Now that weve covered the approach youre going to take in your ads lets take a look at Aspects of the Approach. These are actually subsections that needed a place to live, but dont tell anyone.Tone & Personality:
You have to make a decision about your ad relating to its tone and personality. What disposition/character/behavior/or attitude is going to be the most effective?
Now tone is the undercurrent of your ad or the mood. Personality is the make-up of the ads character. Its important to think about this because some advertisers ignore it and when they pull the pieces together (picture, copy, etc) the ad doesnt project anything.
For instance think of the grabber line being, Big budget delivers big results. Hmm? Just as money cant solve all social ills, big budgets dont automatically create inventive advertising. Many times weve seen an enormous budget plus a rotten idea = a huge failure. Yet, there are times when we see a small budget plus a first-rate idea = marvelous success. Be prepared to make do and still make it fantastic.
Break the Limits.
If you have a small ad, demonstrate that youre better than the space youre in. Remember the prospect doesnt care about the size of the ad, he only cares about what youre doing for him.
Turn Adversity Into Advantage.
If your client insists on showing woodchucks in his jewelry ad, turn out the best woodchuck jewelry ad ever. Youll get points for originality, and because its a zag youll probably get results.
Use Whats Already Available.
Before you spend a lot on photos and illustrations, look at what you have lying around. Its free.
Can the Approach Work?
Not to discourage free form thinking, but you should reject approaches that demand too much BLT (budget, labor, and time). Instead, prepare ads that require your talent and not months and bucks.
Frugality Makes You Timely.
The smaller the production budget, the sooner your ad can get in the market. This is the Rule of Thumb. The reason is because youre not relying on other resources. So, unchain your ads from expenses and move fast.
This is worthwhile because if economic conditions suddenly change (and they will), you can quickly respond with a new ad message that addresses the new economy. You might decide to say, Now more than ever, it pays to use our product. Youll again leave your competitors in the dust because theyre tied to expensive ads and long production timetables.
Watch Your Language.
Most people dont realize the power thats packed in language. One misused phrase can upset thousands of people, so keep you antennas up and use your judgment.
For instance, use nothing at the expense of a certain group. This will offend people. Instead, show that an ad can get results from scores of readers and a smile from every one of them.
Dont make fun of the prospect in a were just kidding way. Hes not paying much attention to your ad, so he wont get the subtle nuances of your wit only enough to be insulted.
If you can follow these hints you should be able to work out a cracker-jack ad for either yourself or a client. Next week well take a look at handling the media.
