You see it when you check your social media as soon as you wake up. You hear it on the radio and come across it on your way to work. And when you come home after a long day, it’s there to greet you as you turn your TV on to unwind and relax. Yup, advertising is present in all forms, all the time, wherever you go. Without a doubt, good ad design is one of a brand’s go-to tactics when they want to touch base with their audience. And if this component isn’t on your list of priorities, then you’re not taking advantage of the opportunity to nurture a relationship with your community. 

In this article, we’ll discuss what makes for powerful advertising design. We’ll also discuss a few ideas on how to add pizzazz to your ads so that they could hook your audience in an instant.

 

What Makes a Powerful Ad Design?

According to stats, ad spend in the US is expected to reach close to 246 billion dollars in 2020. That only goes to how crucial this element is when it comes to business.

Concept and design can make or break an ad, no doubt about it. But what exactly makes a design powerful enough to catch viewers’ attention and sustain their interest? 

Here are a few factors at play:

Simple But Clever

If you look at most ad design templates, they veer away from being too deep or intricate. However, simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean lackluster. You can still keep the design clever and make your audience think.

Easily Digestible

According to a study, it takes the brain 13 milliseconds to process an image. That said, your visual should be easily absorbed by your viewers to make them appreciate it at a glance and want to learn more. For instance, if you’re looking for Facebook ad design inspiration, go for a design that will make you stop scrolling to check out the ad.

Concise Copy

It’s uncommon for ads not to have any form of a copy. After all, you’d want to deliver your message loud and clear. So, whether you’re going for a typography ad or a regular one with a headline or a tagline, make sure to keep it short and sweet.

 

6 Powerful Ad Design Ideas to Consider

There are a few advertising graphic design ideas to keep in mind as you brainstorm for your next visual asset.

 

1. Merge Images 

If you want your audience to stop scrolling and pay attention to your image, you must be creative in presenting your message. Take a cue from this ad encouraging people to make good use of the coronavirus disease community quarantine time to read books.

They merged two images to make the graphic interesting and meaningful – a person with a mask and an open book. And because of this graphic combo, it surely gets the message across at a glance.

 

2. Make The Viewer Look Twice

Have you ever seen a web graphic with such a creative concept that you had to look twice? You can do that to an ad as well. For instance, this image would play a trick on you – is it a leaf or a pack of abs? It’s both! And because it’s an ad for foliar fertilizer meant to make crops stronger, the image is spot-on.

 

3. Use a Clever Photo

In designing an ad, a good grasp of graphic design basics is necessary, but it’s not the be-all, end-all—for example, the charm of this image anchors on a witty photo that aptly reflects the copy. 

With a headline that says, “Never Hike Alone,” the photo shows what seems to be two persons sitting side-by-side on a mountain cliff. However, a closer look reveals that it’s a hiker and a hiking bag, implying that the backpack can be your constant adventure buddy. 

 

4. Appeal to Emotion

When you look at Facebook ad design examples, you’ll see many brands bank on ground-breaking graphics and trendy effects. Sometimes, however, the most organic of visuals can best appeal to the viewer’s emotion.

Take, for example, this Mother’s Day signage ad for Chanel Nº5. What mother wouldn’t gush at a cute hand-drawn artwork? Chanel, as posh as it is, opted for a simple, unadulterated image to effectively get their audience’s attention.

 

5. Employ Visual Metaphor

Using visual metaphor is another way to capture your audience’s interest while getting your message across in a creative way. This image is from a campaign for McDonald’s, titled “Skip the dishes.” It shows dirty pots, pans, and plates fashioned to look like a Big Mac.

The campaign suggests that you can save your time and energy by having their food delivered According to DDB Prague, the agency that made the campaign, it anchors on the assumption that people don’t like doing the dishes. And for people who’d rather skip the chore, McDelivery is an attractive solution.

 

6. Keep it Minimalist

Sometimes, you don’t need the most sophisticated ad design software to come up with a pristine design. For instance, this ad for an optical shop uses the components of eyeglasses to illustrate a bike. The concise copy, “Focus on travel,” explains the image a bit further without necessarily going overboard and taking anything away from its minimalist charm.

 

The Lowdown

Whether you’re running it on broadcast, print, outdoor placements, or social media, ads cost money. And it’s not cheap. 

That said, your ad design has the power to define whether you’ll have a chance to get a good ROI for your ads. Just look at companies that spend thousands of dollars on ad agency fees. They’re willing to spend that much because they’re getting more sales in return.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a small fortune on a good design. Getting the right graphic design service is all you need to translate your wonderful ideas into punchy visuals that will generate leads and increase sales.

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