Creative Execution
Art & Copy
Designing the Print Ad
 Design refers to how the art director, graphic director
or designer chooses and structures the elements of
an ad.
 Various elements of design including photography,
typography and illustrations are used to create
effective designs.
The Use of Layouts
 Layout is an orderly arrangement of all the format
elements of an ad; visuals, headlines, subheads, body
copy, slogan, logos.
 Rough layout
 Dummy
 Computer generated design
 The entire page layout complete with illustrations,
photos can be designed on the computer and easily
altered to incorporate changes.
Principles of Design
 Good design communicates as much information as possible in
the shortest amount of time and makes the message easy to
understand.
 Types of Layout;
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Poster style format
Mondrian grid layout
Circus layout
Picture frame layout
Copy-heavy layout
Montage layout
Combo layout
 Headlines
 Help stop the reader and contribute to long-term memory more
than the visual.
Principles of Design
 The layout of a design are to the layout artist what the
rules of grammar are to the writer.
 The design must balance.
 The space within the ad should be broken up into pleasing
proportions.
 A directional pattern should be evident so the reader knows
what sequence to read.
 The ad should be held together through some unity.
 One part or element of an ad should have enough emphasis
to dominate all others.
Use of visuals
 Purpose of the Visual
 Headlines
 Help stop the reader and contribute to long-term memory more than the
visual.
 Capture the audience attention
 Clarify claims made by the copy
 Identify the subject of the ad
 Show the product actually being used
 Convince readers of the truth of the copy claims
 Arouse audience interest
 Emphasize products unique features
 Create a favorable impression
 Provide continuity for the campaign by using a unified visual technique
Use of visuals
 Determining the chief focus of visuals
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The package containing the product
The product alone in use
How to use the product
Product features
Comparison of products
User benefits
Humor
Testimonials
Negative appeal
Copywriting
 Headlines
 Contain words in the leading position in ads – the words that will
be read first and are situated to draw the most attention. Are
larger & bolder than rest of text.
 Role of headlines
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Attract attention
Engage audience
Explain the visual
Lead audience to the body text of ad
Reason to read the rest of the ad
Communicate the complete selling idea
Present product news
Copywriting
 Types of Headlines
 Benefit headlines
 Speak a foreign language in 30 days or your money back
 Information headline
 “It’s a girl”
 Provocative headline
 “Betcha can’t eat just one” (Lays)
 Question headline
 What makes our tire customers smarter & richer than others?
 Command headline
 “Obey your thirst”
Copywriting
 Subheads
 An additional smaller headline that may appear above or
below the headline.
 Kicker or Overline: appears above the headline.
 They are smaller than the headline but larger than the body
copy.
 Body copy
 The complete sales story is told here
 Comprises interest, credibility, desire
 It is a logical continuation of the headline and subheads
Copywriting
 Writing Effective copy
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Get to the main point quickly
Be focused
Position the product clearly
Reinforce the brand name
Write with consumer benefit in mind
Avoid clichés
Stick to present tense
Don’t over punctuate
Copywriting
 Slogans
 Also called taglines; begin as successful headlines, like
AT&T’s “Reach out and touch someone”. Through
continuous use they become standard statements.
 Provide continuity to ads in a campaign.
 Reduce message strategy to a brief, repeatable and
memorable positioning statement.
 DeBeers “Diamonds are forever”
 Wheaties “Breakfast of Champions”
Copywriting
 Logos
 Special design of products name or company identity
 Provide quick recognition at the point of purchase
Assignment
 Make an A4 size print layout and finished design
(including photography/visual, slogan, headline and
copy text if required) for any product of your choice.
 Assignment due on Monday 22.09.14