What makes a great ad?

What makes a great ad?

Along with what makes Donald Trump tick or tweet? Or what brand of sunglasses does God prefer? Some questions are difficult or impossible to answer.

In the audio studios here at Media Group, we create great ads all day, every day. The difficult we do now, the impossible may take a little longer.

The problem is usually one of definition. What do we mean by great? Despite protests from the Creative Department and Media Planners, adverting is not Art nor is it Science. However, as a form of communication it does utilise both disciplines.

When asked to name a great ad most people can describe the ad but not the product! “You know the ad where the guy walks on the ceiling”. The clients have wasted the advertising budget if their brand of anti-gravity shoes has gone un-noticed. By definition, this is not “a great ad”.

Too often it’s the creative gurus who must take responsibility. It’s a woods and trees situation. The Copywriter pens an amusing parody of his favourite movie but no-one remembers the product message. Or the Sound Engineer’s exciting new sound effects simply overwhelm the actors’ voices.

We should all remember, despite the budget, celebrity endorsement or controversial content any ad has a simple role in life. It is an aid to marketing a product or service.

The first thing any ad must achieve is to get noticed.

When evaluating an ad for any degree of greatness it’s important to check the basic principles expressed in the anacronym A.I.D.A. (with apologies to Verdi)!

Gain ATTENTION. Build INTEREST. Create DESIRE. Suggest ACTION.