Persuasive Advertising - J. Scott Armstrong [187]
9.2. Pictures
9.2.1. For high-involvement ads based on strong arguments, consider informative pictures.
9.2.2. When using a picture, relate it to the headline or message.
9.2.3. Use clear and readable captions for pictures.
9.3. Text
9.3.1. Make the first paragraph relevant, short, and easy to read.
9.3.2. Provide long copy when reading time is not constrained.
9.3.3. Repeat the main message at the end of the ad.
9.4. Structure of body text
9.4.1. Use informative subheadings for long copy.
9.4.2. Use reader guides for long copy with strong arguments.
9.4.3. Use columns for long informative text.
9.4.4. Consider blank line spacing between paragraphs for scanability.
9.4.5. Consider justification for moderate to long lines of text.
9.4.6. Squeeze inter-letter spacing gently.
9.4.7. Use phrase spacing for informative text.
9.5. Typeface
9.5.1. Use a simple serif typeface when readability is important, and a simple sans serif typeface when legibility or scanning is important.
9.5.2. Provide high contrast between typeface and background.
9.5.3. Avoid upper case and bold for informative text with three or more lines.
9.5.4. Select a typeface to enhance meaning or emotion.
9.6. Layout
9.6.1. Obey gravity.
9.6.2. Avoid large pictures in informative ads.
9.6.3. Balance the layout.
1 I see nothing wrong with building upon what others have done. In fact, Ogilvy (1983, p. 81) recommended doing so. If I were going to write an ad for my book on persuasion, I might paraphrase John Caples’ 1925 ad about a book on how to play the piano and say: “They laughed when I said this book could help improve advertising, but when they saw the increased profits, they applauded.”
2 A typeface typically has 228 characters including letters, numbers, accents, punctuation, and so on. Typefaces come in families, which consist of roman letters, italics, bold roman, and bold italics, and there are hundreds of typeface designs.
3 I did this by converting the typeface in this book to see how many pages were added.
10. Motion media
This section covers media that use motion and/or sound: TV commercials and infomercials, videos, radio, commercials at movie theaters, cell phones, videos on the Internet, and so on.
Motion and sound lend themselves to emotional rather than informative appeals, and simple demonstrations reinforcing customer beliefs rather than changing them.
The motion and sound principles are discussed in the following sections:
10.1. Scenes
10.2. Voices
10.3. Music and sound
10.4. Pace
10.1. Scenes
In a manner analogous to the layout of a print ad, the motion ad must consider the content and sequence of the various scenes.
10.1.1. Use an opening that is directly related to the product, brand, or message
Place the brand, product, claim, or offer on screen near the opening shot. It is important to have viewers’ full attention, so this suggests putting the central message near the beginning, but not within the first two seconds because some viewers are still switching gears. Provide the key information orally and visually. Consider a surprise only when it is relevant to the message. A relevant opening is especially important for high-involvement utilitarian products.
Roman, Maas, and Nisenholtz (2003) claimed that the first five seconds of a TV commercial are crucial. The viewer must find something relevant quickly to desire to keep watching. Most advertisers seem to agree. For example, Stewart and Furse (1986) found that the product category, brand name, or product (or package) was usually shown in the first five seconds of commercials.
Evidence on the effects of openings related to the product, brand, or message
Analyses of non-experimental data show the importance of a relevant opening. Walker (2008) found that TV commercials that identified the brand in the first four seconds did better than the overall average by 8 percent for recall and 7 percent for persuasion. In contrast, ads that delayed brand identification for more than ten seconds scored below