The 7 elements of an advertisement

These are the fundamental parts of any advertisement, the keys to persuasion.

We are bombarded by advertisements on a daily basis, but not all of them are successful, far from it.

In this article we will take a look at those components that cannot be missing in any advertisement if we want it to be successful. if we want it to be successful. We will delve into each one of them and we will see what function it fulfills in the transmission of the message and the persuasive process that advertising seeks.

The importance of the parts of an advertisement

Although we may think that advertising is a relatively recent field, it is not, far from it. To get an idea, we should know that tablets have been found belonging to Babylonian merchants from the third millennium B.C., in which different products and services were advertised. The same has occurred in archaeological excavations in Egypt, Pompeii, Greece and Rome. The conclusion is that advertising has accompanied mankind since almost the beginning of history.

Of course, what is certain is that since the last century, this field of study has practically become a science, and as a result countless studies have been carried out to investigate the elements of an advertisement in order to determine which styles work best and to get the most out of each one. and to get the most out of each of them, making our ad achieve the maximum impact on the audience and thus ultimately achieve more sales of our product or service.

When elaborating an advertising message, we can try to enhance some of its elements, and this way we will probably achieve a certain reception by some consumers.In this way, we will probably achieve a certain reception by some consumers. But, if we really want to create a spot that achieves its effect and attracts the attention of the target group, we must pay attention to all the elements of an advertisement, and not only to one of them. This is because each part is fulfilling a certain function.

Therefore, we would be talking about a synergy system in which the different parts, when put together, achieve a greater impact than when working separately. Therefore, as they are like complementary pieces of the same puzzle, we should not relegate any of them to a second position and we should put our efforts in getting the best version of each of the elements of an advertisement. This is the only way to guarantee a good part of the road to commercial success.

The different elements of an advertisement

We have already seen the importance of these components, but the most important thing remains: to know what they are and what characteristics each of them has. For this reason, we will see below a list that will allow us to know them and discover their peculiarities, so that we have a notion of what are the keys that marketing and communication professionals take into account.

1. The bullet

The first of the elements of an advertisement is the bullet, also called bullet by its English nomenclature. The name is quite descriptive, since this element, the first of all, has to act as a shot. Something fast and direct, that provokes a shock in the audience and in this way attracts the attention of the audience.. Attention is the key to any advertising campaign. If we manage to capture attention at the beginning of the message, we will have a good part of the job done.

The bullet is usually a sentence of a few words. Perhaps a question that will make the receiver think and reflect on the answer. You can also use a controversial statement, something that provokes a shock by questioning the viewer's belief system. It doesn't matter, because we will resolve that conflict with the rest of the elements of the ad, but the important thing is that we will have resolved that conflict with the rest of the elements of the ad.But the important thing is that we will have succeeded in getting the person to direct their gaze and attention to give us a few seconds of their time.

2. The headline

Once we have managed to capture the potential customer's attention, we have to take advantage of the situation and strike again with a short message, this time, the headline. It is a matter of to advance to the spectator what is the general idea that we want to transmit throughout the message.Therefore, the headline must be brief and attractive. It is essential that this is the case to ensure that the consumer continues to pay attention to us and that our message is permeating in his unconscious.

The headline, as its name suggests, is usually located at the top of the ad, since it is usually where the consumer will look at first, and therefore should be the trap that, like the bullet, catches the viewer's attention and does not let go, if possible until he has received the full message that we are trying to convey with all the elements of an advertisement.

3. The photograph

The next element is not verbal, but an image, a photograph. It serves to support the message and also to attract the eye and with it the attention. attract the eye and with it the attention of the potential consumer.. In that sense, its function would essentially be that of an element of attraction.

This is one of the most important elements of the advertising piece, because it is able to add a great emotional charge and to provide concepts that can be perceived and understood quickly, without the need to think too much about the meaning of the ad. In other words, the photography of an advertisement takes advantage of the "mental shortcuts", the heuristics, to capture the attention and transmit both the main idea to be communicated and the emotional tone of the advertisement.

In this sense, many advertising campaigns resort to the use of photographs of attractive people and also of public figures, whether from the world of cinema, sports or other fields. Logically, this strategy entails an economic cost that can sometimes be enormous, depending on the relevance of that person and therefore the fees required to lend his or her image to the campaign. For this reason, it is not something within the reach of all brands. But even if the face is not well-known, it can have a tremendously powerful effect if it fits with the message we want to convey. Of course, you can also choose to show something other than a human face.

In fact, many products are so attractive that the brand chooses to use the image of the product directly for the photograph. Equally, if shown in the right way, it can (and does) work in a very powerful way. Of course, the photograph must have certain conditions in terms of lighting, resolution, angle, composition and many other variables and many other variables that make it visually attractive in itself. There is a whole science behind this field.

4. The body of the message

Although all the elements of an advertisement are important, as we have already seen, it is possible that the body of the message is vital. Those we have seen so far had the essential function of capturing the customer's attention, but it is the body that, once the person is looking at us, has the function of conveying clearly and concisely the message we want to send and, more importantly, convincing him that the product or service is for him.

The body must be direct. We know that the attention span is going to be very limited and therefore we cannot waste it with long texts, offering endless explanations of the advantages of our product. No. It has to be fleeting, a few lines in which all the strengths of what we are offering are condensed.. The perfect message is one that not only tempts the consumer, but convinces them that they need to buy the product.

5. The logo

Accompanying the message and in a clear place, the logo of the brand must appear. It is that that small image in which the name of the brand or company can be read, which everyone should associate with our products.The main function of the logotype is to make the brand or company's name visible, which everyone should associate with our products and which should provoke a reaction just by seeing it.

The main function of the logo is to make people identify quickly and clearly the brand or the company launching the advertisement; therefore, this visual element must be memorable, so it must be easy to distinguish it from the rest of the logos, and it must not be difficult to understand or read.

This logic has led to a progressive simplification of logos, which increasingly try to look more and more like an icon.In some cases, it even goes to the extreme of using a symbol replacing the logo, as it happens with famous brands such as Nike or Apple. In other cases, when the logo and the symbol form different visual elements but are presented together, we talk about logosymbol.

There are brands that we all recognize just by appreciating the logo, but others must build a reputation and build their image, associated with the quality of their products.associated with the quality of their products. In these cases, it will be even more necessary for the logo to be clearly visible so that customers can make that visual association.

6. The slogan

One of the elements of an advertisement that usually accompanies the logo is the slogan. It is a short phrase that must contain a powerful message, a slogan that, like the logo, we associate with the brand and that causes a positive emotion every time we hear or read it. The slogan can be unique to the brand or it can be made for the specific advertising campaign we are working on.

Some slogans last over time and manage to generate a greater recall than the brand itself.. Therefore, a powerful slogan must be taken advantage of and we should not replace it with another one lightly, since we run the risk of weakening the brand image and causing confusion in the perception of consumers, who may no longer recognize the product as easily as before.

7. Contact details

The last of the elements of an advertisement is obvious: the contact details. For It is no use if we have succeeded in capturing the consumer's attention and convinced him to buy our product and service if he does not know how he can do so.if they don't know how to do so. Therefore, it is necessary to leave a contact, which can be the address of the store itself (physical or online), or simply the social networks from which you can contact, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Bibliographical references:

• Boscán, J.P., Mendoza, M.I. (2004). Semiotic analysis of perfume advertising. Option.
• Degrado-Godoy, M.D. (2005). Television, advertising and communication. Comunicar: Scientific Journal of Communication and Education.
• Solís, F.M. (2016). The visual metaphor, a communicating element of brands in outdoor advertising. Prisma Social.
• Vilches, A. (2012). Advertising and culture. RUTA Comunicación.
• Walzer, A. (2010). Art and Advertising: Elements for debate. Aisthesis.