What makes a memorable advertisement?

Commercials are meant to act as avenues for the consumer to purchase a product. They are supposed to entice the consumer so that whenever they are at the store, their first selection is that given product. However, in society today, commercials tend to go way beyond the limits of just pure advertising. They are basically everywhere, in every corner, on every street, online, on one’s phone and the list goes on. It is as if products are being shoved down consumers throats to an extent that a person may begin to despise all commercials. Advertisements in my perspective are meant to be short, precise and able to hit the nail right on the head.

According to Forbes, certain “ingredients” make the best advertisement. Some of these ingredients are: humor, a jingle or tagline, an iconic type character to separate the ad from others to make it unique, and some distinct criteria to make the ad memorable in the consumer’s mind. One example of an ad with an excellent jingle is the O’Reilly Auto Parts commercial. The jingle is short, catchy, fun and sticks in the mind like a song one cannot shake. The great thing about this jingle is that it has exactly what the company wants to advertise and be known for. It does not go overboard and introduce things that make no absolute sense and truly makes a mark on the consumer’s memory.

A commercial with an iconic character would be the Sprite commercial with Lebron James. It brings two major brands together to advertise and boost sales of the Sprite drink. Sprite is a product of the Coca-Cola Company which is already an established and highly successful brand. Adding a superstar to an ad would make it a cliché if one were to view it on paper. However, the way James sells the product to consumers is without a doubt outstanding. The screenwriters of the ad probably did their research well and knew what the consumers wanted. The ad is magnificent considering it has two of the top brands worldwide.

There are some tips to creating an effective advertisement, whether for students or general consumers. One, represent your brand clearly. The brand is the most important thing in any commercial and is what is meant to stay in the consumer’s mind. Its representation should be flawless.

Second create a storyline and make the ad simple to remember. The storyline gives life to the ad. It should not confuse the consumers of the product, so it should be short and to the point.

Finally, develop a signature character or theme and do not cut corners while making the commercial. Quality is essential while coming up with the commercial and progress only comes if every step taken is keenly focused on and given the amount of time required. Signature characters also aid in selling a product whenever a consumer is purchasing a product. They will remember the key character and immediately go for it. A good example is Mr. Clean, the avatar on various soap brands that aids consumers in remembering to buy the product by seeing his face on it.

Advertisements can make or break a product especially in today’s highly competitive markets. Creating the best commercial is vital to getting one’s product out there. Constant repetition of these steps is not necessary and may cause consumers to reject the given product. Commercials are just meant to capture the consumer’s attention; it is up to the business to build loyalty and trust, thus maintaining a healthy relationship with its consumers.