Got milk? Where’s the beef? What’s in your wallet? To an alien, these questions would sound absurd – but most of us Earthlings know exactly what they mean. Advertising effectiveness is sometimes difficult to measure, yet great campaigns make a lasting impression. A strong slogan or a powerful visual can stop people in their tracks and help your brand outshine the competition.

Using “can’t miss” advertising strategies helps reach new customers, build brand resonance, and grow your business. Standing out is particularly vital for outdoor and print ads. When you’re competing for attention, every element of your campaign must be designed for maximum impact. In this article, we’ll explore how you can make more effective advertising.

“Can’t Miss” Strategies for Advertising Effectiveness

Advertising is everywhere. Most people are so accustomed to ads that we don’t realize just how often we see them. It’s estimated that the average person is exposed to anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day in the United States. This includes print ads, TV commercials, digital ads, social media, out-of-home (think billboards and bus ads), and more. So how do you get your brand’s message to stand out? “Can’t miss” advertising!

“Can’t miss” advertising, also known as unmissable advertising, refers to marketing campaigns that are impossible to overlook. They’re bold, imaginative, and strategically placed to grab attention. Typically, these ads are outdoors in high-traffic areas. However, digital advertising can also incorporate “can’t miss” traits.

One noteworthy example of this type of advertising is an out-of-home (OOH) billboard campaign for The Economist. These famous billboard ads consisted of a simple yet striking visual design: a solid red background, The Economist logo, and a giant 3D light bulb. Positioned in busy streets in the UK, the light bulbs contained a motion sensor that caused the bulb to light up whenever pedestrians walked underneath. 

Without any words, aside from the name of the publication, this campaign effectively told passersby that The Economist is associated with intelligence and ideas. This messaging appealed to prospective readers, while the billboard’s interactive nature also created general buzz among the public. In a crowded advertising landscape, this campaign was an unmissable success.

How to Create an Unmissable Ad Campaign

So how can you create show-stopping ads? Advertising effectiveness is as much an art as a science. However, there are steps you can take to develop unmissable ads in both traditional and digital media. 

Step 1. Know Your Audience

As with any marketing campaign, start with your target audience. Consider their basic demographics, as well as their pain points, motivations, and what excites them. Does your product or service solve a problem for your customers? Does it add something special to their lives? Maybe it does both? 

Tap into your potential customer’s needs and desires. Look to social media for insights or, if it’s in your budget, consider a focus group. Knowing your audience will guide your campaign during the development stage and boost overall advertising effectiveness. 

Step 2. Research Your Competitors

Next, assess the competition. Look at ads from other brands in your category and notice any trends or patterns. What images or messaging do consumers expect from companies like yours? Consider doing the polar opposite. While breaking from tradition is always risky, it can lead to big rewards. 

A great example of “can’t miss” advertising that defied tradition is the “Moldy Whopper” campaign from 2020. Whereas restaurants always advertise with pristine, mouth-watering food photography, Burger King did the opposite. The Moldy Whopper ads showed a decaying burger, covered in mold. While certainly unappetizing, these powerful images told consumers – without any words – that Burger King’s food is fresh and free from preservatives. 

In the end, these unmissable ads generated over 2 billion impressions and boosted Burger King sales by 4%.

Step 3. Think Visually

As The Economist‘s lightbulb billboard and the Moldy Whopper campaign demonstrate, a picture really is worth a thousand words. There are no rules against using words in your “can’t miss” ads, but thinking visually will improve advertising effectiveness. 

If you do include ad copy, keep it short and concise. The average person only looks at advertising for a few seconds, especially OOH ads which they may view from a moving car or bus. Powerful, creative images are more likely to make an impact than text.

Step 4. Make an Emotional Impact

Unmissable advertising also plays on our emotions. These ads evoke strong feelings, whether it’s delight or disgust, or something in between. The viewer will remember your ads – and thus your product or service – if it causes them to stop and feel something. Use your ads to tell an emotional story.

Emotion is also critical for creating viral content. No one will share an ad for laundry detergent if the message is, “Our detergent is all-natural and chemical-free.” While that information may be useful, it’s simply not very interesting. But if an ad for laundry detergent makes you laugh or cry or feel shocked? That’s an ad people will talk about.

Step 5. Chose Optimal Ad Placement

Placement can make or break your advertising effectiveness. When choosing a location, consider the following factors:

• Car and Foot Traffic: Does your prospective location see a lot of visitors?
• Competition: Are you placing your ad in a space that’s already saturated with marketing, such as a shopping mall, or will it be relatively sparse, such as a bench on a quiet side street?
• Other Local Businesses: What else is nearby? What kinds of people do these businesses attract? Are they likely to be potential customers? If you make children’s toys, for example, it makes more sense to place your ads near a school than a brewery.

Don’t be afraid to let your location play a role in your ad creative. Calling out the location through site-specific references or clever juxtaposition can draw people in. 

Let’s return to our laundry detergent example. Placing a detergent ad in a home magazine makes logical sense, but won’t grab much attention. Now imagine an ad for detergent at the finish line of a Tough Mudder race! That’s “can’t miss” advertising.

Create Clever Ads to Grow Your Brand

It’s clear that innovative advertising can make a tremendous impact on businesses. Whether you’re developing a digital campaign, traditional media marketing, or a blend of both, creativity is key. The right ads will set you apart from the competition and attract loyal customers.

If you’re still not sure where to get started, contact Bloom Ads today. We offer a wide range of custom creative services, media buying, and more. From development to execution, our team can boost your business.