The eight techniques of stopping power

I found this in a copy of "The Young & Rubicam Traveling Creative Workshop" which I picked up recently at a local library sale. This may be the best $1 I have ever spent as this book is packed with great ideas on selling and designing powerful advertising.

Here are the techniques they use to get people to read your ads My thoughts on each are in blue:

1. Open-minded narrative (picture or thought) in which the resolution is not presented. "The biggest problem in America today" Curiosity makes you read on.


2. Ironic twists on ordinary behavior. "Man bites dog" makes you want to know the rest of the story.


3. Play on words in the headline. "You have to believe it to see it."


4. Incongruity of visual elements and/or words by unusual juxtaposition of elements. This is Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" idea. We are attracted to things that break expected patterns.


5. Exaggeration "Without a doubt this is the best blog ever written" You want to read on to see if this is true or more likely to prove the writer wrong.


6. Simplification. A good example of this is lots of white space in a generally cluttered publication.


7. Shocking visual and/or headline. A local heating and cooling company is running ads headlined "You wife is hot!" in large type over a message in small type that says "buy her a new air conditioner" Gets your attention."


8. Participation visuals (e.g. tests, games, multiple visuals) Everyone likes to be challenged.

I think these are all great ways to grab attention for your customer's ad.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch