Why one Clear Message Matters In Advertising
Why is it so important to focus on one theme when trying to make a great ad? Because people’s memories are already stretched to their limits. And there is a lot of research that shows that it’s far easier for people to remember one key concept, rather than a laundry list of features or benefits.
Let’s take a typical example from everyday life. Imagine that you have to go to the grocery store and I ask you to get a list of items like lettuce, tomatoes, ground beef, tomato sauce, spaghetti, butter, bread, and mozzarella cheese. Odds are high that you would likely need to write all of that down.
What if (instead) I asked you to get the items we needed for spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread? Is that easier to remember?
Or, alternatively, what if I just asked you to get everything we needed for an Italian dinner featuring spaghetti with meat sauce?
So that last request is the easiest to remember, right?
It’s the same with building a great ad. You want your advertisement to be memorable, which means sticking to one theme (or one thing) gives you the best odds for success.
This is why it’s important to write a script, or create a story board, before you create the ad. Having one theme to anchor all the elements to is vital to making sure that every part of the message ties into the one central theme. It takes a lot more effort to create an effective fifteen second or thirty second ad, than a ninety second one.
A Real-World Example: When Ads Say Too Much
For example, I had one client that wanted to promote a special sales event. They had a catchy name and had created a special logo-style graphic for the event also. Plus, the owner wanted to mention a concert ticket give away. So, by the time we got done with all the owner’s requests, I felt like we had an ad that included everything and the kitchen sink. The owner was more interested in what they wanted to tell folks than considering how easily folks would remember the ‘one thing’ that was the most important message of the ad.
This is why great ad creative can be tricky. Ask yourself: if a customer remembers only one thing, what do you want that to be? Everything in the message you create should be designed to drive that one point home.
Careful consideration of all of those elements can take a little time. And it’s even better if you can have more than one set of eyes review the ad before you launch it. The reason for a second, or even a third set of eyes, is that people will react to the same ad differently. This is why art classes often use critiques and peer review to help art students improve their work. People view the world through their own associations. A good ad taps into those connections. One of the best ways to check ads to see if your ad is on track is to let a few people see it before you launch it.
We once had a digital ad with a campfire scene in it…I thought it looked good. My graphic designer thought it looked ok. But when we sent it to the client for approval, the client thought it looked like something was on fire in the ad. When my designer and I got that feedback our eyes saw what the client saw…but not until the client called it out.
Thankfully, issues like the campfire one don’t happen often. What’s important to realize is that everyone is going to process an ad slightly differently. Which means that taking the time to stack every element in that ad to make that one point shine is well-worth the effort.
Want more Impact? Start with an Emotional Hook
Want to go deeper? If you’re wondering how to make someone feel more connected to your ad, here’s why an emotional hook matters.