The Australian industry association for newspapers (News Media Works, formerly The Newspaper Works) has developed a creative benchmarking research series to help understand how print creative works.
The series, ADvance, includes analysis of hundreds of ad effectiveness surveys to understand the importance of design elements and how they can drive sales and brand affinity. The goal was to understand how different ad elements (headline, ad copy, images) prompt consumer responses.
Print ads that go beyond promoting product benefits and engage readers by making them think differently gain a lift in recall. Clever creative is a powerful way to build memorability, especially clever creative with a point. An entertaining ad that highlights an important feature has a better chance of being remembered. Readers are also more likely to tell their family and friends about it. This instigates word of mouth and the power of personal recommendation. Pool fencing company Midalia Steel innovated to produce this print ad to increase standout and stick in the minds of readers.
Read more about creating print ads that work here.
