“Advertising is the greatest art form of the 20th century.”

- Marshall McLuhan quotes  

One more century old and this principle still fits the bill. Advertising has been a benchmark for the industry men who seek to promote their business and getting eyeballs straight to a business is the biggest challenge. Advertising is a form of communication that imparts knowledge about a product, a service and a company at large. Brand positioning and repositioning is often done solely on the basis of advertising by many companies, however big or small. When in 2011 Hero Honda re-launched as Hero Moto Corp, they advertised. And within a few minutes, the nation knew that it is not Hero Honda anymore!

Advertising through TVCs isn't a new phenomenon as such. But for print advertising, it is still a younger brother. Outdoor advertising on the other hand can trace back its legacy from the earliest of civilizations. Back then, it wasn’t about advertising businesses but it was more about promoting emperor's laws. Gradually, it evolved as a business communication medium and now, we all know what outdoor advertising in Delhi and other cities is all about.

Since it is out of house (OOH advertising), it gathers maximum eye balls and must make absolute sense

With wide eyes and open ears, let's take a look at the rules that can't be overlooked for effective outdoor advertising:

Know Your Message

Outdoor advertising includes posters, billboards, digital media/ electronic sign boards, outdoor primes, transit advertising and many more similar mediums. Knowing your audience and the space you use to convey your message is the real deal. But most importantly, knowing what is the message you want to giveaway is important.

Color Me Bold, No Nonsense!

The usage of colors is a big challenge for most of the designers as, to say something in words and not let it go unnoticed by passer bys and random travelers is always the motive of the advertisement. Using bold typeface and colors that suit a viewer's eyes is most essential. Using bright and crazy hues unless demanded by the message, would only add to the claptrap and would only make it absurd. Having said that…

Highlight the VIPs

VIPs here mean very important phrases or words. Highlighting the most important words like your brand name, or the product name or anything that is most essential part of the ad comes essential, else your ad-driven sales may never see the light of the day.

Seven is the Limit

It may be the hard part for most copywriters, designers and advertisers to limit themselves to a maximum of seven words but the trade demands it. Passer bys watch your ad while in motion. Seven is the upper limit because the audience mostly has no time to stop by, especially for your ad unless it’s either too driving.

Picture Me Right

Usage of images in ads must be there only if it's a necessity. Most of the times, it is. Images attract most eye balls hence, making them utterly important. You don’t need images everywhere. But wherever you do, use them right. Imagery can spell most of the emotions provided the right kind of image is put to use. A slender, well-shaped waistline alone can say much more about a health brand over a billboard as compared to a woman running with several other elements that do no justice to the brand being promoted.

Attach Aspirations

Inspirational and as pirational imagery and other such representations are a sure shot way to capture eye balls. Some things provoke us, some inspire us, some just want us to be that way. The audience relates more to ads that create as pirational invigorations – it’d be a great idea to work on audience psychographics for an expansive idea of their aspirations before taking a dive into designing.

Call for Emotions than for Action

Having an emotional call to the ads you create is more important than directing your audience to call for an action. Do not give them a shuddering jolt with "call now" or "just do it" type of dominating commands. They don’t always need it. Use emotional attachment or an advisory tone to the ad that sounds suggestive and pleasing. The rest is for the viewer to decide, where to go and what to do next.