Daily Breakdown of Ad Execution

1. displacing people or objects by putting them into inappropriate environments is a simple way to create an engaging visual as in this poster for coverage of British football competition 'the FA Cup'

2. fiat visual puns can make for quick, clean posters. this fiat ad plays on the phrase ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’

3. nike 'reveal' —the classic structure of the headline reveal. the first sentence sets up an assumption and the second contradicts it

4. a visual metaphor communicates a benefit by showing something different with the same quality. tennis star pete sampras was renowned for his explosive serve, as brought to life in this visual metaphor for nike.

5. minimalism communicates an idea using the fewest elements possible. the Economist ‘The Missing Piece’
for the economist— is about as far as you
can take advertising minimalism without running a blank poster.

6. some ads omit words or images and leave us to fill in the blanks. omitting words or letters can also produce good executions. this nike ad celebrated english football team arsenal’s year without a premier league loss.

7. a visual simile, or visual echo, presents an object to look like something else. it’s a popular way of creating print executions that often impresses awards juries— the rims of a tin can resemble water ripples in this john west poster.

8. analogies compare a product or brand to something more familiar that people can relate to. polaroid the analogy between peeling back a polaroid and opening a present is a convincing one, and evokes the fun and excitement of the product.

9. humorous exaggeration can be a good way of communicating a benefit. nike hyperbole can be used to make a point forcefully. several of the athletes in this campaign underperformed at the 1992 olympics, however.

10. colloquial language has been used in many famous headlines and deadlines. various colloquialisms were incorporated into the 100-letter word that made up Pepsi’s slogan in the early seventies.

11. some facts are interesting enoguh t omake a good headlines on their own. 'The BMW that retained its value better than most stocks. When you have a fact as compelling as this, why not make it the focus of your ad?'

12. self-aware campaigns draw our attention to the conventions of advertising. ‘We finally came up with a beautiful picture of a Volkswagen’. Volkswagen ads in the sixties subverted reader expectation.

13. catchphrases— some ads feature words or phrases that pass into widespread use. This can happen by accident or because of a deliberate attempt to write something that catches on.