Patterson/Bach Communications, Inc.

In advertising, we bat around the word creative like Forrest Gump swatted ping pong balls. We use the word to describe our profession, our work and ourselves, but rarely do we pause to consider just what creativity is and what it means to be creative. So let’s take a moment to reflect on the nature of creativity as it is and has been perceived by some of history’s most—well, creative—minds:

BUCKMINSTER FULLER:

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.

PABLO PICASSO:

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

ALBERT CAMUS:

All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.

JOHN CAGE:

I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.

NIELS BOHR:

Your theory is crazy, but it’s not crazy enough to be true.

MICHELANGELO:

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

DR. SEUSS:

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

MARK TWAIN:

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.

G.K. CHESTERTON:

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.

LEWIS CARROLL:

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

MILES DAVIS:

Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.

VINCENT VAN GOUGH:

If you hear a voice within you say “You cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER:

The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.

MARCEL PROUST:

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.

JOHN UPDIKE:

Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.

And finally …

VICTOR HUGO:

An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.

Ahh, so that’s why I can’t get “oo-la-oo-ga-ga” out of my head.

If you’re not in the commercial art business, the words “white space” may conjure images of the Siberian tundra in January. Not so. White space is actually a graphic design concept that, while little known outside art circles, can have a big impact on the appearance and effectiveness of an advertisement.

Essentially, white space is any portion of an ad that contains no text or graphic. Take a sheet of copier paper and color a small square in the middle. What lies outside of the square: that’s white space.

So what’s the importance or value of white space? Loosely explained, the theory is that clean layouts and graphic designs attract attention because of what’s not there—the visual clutter of dense text, charts, graphs, etc. The human eye, so the thinking goes, is attracted to simplicity—hence the incorporation of white space (or negative space as it’s sometimes called) in a layout.

Of course, this doesn’t mean an ad should be nothing more than a blank page with a logo. In fact, there are times when all available space in an ad should be filled up—say, for instance, an ad announcing a sale on 99 different auto parts at an auto parts store. Used sensibly and judiciously however, white space can create a visually arresting, attention-getting ad.

So, how do you determine the appropriate use of white space in your ads? As with most artistic techniques, there are no fast and firm rules, but here are a few suggestions:

• Commit from the beginning to creating an ad that delivers a focused message. Ads that cram in too many messages—“Here are 73 things you should know about our products!”—often communicate none.

• Create several layout options and eyeball them. Which one stands out from a visual viewpoint? Which one does the best job attracting your attention?

• Ask yourself: does the layout you’ve selected do the best job of communicating the message you want to convey? This may seem like a no-brainer, but the extra scrutiny you give to text and visuals is worth the effort.

For examples of how to use white space in advertising, go to www.pat-bach.com. As you’ll see, sometimes “less can be more” in creating an ad that looks great—and works beautifully.

We used Howard’s strong historical connections with customers as a springboard to introduce their new line of nutritional products.

This artistically designed advertisement helped make the connection.

Back to enewsletter…

Two questions: Did you get up this morning? Did you walk out the front door and into the world?

Good. Here then is a third question: Did you notice any eye-popping, attention-getting, 100% memorable outdoor ads out there? If you’re like most people, the answer is HECK NO. Chances are you drove, rode or walked past hundreds of outdoor ads without really noticing a single one. Think of all the time, money and effort spent on creating these messages– and the pitiful results. Makes you wonder if outdoor advertising is simply a waste of money. Or ….

Maybe outdoor advertising could be done better. Maybe a better understanding of the medium and how to use it might lead to improved ads and improved results.

That’s what I think. I’ve been creating advertising since the 1980s, almost back to the Dawn of Time, and I’ve done my share of outdoor ads. A precious few done well, a majority done … well, why do you think I’m writing this article?

I humbly submit that by following a few simple, common sense rules of communication, outdoor advertising can be more attention getting, persuasive—and effective. Here’s how.

Don’t use outdoor advertising to communicate long, complicated, convoluted sales and marketing messages that actually require considerable time, space and attention to be fully understood, absorbed and acted upon by your target audience.

Before you commit to outdoor advertising, make sure it’s the right medium for your message. For example, if you’re an electric utility, and you want to explain your company’s position on the use of green energy to combat global warming, lower energy costs and reduce dependence on foreign oil—do it in a full page newspaper or magazine ad, or on your Web site or your blog. Don’t expect people to absorb your detailed message in the few seconds they’re exposed to it in outdoor advertising. Generally speaking, you want to use outdoor advertising to communicate simple messages that can be easily explained in one simple sentence. If you can’t articulate your message in a few seconds, outdoor boards may not be the way to go.

Keep your simple message SIMPLE.

Got a simple message that’s really, truly appropriate for outdoor advertising? Here’s another piece of advice: try at all costs to avoid complicating your simple message. Design your outdoor messaging so that it will command attention and be easily understood in just seconds (which is all the time you have to attract a distracted motorist or commuter).

I know how hard it is to resist the temptation to cram photos, graphics, copy, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, URLs and six or seven logos onto an outdoor board. While there are no hard, fast rules about this, common sense should tell you the more stuff you cram into your outdoor messaging, the harder it is for a viewer to absorb everything in the precious few seconds he or she is exposed to it.

Here, try this simple test:

Message A:
SAVE 20% WITH XYZ INSURANCE!

Message B:
SAVE 20% WITH XYZ INSURANCE!
CONVENIENT LOCATIONS, FRIENDLY AGENTS!
24-HOUR SERVICE! 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS!
GOOD DRIVER DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
WHY PAY MORE? START SAVING TODAY!
CALL 555-1212 TODAY
VISIT WWW.XYZINSURANCE.COM
CLAIMS@XYZINSURANCE.COM
DON’T FORGET—CALL TODAY!

Okay, which message do you remember in its entirety?

I rest my case.

Outstanding outdoor stands out

As with any other form of communication, outdoor messaging has to be noticed if it’s going to have any impact. Unlike any other form of communication, outdoor advertising must capture the attention of people as they zoom down the road at 70 miles an hour (90 to 100 m.p.h. on I-4), hurtling through a landscape crowded with distractions. That’s a tall order when you think about it.

So, how do you make your outdoor boards attention getting? Well, there are different ways to do this, and a good ad agency or design firm will know how. Rather than reviewing the various design techniques, I simply suggest the following:

When you review your outdoor concepts, try to visualize how well your messaging will stand out in its environment. Are you confident your messaging will really pop and grab attention? What makes your messaging so much more compelling and attention-getting than its competitors?

Also, ask the people who create your outdoor materials to explain why their creations will command attention and have the appropriate impact. Challenge them to make your messaging the one thing in its environment that people will absolutely notice.

Finally, never forget this little rule of thumb: advertising that won’t get noticed shouldn’t see the light of day.

Enjoy the great outdoors

I hope that my rant on outdoor advertising has you thinking about the medium and how to use it effectively. Outdoor advertising can be a potent form of communication, and for examples of this, I humbly suggest you visit www.pat-cach.com for examples of our best work.

There’s great work out there in Outdoor Land. Yours should be, too.

According to the old adage, “free” is one of the most powerful words in the language of advertising and marketing. A study by M.I.T. behavioral economist Dan Ariely confirms this in an interesting way. To quote from “Priced to Sell,” an article in the July 6/13, 2009 edition of The New Yorker:

Ariely offered a group of subjects a choice between two kinds of chocolates—Hershey’s Kisses, for one cent, and Lindt truffles, for fifteen cents. Three-quarters of the subjects chose the truffles. Then he redid the experiment, reducing the price of both chocolates by one cent. The Kisses were now free. What happened? The order of preference was reversed. Sixty-nine percent of the subjects chose the Kisses. The price difference between the two chocolates was exactly the same, but the magic word “free” has the power to create a consumer stampede.

From seventy-five percent Lindt to sixty-nine percent Hershey’s Kisses: that’s a huge swing—and powerful testimony to the power of FREE!

Now, whether you make Hershey’s Kisses or widgets, no one’s suggesting you give ‘em away free. But when the opportunity arises to connect with your customers by offering something of value for free (free samples, free inspections, free consultations, free information and on and on)—take the opportunity. Use the power of free to strengthen the bonds between your products and services and your customers.