I’m a firm believer that ads need to punch hard on first sight.  That doesn’t always mean you need a blunt call to action up-front.  A recent ad by Doctors of the World shows that less can definitely be more in terms of impact.  Indeed in terms of copy we’re talking none in the first instance.

I’ve had the pleasure of a few conversations with Dave Trott, a great ad man, and one thing I always remember is him comparing an ad to a martial arts punch.  You are aiming to hit a point just beyond the target so that when it hits the target it is at maximum impact.  I’m probably misquoting here but you hopefully get the point.  Ads need to cut through a world where every day there are thousands of competing messages and where more then ever we are multi-tasking and using multiple media at the same time.

Take a look at the Doctors of the World online display ad. Click here.

The African mother, huddling her child, with the only movement the sun flickering through the tree’s shade on their sleeping bodies is somehow compelling. Particularly when it is set against the headlines and pictures shouting for attention on the typical website.  The Elle site here is a great example with images of Lady Gaga et al and talk of her “stress”.   A mouse over the ad and in just 12 words the point is hit home really hard.   “Ah. Someone who pays attention to those the world tends to forget”.  You’re already beginning to feel a better person just by noticing the ad and the desire to click and actually contribute has been sparked.

If everyone is shouting there’s no point trying to shout louder.

Tags: banner ad, dave trott, doctors of the world, online display

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Online Display. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.