FRAM SYSTEMS ^blog

Today we’ll look at three print ads. “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. What
makes a good ad? That’s simple. Its the ad that catches YOUR attention,
communicates how it will benefit YOU, informs YOU how the product is the only
one that can get you that benefit and tells you just what YOU must do to get it.
Get it?

Let’s look a two ads for a very unattractive some would say ugly, business:
asphalt paving. Let’s face it, blacktop is not sexy and it never will be. It’s
also not inexpensive. So what would you look for if you had to pave your
driveway or parking lot? Best price? Best quality? Fast service?

I like to use a 6 Criteria System when looking at ads.

1. “Did it capture my attention?”

You’ve heard it said that pictures speak louder than words or that one picture
is worth a thousand words. Sometimes that’s true. We are very visual. Our eyes
are naturally attracted to colorful and dynamic images. Certain images hold more
weight with certain audiences such as a baby would for a new mother or a sexy
girl in a bikini for your average guy. That’s just the way our minds work. Just
look in women’s magazines and men’s magazines for some proof.

But words catch our eye as well. That’s why newspaper (remember them) used big
bold headlines. Sometime a few words can stimulate you to have a thousand
pictures in your mind as well.

2. “So what? Who cares?”

What do you want to know about a product or service? Is it really how long the
company has been in business or the variety of services they provide? Do you
care? After all don’t all florists do the same thing. What about auto mechanics,
hardware stores, beauty salons or shoe stores. Don’t they all do the same thing.

3. “Why should I be interested?”

We all see hundreds of ads every week. Most of them are just mental clutter.
Until the moment we need a particular product. Then our brains go to work
pulling out information. Was it memorable? Did you remember the picture of the
cow wearing a flight helmet and a scarf or did you remember the product. In the last case I remember the picture but I could tell what the ad was for. there should be no confusion about what your ad is for.

4. “What’s the benefit to me?”

Whats in it for me? What will you do for me? Make my teeth whiter, my shirts brighter or my body sexier? What do I get from your product or service? Does it make my life easier, better or more rewarding? Will my ailment be cured or my worries erased.

5. “How are you different from others?”

What sets you apart from your competition? What can you do that the others can’t or won’t? Maybe there really isn’t much but if you talk about it and your competition’s ads don’t you can capitalize on that for a while anyway.

Why should I do business with you? What will you give me that I can’t get anywhere else?

6. “What do I do next?”

OK, what do I have to do to get these great benefits? Buy a product? Call a number? Visit a website? Whats the ‘Call to action’?

The Bad

The Bad

So how does this ad do? Well, doesn’t every paving company do residential, commercial and industrial driveways, roads, parking lots and tennis courts? Couldn’t you just assume that? Doesn’t every paving company, or any company for that matter, say they do excellent work? Wait I’ll take out an ad saying we average work, or better yet, we shoddy work. Who doesn’t give free estimates? Have you ever paid for an estimate? Have you ever heard of someone paying for an estimate? And why is the company’s name the headline of the ad. Who cares.

At least the phone number is big. That and you know you could pay by credit card. Now really, is there anything memorable about this ad at all? This is one big “Who Cares”. Yeah, I might call him if there were no other pavers in my area.

Again, at least there’s no confusion as to what the ad is about.

The Good

The Good

OK, this one is better. Look at whats going on here. The headline background looks like what? A road? If there was no text there could you guess what the do?
Does the word ‘Forever’ catch your eye? What’s Forever? Let’s take a closer. look. They guarantee their paving forever. Very interesting. I’ve never seen that before. Read a little more and we clearly find out forever means ‘as long as we own our property’. OK, that’s fine, it might as well be forever since we really don’t care about the paving after its no longer our responsibility.

Not only that, they tell us how their attention to detail and their engineered ‘system’ sets them apart from other paving companies. And for sure if I need to having a paving job, I want it done right because it should last forever and I don’t ever want to worry about it again. So I will call Delbrand. Oh, I’ll bet they’re not the cheapest and they never said it in the ad but I get the impression they’re probably the best.

The Ugly

The Ugly

Yes, ugly makes an an impression. This is like looking at a train wreck. What do you think about this ad? Good or bad? Why? Not question about the ugly part!