SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF COPYWRITING
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    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature
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How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works

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Excellent creative advertising -- you know it when you see it. 

These are the ads that grip you and hit their mark the first time you encounter them. Whether the intent was to make you laugh, paint a picture of how your product works, or even shed a tear, these ads get the job done. 

With creative ads, the elements use tension, interest, artistry, and other elements. When an advertising strategy works, they make it look easy. But make no mistake about it, they require time, creative brainstorming, and lots of trial and error. 

So how do you get started? Learn some effective advertising thought processes and examples of campaigns that have worked. We'll discuss that below, and you'll also learn the reasons these ads are successful. 

A lot goes into building a winning marketing strategy, and we'd be happy to steer you in the right direction. Creative advertising mastery can be yours when you consider the following information. 

Classic Advertising Payoffs Still Work
Keeping it simple isn't always the cool thing to do in a Web 2.0 world. However, classic advertising payoffs still work in creative advertising -- quite effectively. 

Think back to some of the most iconic advertisements of all time. The Coca Cola commercial featuring NFL Player Mean Joe Greene comes to mind. In the commercial, the young boy hangs around the locker room after a game and tells a hurt, limping Greene how much he admires him. 

Greene doesn't pay the kid much mind despite the kid's best efforts. The fan finally offers Greene a bottle of Coca Cola and starts to walk away, dejected. Once Greene takes a swig of the Coca Cola, he peps up a bit and calls over to the kid. 

"Hey, kid. Catch," are the famous lines that Greene utters, before tossing the kid his game jersey -- much to his delight. At that triumphant moment in the ad, "Have a Coke and a Smile," the company's tagline at the time brings the message home. 

It's class storytelling, matched with a solid payoff. It still works effectively, no matter the medium. 

Make Your Visuals Invoke Sensory Reactions
Print ads have been great about taking advantage of photo editing, graphics, and artistry to invoke reactions.

Take Heinz Ketchup for example. The company has created brilliant advertisements that could stand up to pieces in an art museum. While they're artistically creative and beautiful, they also hit their selling point by keeping your mind on the food. 

The ads contain artist renderings of a Heinz ketchup bottle sliced up like a succulent stack of onions, flipped upside down with a green stem to look like a tomato, in a field of soil with tomatoes and vines growing out of it, and so many other renditions. 

The viewer gets beautiful art, along with a subconscious reminder of the deliciousness they're in for when they use the product. 

Art is appreciated today, so consider some ways you can create something artistic that speaks for itself. 

When you lean into even abstract or broad stroke ideas, you can connect with people in ways that you never thought. By keeping artistry at the forefront, people will appreciate your creation without immediately feeling like they are being marketed to. 

Providing Customers Information Works 
McDonald's came out with an advertisement that strictly focused on information. The company has been around since 1940, and has been around through the evolution of society, wild success, scrutiny, and more. 

With a company this big, customers are more inclined to be interested in things they don't already know. McDonald's came out with several ads that featured color-coded backgrounds and questions from customers. 

They addressed each question, from what's in the Filet O Fish to whether or not they use pink slime in the chicken nuggets.  

Use Visuals to Show What Your Product is All About

Effective and creative use of visuals goes a long way. You can paint a picture that explains a product rather than simply telling about it. 

Remember the "Got Milk" ads? The California Milk Processor Board took the milk mustache, something that everyone who has ever drunk milk has experienced, and made it an iconic part of their ads. 

By having celebrities from all walks of life and industry participate in these ads, it crosses demographics and reaches more people. 

In the '60s, Volkswagen came out with an ad that accentuated the charm of its VW Bug vehicles. These cars are known for being a lot more compact and round than other vehicles. 

With the ad, they left a lot of white space on the page and had a small photo of the VW Bug vehicle barely within the space. This pains the picture that the vehicles are smaller than normal, and sells it creatively as a strong suit.  

Make sure to perfect your execution when you're nailing your call to action and selling points. For instance, one of the "Got Milk?" ads featured Hugh Jackman in costume as the X-Men Wolverine with his claws out, donning a milk mustache. 

In the comics and movies, Wolverine is known to have bones made of the strongest metal known to man. In the advertising copy, the California Milk Processor Board explained some of the healthy benefits of milk, and how drinking it gives you strong bones for life. 

People should always come away from your advertising piece either knowing exactly what you offer or intrigued enough to want to learn more. 

When you add some creativity to your selling points, it makes it more likely to hit the mark and leave a lasting impression. 

Personify Your Product
Nothing says creativity like Personification. When you put a face to what your brand is all about, it sells it more than words alone. 

For Dos Equis beer, the Dos Equis man is an older gentleman with style and class. He enjoys the finer things in life and commands respect and admiration. The company mixes in humor by mentioning the Dos Equis man's impossible achievements and exploits while wrapping the commercial with him still finding enough time to enjoy a brew, and to utter his tagline "Stay thirsty, my friends."

The Old Spice advertising campaign accomplishes much of the same with this company's brand. Their fragrances and products have always veered on the stronger side of the odor spectrum. The company leans into this by featuring a muscle-bound actor riding horses and engaging in manly tasks with his Old Spice deodorant in his hand. 

Apple also knocked it out of the park with their Mac vs. PC campaign. In the commercial, they have a young, contemporary man, representing Mac computers, speaking to the audience. The actor representing the PC was more buttoned-up and traditional. 

Throughout the course of the commercial, the "PC" would freeze, shut down, or always be a step or two behind his competitor. This was a commercial that people could instantly laugh out loud or relate to if they've ever had PC woes. 

Seeing it play out with a person freezing mid-sentence drove the point home better and more creatively than other advertising strategies would have.  

Work With an Agency That Can Take Your Campaign to the Next Level
The key to experiencing the sorts of successes mentioned above is to link up with a creative-minded advertising agency. These are the professionals that will put thought into each campaign you do. 

If you really want to win big with your creative advertising, ask for recommendations from people who have hired them before. This will give you plenty of great leads and put you a few steps closer toward finding exactly what you need.  

Bounce ideas off of the agency that you're thinking about working with so that you can explore your ideas together. Ask them upfront about their prices so that you know you can afford their rates.  

Once you've found the company that can make your advertising dreams a reality, it's time to start putting your heads together on the campaign. Think about the products you are pushing and the vibe of your brand as a whole. 

Your advertising company will give you plenty of options and will seek input on what you're looking for. Before you know it, you're steps away from having some creative advertising victories of your own. 

Handle Your Advertising Campaigns With Diligence 
Let these creative advertising tips inform you as you put together your next campaign. The more work you put into your big advertising efforts, the easier it'll be for you to gain traction and get results. 

No matter what sort of campaign you're working on, keep in mind that it all starts with quality writing. Whether you need to express your ideas during brainstorm sessions or need a script for the ad, quality writing steers the ship. 

At the San Francisco School of Copywriting, you will have all the tools needed to sharpen your pen. 
We would be more than happy to help you with all of your written content needs. This way, you can set a strong foundation for your company's brand.  

Take time to contact us when you're ready to take your copywriting skills to the next level.
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  • Home
  • Courses
    • Copywriting 101
    • How to Create an Advertising Portfolio From Scratch
    • Direct Response Copywriting
    • 360 Copywriting Online
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature