Creative Execution: Art and
Copy
Chapter 09
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
• LO1: Describe the factors involved in
creating print ads.
• LO2: Explain the types of copy an how great copy is
created in print ads.
• LO3: Outline how great copy is created
in electronic ads.
• LO4: Discuss the role of art in electronic ads.
• LO5: Review the unique requirements in
writing for the Web.
9-2
The Art of Creating Print Ads
• Designing the Print Ad
– Design: how the art director, graphic
artists/designers choose and structure the artistic
elements
– Generally, clean lines and well composed
photographs give the ad breathing room to draw
attention
– White space helps give the ad balance
9-3
The Art of Creating Print Ads
• The Use of Layouts
– A layout is the overall
arrangement of all the
format elements
• headlines, subheads, logos,
body copy, slogan, etc
9-4
Ad Design & Production
• Advertising Design & Production
– Thumbnails
– Rough Layouts
– Dummy
– Comprehensive
& Mechanical
– Approval
9-5
Ad Design & Production
• Principals of Design: what designs work best
– Ads must be designed to attract customers fast
– The Basic Rules
•
•
•
•
•
•
a design in balance
break space into pleasing proportions
a directional pattern that is evident
one element should dominate
ads should have less than 50 words
headlines are best under the ad
9-6
Ad Design & Production
• The Use of Visuals in Print Advertising
– several goals for visuals
•
•
•
•
capture the reader’s attention
clarify claims made by the copy
identify the subject of the ad
show the product actually
being used
• qualify readers by stopping
those who are prospects
9-7
Ad Design & Production
• Determining the chief focus for
visuals
– The package
– The product alone or in use
– Comparison of products
– Use benefit
– Product features
– Humor
9-8
Producing Great Copy in Print Ads
• Headlines
– The words in the leading position – the words that
will draw attention & be read first
• Attract attention, engage the audience
• Communicate the selling idea
• Present product news
9-9
Producing Great Copy in Print Ads
• Types of Headlines
– Provocative
• provoke a readers curiosity
– Question
• asks a question to get the
reader to read the copy
– Command
• orders the reader to do
something
9-10
Producing Great Copy in Print Ads
• Body Copy
– usually only read by about 10% of readers
– explains the product
– often gets read aloud
• gives an idea as to how it sounds
• done even for print ads
9-11
Producing Great Copy in Print Ads
• Body Copy Styles
– Straight Sell
– Institutional
– Narrative
– Dialogue/Monologue
– Picture-Caption
– Device
9-12
Producing Great Copy in Print Ads
• Formatting Body Copy
– Lead-in
• the bridge between the headline &
sales copy
– Interior paragraphs
• the part of the body copy that develops
credibility & provide proofs for claims
9-13
Creating Great Copy in
Electronic Media
• Radio Copy
– Uses a script, sound
effects (SFX) & music
• Rule of thumb: about
2 words per second
• Television Copy
– Radio’s script format works
– Left has video
– Right has audio
9-14
The Role of Art in Radio & TV Ads
• Storyboard Development
– Storyboard Design
• a process similar to how a print
ad is developed
• artist designs how each scene
should look
– Animatic
• video comp
• commercial taped in rough form
9-15