The best ad layout for you is the one that gets your audience’s attention in the cluttered marketplace. The truth is there is no universal rule for creating an ad layout. However, various creative people have come up with a few tried and tested elements that are essential to good design.
We will consider one of the most successful ad layouts in the history of advertising: the layout pioneered by David Ogilvy. It consists of 5 basic elements.
- 1. Visual
- 2. Caption
- 3. Headline
- 4. Copy
- 5. Signature
The visual is the strongest attraction of the ad. It could be anything: an illustration, a cartoon, a photo, or any other image. Usually, this is accompanied by a caption describing the visual. The second strongest element is the headline. The headline decides whether the rest of the ad will be read. The headline should be the most informative, beneficial, provocative or alluring part of the layout. The copy explains what the headline promises. A proper combination of headline and copy will compel the reader to read the entire text and heed the call to action by the advertiser! The signature is the sign-off and it is usually the advertiser’s logo, tagline or a special offer.
- 1. Ad layout that is consistent with your marketing and advertising strategy.
- 2. Ad layout based on sound design principles.
- 3. Creativity that not only attracts readers but gets results.
- 4. A reusable format that allows to change elements within for a whole new look.
- 5. 2 concepts and designs with many revision options for the one picked.
