Advertising by Design
Creating Visual Communications with Graphic Impact
by Robin Landa
Chapter 2
What is advertising?
It differentiates brands and causes
sells brands
calls people to action
An advertisement a specific message constucted to inform, persuade, promote, motivate on behalf of a brand or cause
An ad campaign series of coordinated ads, in one or more media, based on a single strategy or theme
Clients include manufacturers, service firms, resellers, government, social organizations, charities
Agencies A business that provides clients with creative, marketing, and other services related to planning, creating, producing, and placing advertisments.
Agency types
Full-service - full range of business and creative services related to advertising process, including planning, creative ideation, design, production, implementation, placement. Also may include marketing communication, (PR, promotional design, interactive ads, direct marketing)
Creative boutiques - Focus on creative work. Usually small, often attract clients who prefer to work directly with principals of the firm.
In house - small agency devoted to the company only.
Global - international offices Like this
Interactive - focus on new media (such as internet)
Audience Whoever is on the receiving end
Target groups include age, interests, ethnicity
Audience categories
Scope can be global, international, national, regional, local
General household consumers are the largest audience
Business audience - corporate or business orgs
Trade - targets specific trade groups
Government - government officials, employees
Professionals - doctors, lawyers, teachers, other professions...
Types of Ads Commercial messages - selling a brand
Public service or social advertising - serves public interest
Cause advertising - a type of public service, affiliated with a corporation
Guerilla - unconventional ads, stealth marketing, non-traditional, conducted on the Internet as viral marketing
The Creative Brief A creative brief is the map of the agency's and client's preparatory mission. Most consist of the Q&A format, aimed at understanding the brand, the objectives of the ads, the context of the ads, the audience, and the strategic plan for inplementing the objectives.
See samples on pages 44 - 45
Insights and Intuition Advertising ideas can come from insights into human behavior. Some of the best ideas are based on human behavior. Reality (what a concept!) is more believable.
Got milk? works because the advertisers realized that most people drink milk with something rather than by itself - cereal, cookies, etc... Milk is usually _______ and milk.
Good ideas are in touch with the times. The zeitgeist or energy of the times.
Ethics Ads and ethics can coexist.
Public service advertising is the profession's greatest contribution to society.
Consumer ads can also be held to ethical standards.
Ethical "Don'ts" in ads
Don't use racial, ethnic, gender, age, or religious stereotyping
Don't promote dangerous substances to minors
Don't degrade or talk down to anyone
Don't lie or cover up.
Ethical "Do's"
Treat the audience with respect
Be truthful
Be responsible
Watchdog groups AdBusters mediawatch-uk Commercial Alert Advertising Standards Authority Guerrilla Girls Jean Kilbourne | 
