When people see a print ad,
they usually take two seconds to evaluate it before they decide whether they’re interested in learning more. This means you need to create a great hook to pull people in to your ad. The best way to hook people is with a great image.
High-impact images
A high-impact image makes people stop scanning and pay attention to your ad. It makes people curious to learn more. Images are better at hooking people than a well-written headline because images are easier to digest. People can read about 10 words in the same amount of time they can process an image. When people look at ads, 90% of them look at the image before they look at the words.
A common mistake is to use an eye-catching visual that has nothing to do with the product being sold. That just leads to confusion. People don’t like to feel confused because they feel like they are dumb if they don’t “get it” and can’t make the connection. Don’t make people think too hard to connect your image with your product and brand. Your image should reflect the main message as well as get people’s attention.
In an antismoking campaign aimed at pregnant women, a health center used a black-and-white photo of a baby with a smoking cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Not only was this an eye-catching visual, it also clearly contributed to the health center’s message: “Smoke when you’re pregnant and your baby smokes with you.”
Not only using interesting images, but interesting color schemes can gain people’s attention. Using different color printing techniques like a black-and-white image with only your product in color can create visual interest.
When you’re choosing an image, choose one that reinforces your message or adds a deeper level of understanding to the words of your message.
Beware of negative associations with your image
A spaghetti company once used an ad with a photo of a naked man lying in a bathtub of spaghetti that certainly caught people’s attention, but didn’t make anyone want to eat the spaghetti!
An ad for a computer company showed a computer next to a turtle to show that the computer would have a long life, just like turtles. Of course, most people took the ad to mean that computer would run as slow as a turtle – not good for business. How no one saw that connection, I don’t know.
These examples are perfect reasons why you should always test your ads with focus groups or at least ask colleagues for their opinions!
Don’t let your image take over your brand
It’s amazing how often a brand gets thrown to the wayside in favor of a creative image. Be sure that people know immediately after looking at the image that it’s for your company. An eye-catching ad won’t do you any good if no one knows it’s for your company! Put your logo in a prominent place on the ad or use your company’s name in the headline to ensure people know whose ad they’re looking at.
