Producing a newspaper ad with impact.

You're about to spend your hard earned money (or fiercely fought-for budget) running an ad in a newspaper. So how do you ensure you're not wasting it with an ad that goes unnoticed or communicates the wrong message? Below are a few things to consider that will help you get better impact, more meaning and greater value for your newspaper advertising dollar.

The environment

Newspapers offer an important, urgent, up-to-the-minute environment and are a great place to communicate topical messages, short-life promotions or big-newsy announcements. Accordingly, good newspaper advertising should be compelling, in-your-face and persuasive. The need to grab a readers attention is paramount. 

Stop the reader

For your ad to work it must be able to grab the reader's attention - your ad has between 5-10 seconds to "jump off the page" before a reader's eye settles on a specific part of the page to read.

Be a sales person

Quickly outline the benefits - advertising acts in the same way a sales person should. Tell potential customers quickly what the product will do for them and how it will enhance their lives.

Create a sense of urgency

A good retail ad has a strong sense of urgency - ideally you want a reader to act upon your ad as soon as possible, whilst it is fresh in their mind.

Consistency

Build your brand within an ad - make sure a reader can tell immediately who you are. The more times they see your branding the greater awareness they will have for your product.

Keep it simple

No matter how much you've got to say in your ad, the best advice is to keep it simple. The more you've got to say the more critical the layout of the ad is to achieve clear communication. Some ads benefit from having lots of information - a store for example with a sale across lots of different lines - but the key to success is that it is clear who the advertisers are and where their stores are.

Don't be afraid of white space

White, or blank space, can be a powerful tool in advertising. Try holding a newspaper page a couple of feet away - what do you notice? Parts of the page that stand out the most are those that are uncluttered and have white space. White space on a sea of black print draws the eye to the space, and increases the chance of your ads getting read.

For examples of creative ads check out soldonapn's Gallery of Ads, or click here to view the NAB's Ad of the Month.