Digital ad creative can make or break campaign performance. Yet, we all see the same lame banner ads and videos every day. They certainly aren’t memorable. Some brands go beyond, and then the content becomes memorable, but not in the best way.

So, how can you guide local advertisers? What advice can you deliver that gets creative moving in the right direction? In the line between boring and provocative, there is a happy medium that can be compelling and enticing to audiences.

The Impact of Creative on Ad Performance

Research on the topic is worth digging into. A study on the subject started with marketers giving their opinions on what factors most contributed to effectiveness: brand, creative, reach, recency and targeting.

These professionals gave little praise to creative, saying it was only a factor 21% of the time. The data said otherwise, at 49%. It outperformed targeting.

Additionally, when an audience believes advertising to be high-quality, they form a stronger brand position. Testing confirmed that the better the perception of the digital ad creative, the more opportunity a company had to grow its market share.

Since advertising creative has such an impact, being able to bring ideas to advertisers can be a differentiator. Let’s look at some tips you can use across industries.

5 Tips to Make Digital Ad Creative More Memorable

These suggestions could make all the difference in ad creative.

Get Up Close on Product Details

If the topic of the ad is a physical product, there are unique ways to highlight its details. The concept could be for static images or video.

For static images: Use multiple photos that are close up on the details. The ad size will impact how many images you can include. Call out why these features matter.

For video: Zoom into the product details that are the most important to an audience and explain why they are so valuable.

Example:

  • You’re working with a bicycle shop that wants to highlight a new mountain bike. Discuss with them the three most important features to focus on and why they matter. Copy should be concise and emphasize the value.

Ask a Question

Connecting with an audience means a business needs to create engagement. A question as the header to an ad could do just that. Using a stylized font and making the question mark a focus may be interesting.

The question could go two ways: Asking someone if they want something or to solve something. For example, you’re working with a health food specialty shop to promote their energy smoothies.

Here are the two approaches:

  • Do you want more energy every morning?
  • Are you tired of waking up, well, tired?

Then, there’s an action-oriented line of copy and a picture of the drink.

Try the Hook-Feature-Benefit Model

There are three parts to this ad:

  • Hook: Capture attention with a striking visual or bold statement.
  • Feature: Present one specific detail that solves a problem or improves a situation.
  • Benefit: Deliver the positive outcome that a customer can expect.

This works best for video since you’re telling a story. It’s a short one, but you’ve got three acts to include.

How this could work for a local grocery store having a seafood sale.

  • Hook: High-quality, fresh images of crab legs on the screen with an overlay of the discount.
  • Feature: The selection is fresh-caught/never frozen
  • Benefit: Your family can feast on juicy crab legs and still afford the sides.

 

In this arc, the creative gets attention, defines what’s special and ends with a value statement. The ad can end with a “Shop Now” CTA.

Make the Audience the Star of the Ad

One mistake many brands make, big and small, is developing creative that’s all about them. Their logo or owner’s face is the most dominant image, and the copy is so self-promotional that it doesn’t resonate.

Sure, ad creative should include branding, but suggest they downplay this and emphasize the audience. It may be a bit revolutionary to some old-school advertisers, but it’s time for a refresh.

Some industries that do this a lot are law firms, real estate agents and insurance brokers. The logo and their face are typically the creative, and that’s it. For a consumer to choose one of these businesses, it requires trust. If they have brand equity in our market, great, but it’s not the only factor.

These companies sometimes use customers in their ads, and that can be compelling as it’s a sign of social proof. However, these can fall flat if the ad quality is questionable, so if going this route, they need images that can work in a variety of formats.

Another way to make the audience the crux of the creative is to address a pain point full-on. For example, an attorney can, in some cases, earn more than their client in a settlement. If your advertiser doesn’t operate like that, it’s an absolute great point that puts the audience first. Those words could be much more impactful than a headshot.

Keep It Simple and Classy

The final tip we’re sharing is to keep it simple and classy. The interpretation of this varies, but these ads have lots of white space, an easy-to-read font and classic imagery. There’s no gimmick or gotcha moment. It’s just honest and authentic.

Examples of this include:

  • A restaurant that’s been in business for 50 years: The image could be their original sign or logo with sparse copy that just says, “Feeding our neighborhood for over 50 years. Come grab a table.”
  • A furniture store with modern merchandise: Visually, the furniture is the star. The copy could be super minimal: Modern. Quality. Timeless.

The Theme of Every Memorable Digital Ad Creative Is a Story

In all these tips, there’s always a storyline. Advertising is telling stories when it’s done well. Whether you have 60 seconds or a small banner footprint, creative can be what makes people take a second look.

For more creative inspiration, check out our infographic with lots more ideas!