AdAdvantageSuccess Home Page for Internet Marketers!

Home   |   Marketing eCourse   |   Online Marketing Kit   |   Web Hosting   |   Links   |   ClickBank Portal
Advertising Information   |   Blogging & RSS   |   Branding Information   |   Copywriting   |   Traffic Building
Email Marketing   |   Ezine Publishing   |   Site Promotion   |   PPC Advertising   |   E-Books

Radio and Television Ads: Clever Vs. Annoying


Ever heard or seen a radio or television commercial that you really liked and actually looked forward to hearing or seeing again only to be assaulted by another one so annoying it made you want to heave your radio or television out the window?

What makes one commercial so enjoyable while others seem to be so abysmal? It's all in the ability to make the listener or viewer remember the ad in a creative, clever way and I'm about to give you some advice on how to do just that so read on!

One of the most successful ways of creating clever ads is to add humor. Unfortunately that's not an easy thing to do as you have probably heard or seen many commercials try and fail. There is a fine line between writing a spot people will laugh and identify with and writing one that falls flat on its face and unfortunately most spots fall into the latter category. The best advice on using humor in ads that I can give you is this: hire a professional who specializes in writing humorous ads. I say this because the majority of advertisers that attempt to write their own funny ads fail miserably. The main reason is because it takes a trained writer to know how to create an ad that includes not only genuinely funny copy, but also perfect timing and the right amount of copy needed to pull it off. Having said this, if you still insist you've written a funny spot for your business the best way to find out is to read it to some unbiased ears which means someone other than your wife, husband, or best friend. Humor in itself is subjective but for the most part if it's funny they'll laugh, and if they don't get it, even if you think it's a real knee slapper, it's time to try another approach. I've written thousands of ads most containing humor but even I don't know for sure how well they will be received once they hit the airwaves. Another tricky part about putting humor in ads is that it takes more time to establish the bit, which means you have less time for the rest of the copy.

The same rule goes for putting voice impersonations in your radio ads. I tend to use voice impressions that I or others do in radio spots from time to time and it can be a real attention getter. However, this can also backfire as I've heard spots where voice impersonations were used just for the sake of putting them in the spot with no real message or tie-in to the product or service. Once again, this is wasted ad dollars.

You may have heard or seen ads you thought were extremely annoying and wondered why the advertiser even bothered. What they've learned is that even bad spots will eventually stick in the mind with enough repetition. The problem here lies with whether what ends up sticking is a negative reinforcement. There's a national jeweler who comes to mind that likes to do his own radio commercials. His nasally voice and dry as sand delivery while quite annoying, have become his trademark. So in essence his annoyance is part of his brand. Successful? Perhaps, but you'd be hard pressed to get me to shop there.

Remember that besides being clever, your ad has to deliver the goods. In other words, ads that are clever just for the sake of being clever won't accomplish much. Have you ever had someone tell you about a funny spot but when you asked who the ad was for, they can't remember? That's a case of the copywriter indulging his or her own cleverness and missing the main point. Your copy must also give the listener or viewer a reason to call or come by and most important, remember your name!

Sometimes a "call to action" works well. This could be in the form of a price point, a special time sensitive sale or a "radio/TV coupon" in which the listener or viewer is told to mention they heard or saw the spot for a special price. It could also involve having the listener or viewer respond immediately as in, "the first 25 people to call now receive..." however, make sure your phone lines can handle the response.

In today's world it takes a clever message to be heard, seen, and remembered above all the mindless advertising banter. And if done right, all the other ads can become "advertising wallpaper" for your clever, stand out, ad campaign!

Hal Eisenberg is an award winning copywriter, voice over talent and producer, as well as owner of The Eisenberg Agency, a full service advertising agency specializing in creative ads that get results.

Visit his web site at http://www.eisenbergagency.com
Mailto: halacious@eisenbergagency.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Direct Traffic Media

Internet advertising revenue up but slowing
AFP - 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Online advertising revenue in the United States hit a record 11.5 billion dollars in the first six months of the year but slowed in the ...
Search advertising revenues grow amid market malaise CNET News
Internet advertising grows slightly, but analysts worry about the ... Los Angeles Times
Advertising spend buoyed by rush to internet guardian.co.uk
Red Herring - The Associated Press
all 142 news articles


Locale Media Launches Zip-Code Targeted Advertising in the San ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
STAMFORD, CT, Oct 07, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Locale Media announced today that the company has launched its zip-code targeted online advertising ...
Locale Media Launches Zip-Code Targeted Advertising in the San ... International Business Times
New Mobile Advertising Platform Helps Advertisers Reach iPhone ... PR Web (press release)
all 12 news articles


Search Engine Optimization Firm, Epiar Inc., Unveils New Paid ...
MarketWatch - 8 hours ago
After Months of Testing, Epiar Has Taken Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising to the Next Level with the Launch of Its New Service to the General Public Epiar is ...


Monsters and Critics.com

Google-Yahoo Ad Deal Put on Hold
Techtree.com, India - 17 hours ago
Further to that Google issued similar statement, "When we announced our advertising agreement with Yahoo in June we agreed to delay its implementation until ...
Google and Yahoo! vs. the advertising world Bigmouthmedia News
Yahoo-AOL Merger Agreement to Take Place This Month Internet Search Engine Database
How Low Can You Go? Google Drops Another 5 Percent to $350 Territory. TechCrunch
Bizjournals.com - Wired News
all 235 news articles


Reuters

UAW launches advertising campaign against McCain
MLive.com, MI - 5 hours ago
AP DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers has launched an advertising campaign attacking Republican presidential candidate John McCain. ...
UAW launches advertising campaign against McCain The Associated Press
Auto workers launch $3 million ad campaign for Obama Reuters
Here Comes the UAW:$3M Anti-McCain Ad Campaign FOXNews
Bloomberg - WDIV
all 137 news articles


Advertising forecast lowered on uncertain economy
BusinessWeek - 6 hours ago
By ANICK JESDANUN A leading advertising forecaster sharply lowered expectations for ad growth Tuesday, blaming an uncertain economy for reduced spending ...
Advertising spending growth slows Financial Times
UPDATE 1-Key advertising report downgrades global forecasts Reuters
Net advertising climbs 21% Scotsman
Variety - MediaPost Publications
all 28 news articles


BBC News

Viewers polled on TV advertising
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 3 hours ago
Ofcom launched a consultation as part of a review into the rules on television advertising. The regulator said its initial preference was for no change to ...
UK's Ofcom in consultation until Dec 11 on TV advertising Forbes
Viewers could be forced to watch teleshopping on prime time TV Telegraph.co.uk
ITV may be able to show more ads guardian.co.uk
Brand Republic - BBC News
all 20 news articles


Wall Street Journal Blogs

‘Thanks, But No Thanks’; Pfizer Sues over Free Viagra Advertising
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY - 5 hours ago
From time to time, companies must confront unwanted advertising. Take the Italian eatery Olive Garden. As reported in this WSJ front-pager, the restaurant ...


Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg: Big Opportunity for Brand Advertising ...
BusinessWeek - 13 hours ago
The former vice president of global online sales and operations at Google, who joined Facebook last March, told the lunch audience that the only advertising ...
Facebook COO: Web Needs New Model, New Metrics AdAge.com (subscription)
all 2 news articles


Online advertising apocalypse? Probably not.
CNET News, CA - 1 hour ago
IAB announced today that internet advertising is up 15.2% to $11.5 billion for the first half of 2008 versus the same period in 2007. ...

Advertising - Google News

Home   |   Marketing eCourse   |   Online Marketing Kit   |   Web Hosting   |   Links   |   ClickBank Portal
Advertising Information   |   Blogging & RSS   |   Branding Information   |   Copywriting   |   Traffic Building
Email Marketing   |   Ezine Publishing   |   Site Promotion   |   PPC Advertising   |   E-Books
Copywrite ©      2006 www.AdAdvantageSuccess.com      All Rights Reserved.