Think back to the last perfume ad you saw. It probably went very much like this:
A beautiful woman in a glamorous gown floats down a palatial stairway. Cut to a scene of a gothic masquerade party. Everyone is dancing when this young beautiful thing glides into the party and all eyes on her. Close up shot of a man with the physique of a Greek god, eyeing her from across the room. And as she walks past him, she whispers to the camera the name of the newest “it” fragrance.
Now try to recall the name of that perfume.
Exactly.
This is the setback of formulaic advertising. It takes a fraction of a second to recognize the product category but everything else becomes one big artistic blur, including the name of you brand. In the already saturated world of advertising, it doesn’t pay to fit in. And the best way to stand out is to do something that’s never been done in your product category.
If you’re a car dealership, stand out from the crowd of exclamation marks and busy layouts by doing something clean and simple. Financial advertising is rampant with hollow images of smiling actors looking into the camera. So why not try a campaign that’s largely based on illustrations and engaging copy.
Your ads don’t have to be “Lady Gaga” different. They simply need to have one element that breaks the formula and propels you above the competition.
Here are some examples of TV spots that break out from the clutter:
Visual & Copy:
This Webster First Credit Union ad breaks the formula with simple, yet eye-catching graphics and a lighthearted tone.
Music
Most video game advertising is charged with heavy metal and punk rock music. But this teaser for the Gears of War used the song “Mad World” by Gary Jules and gives this game a new dimension.
