Ugly Advertising Works!
When you are leafing through a magazine or newspaper you undoubtedly notice (or glance over) the advertisements in there. They all seem to neutralize each other and lose all effectiveness.
Why is that?
Mainly because they all LOOK like an advertisement. The pictures are all nice, layout is perfect, cutesy slogans right where they always are, talks too much about themselves – the typical ad.
Professionally done – but grossly ineffective.
As you continue reading your come across an advertisement that doesn’t even look like an ad. It looks non-professional and actually looks like something helpful to you. In many cases it looks like another column or article in the publication you are reading. The headline talks about something that has been bothering you and you have been looking for an answer. Within the actual ad it gives you information you need and is written to help you.
It looks like the owner of the company (not an ad agency) has written it himself and that it is written directly to you and your desires.
That is an effective – UGLY – advertisement.
And they work.
Next time you see an ugly ad that reads like an article or editorial column – read it, study it, and find out how it can apply to your business.
Rip it out and take it with you as that one single example probably makes more money than all the other “pretty” ads combined!
Your article confirmed what I had been thinking when I was trying to decide on a generic ad holder for my blog. Why not make it ugly so they won't think it is an already taken Project Wonderful ad? Thanks for writing this article!
Posted by: webduck | February 15, 2008 at 02:41 AM