices that have
that looked like other objects; some were been around for thousands of years; Whether you’re an industry professional
written in a tone of voice that switched some are visual techniques inherited or simply interested in why you see the
from the grand to the mundane. from art and design; others have their same patterns repeated over and over
roots in classic sales arguments. But they again, this book should allow you to
are all useful approaches that are worth tell your mash-ups from your metaphors.
considering one by one. And if you’re stuck on the brief from
hell, I hope it provides that moment
I hope this book can help to remind of inspiration when you switch from
creatives of the variety of methods staring out of the window with your
open to them. Certain techniques, such feet on the desk to frantically scribbling
as visual similes and metaphors, are on your notepad.
attempted a lot at the moment, while
others, such as the devices used for witty
headline writing, are under-used.
01
06 / 100 ways to create a great ad Many ads encourage us to
make assumptions and then
immediately contradict them.
REVEALS
01 / Nike A classic headline reveal can be seen The technique can also be used to more
The classic structure of in the Nike poster ‘’66 was a great year serious eff ect, as in the ‘Points of View’
the headline reveal. The
for English football. Eric was born.’ ad for The Guardian. At fi rst we think a
fi rst sentence sets up
an assumption and the We initially assume the ad is referring skinhead is running away from someone.
second contradicts it. to England’s only World Cup win. But Then a diff erent angle makes us think he’s
we fi nd it’s actually referring to the attacking a businessman. But a wide shot
02 / Old Spice
‘I’m on a horse.’ This birth of Eric Cantona, who played for helps us understand he’s actually saving
phenomenally popular Manchester United. the man from falling bricks.
Old Spice commercial
ends with a visual joke
known as the ‘pull back A similar technique in TV is known as Radio advertising is well suited to this
and reveal’. ‘pull back and reveal’. The viewer is led sort of misdirection. An ad created by
to believe they’re seeing a particular Ricky Gervais for the Prostate Cancer
03 / The Guardian
This ad for The Guardian situation, only to fi nd out that they’re Charity features a doctor giving a man
newspaper is a master looking at a totally diff erent one. This a rectal examination. Afterwards, the
class in reversing viewer
can generate a quick visual joke. For man asks, ‘Does he have to be here?’ We
assumption. We think
the skinhead is attacking example, we might think we’re looking then hear the voice of a third man, who’s
the businessman, then at a glamorous or idyllic environment and been in the scene all along. This kind
discover he’s actually
then discover we’re seeing a mundane of ‘radio reveal’ can be a good way to
saving him.
or squalid one. generate surprise.
01
03
02
02
08 / 100 ways to create a great ad
MASH-UPS
Mash-ups bring together Mixing two very diff erent things TV and radio are perfect for mixing
together can often create something diff erent genres and styles. The eff ect
incongruent images, genres
new. The technique has been used in is often deliberately silly, as with the
and styles. everything from Monty Python sketches Heineken commercial that combined
to bootleg remixes of Slipknot and Justin costume drama with action movie.
Bieber to novels such as Pride and Prejudice
and Zombies. Combining mismatched The incongruity can also be shocking.
images can create strong print advertising. A radio ad for the charity Women’s Aid
A poster for the Financial Times blended described domestic abuse in the style of
Richard Branson and Che Guevara a Mills & Boon romance. A TV ad for
to illustrate ‘business revolutionaries’. children’s charity the NSPCC combined
slapstick animation with disturbing live
The technique can be used to generate action. A boy who is being attacked
surprising visuals. A Telefonica ad by his father is shown purely through
showed an Asian man with red hair animation until the very end, when
to illustrate the claim, ‘The lowest we see him lying face down on the fl oor.
call rates to Japan and Scotland’. The The line was, ‘Real children don’t
Natural History Museum mixed images bounce back’.
of children and explorers for their ‘New
recruits wanted’ campaign.
01
03
01 / FT 03 / NSPCC
Mash-ups combine ‘Real children don’t
two contrasting bounce back’. This
visuals. Here, an icon NSPCC ad combined
of communism is cartoon violence
mixed with an icon with live action to
of capitalism. upsetting eff ect.
02 / Natural
History Museum
This campaign for
the Natural History
Museum mashed up
images of grizzled
explorers with those
of child visitors.
02