We are inundated with different advertising styles every day of our lives. They appear on TV, billboards, bus ads, on our mobile devices and occasionally, you’ll even see an ad floating in mid-air pulled by an airplane. Ads are everywhere!
Let’s simplify our understanding of ads. If you want to make a video for your business, this is a good place to start to organize your approach. Did you know that all ads can fall into one of two categories?
- Rational Advertising Styles
- Emotional Advertising Styles
In this article, we break down the 20 types of advertising styles that you will see, regardless of the medium on which it appears.
1. “Love is in the air”
The Romantic Ad
Who doesn’t love a good romantic video? When we see two people kiss or share a loving embrace, we automatically associate those feelings of joy with the product the ad is promoting. Perfume, alcohol, travel companies use this approach often.
2. “Funny Bone”
The humorous Ad
This could be a great approach to connect with your audience, but it is also a risky one. If the delivery is not done well and to the right audience, this approach could backfire.
3. “Heart to Heart”
The Personal or Emotional Appeal Ad
Whereas the previous two ads used humor and romance, these ads by contrast tap into the power of human connection or experience to make appeal to their audience. If you are currently supporting an elderly parent, you will be more prone to respond to an ad depicting a scene with an older child caring for their parent. Below is a video ad we made for a business called Global Hospice Care.
4. “Turn up the heat”
The Sexy Ad
Sex makes heads turn. Why else would almost every company in the world use supermodels to sell their product? And the product doesn’t have to be clothing or lingerie. Sex appeal has been used to sell cars, burgers, furniture and every product under the sun.
5. “You do love me”
The Social Trends Ad
Everyone wants to belong. After all, belonging is one of the key levels on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This type of ad will capitalize on the current social trends by associating a product with what everyone is talking about! The following ad came out when the water cooler talk in every single office around the world was about “Breaking Bad.”
6. “Scary Sally”
The Fear Ad
This is the time our agency got on Change.org for producing a video that was too scary for TV. A few days later, TMZ ran a story on our client and how he was “Back with a vengeance.” We immediately called the client and he was happy as a clam despite his new reputation as the new scare fare on the air. This client is of course Life Alert who, for many years, ran ads that had become known as world-class cheese. When we re-invited his image with what was mostly a camera floating through an empty house, his cost per lead dropped from $135 to $60!
7. “Bon Voyage!”
The Adventure Ad
If you keep staring at the walls of your cubicle and need to get away, there’s nothing that will motivate you more than the beautiful scenery of a foreign land, whether it is real or imagined. This Advertising style will transport you to an exotic country or a world of colorful graphics to emphasize the escapist benefits of a certain product.
Sorry, since that last commercial was depressing… here’s another more uplifting offering from Expedia.
8. “You so fancy”
The Brand Appeal Ads
9. “Reach for the Skies”
The Motivation Ads
Instead of focusing on the features and benefits of their products, companies like Nike, Adidas, Reebok will create ads that push their audiences to reach for their potential. They create campaigns that motivate and inspire and the end of the spot, they put up their logo and let you associate you with that sudden boost of exhilaration you are feeling.
10. “Fame Game”
The Celebrity Endorsement Ads
Some ads will produce a video which will feature celebrities using the product. Some ads don’t even show the celebrity using the product. The sheer presence or voice or mention of their name in association with the product stirs the desire for the celebrity fans to purchase the product. That’s the power of celebrity.
The following commercial titled “Better” came out to represent a legacy left behind by the Black Mamba Kobe Bryant. A legacy of hard-work and discipline. Even those who are not fans of basketball will find themselves swept up by this commercial. After all, who does’t want to be “better?”
*Conclusion:
The award-winning team at Spot On Media has a history of quality and affordable video production in Los Angeles and across the Nation. If you would like us to help you create a powerful video for your business, let’s chat!
