Minds On

Advertisements

Advertisements convince the viewer or the audience to buy an item or service.

Print advertisements use any combination of images, colour, words, font, frame, size, and placement. The audience might notice the print advertisement for a few seconds. The audience does that while flipping a page in a magazine, newspaper, or while walking, or driving by a billboard. So, the advertisement and message must be short and simple. This helps to catch the audience's attention.

Print advertisements come in different sizes. They can have the shape of business cards, flyers, posters, or billboards.

Audio advertisements use tone, volume, variation, emphasis, and speed to convey their message. The advertisement and message must be short and simple. This helps to catch the audience's attention.

Compare and contrast

Compare these two billboard versions and how the message is displayed. Which version do you think will capture the audience’s attention more effectively? Why?

Version 1

Version 2

Questions:

  • How does the use of capitals, font size, font contrast, and image help to communicate the message?
  • How does the use of text connect to the environmental message?
  • Who is the target audience for this billboard?
  • Where could this billboard be placed to have the biggest impact?