“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” – Steuart Henderson Britt
There are many creative ways you can communicate a product or app to your audience. We talked to Bobby Hallas, the Chief Design Officer at IdeaPros, about 12 killer commercials that will help you get exposure, become awesome in your advertising efforts, and tell the world how cool you are.
Comparison
Comparison commercial format is a classic TV advertisement example that informs the viewer why the product or service is superior to its competition. It focuses on the differences as opposed to the consumers’ needs.
“Focusing on benefits or one big benefit that you can showcase over a larger company or a similar product is crucial for small businesses.” – Bobby Hallas
We know your resources are limited, but you can make the most of your budget by doing smaller production and bootstrap versions for your ads. It doesn’t have to be a 30 seconds spot on TV. You can cast your people or use an iPhone to record. Remember, social media posts are mini commercials and you can animate any static content into a video easily.
Unique Personality Property
This format focuses on a unique selling point that makes the product different from the rest of the pack, and it tends to demonstrate the need for the product. Anything from features to the unique design, the inventor, the product name, or the brand does the work. You can showcase one specific feature instead of showing the whole product.
Showing A Need
This type of commercial shows the need for a product. Showing the problem and then providing the solution is one of the simplest formats. It is popular among beauty products where they focus on one new ingredient while showcasing its benefits. You are educating your target audience, and all the little pieces go into a big-picture story. Create a YouTube channel and describe your product, app, or service to people in a step-by-step format.
Symbolism, Analogy, or An Exaggerated Graphic
These commercials use a symbol analogy graphic, introducing the need through symbolism, a metaphor, or an extreme exaggeration. A great example is the Mr. Wind commercial, a short film promoting wind energy that won many awards. A tall, awkward man is doing what wind does, like messing up with someone’s newspapers and other annoying things. But, in the end, he is sitting down with the CEO of a wind energy company that’s putting them to work. He has found his place.
Demo
Detergent commercials are a great example of the demo format. They present the before and after image, outlining the features and how it works. For small businesses, it is better to show a segment of a demo with real people instead of actors. Create a video that answers any question about functionality your audience may have.
The After Effect
The after-effect commercial shows how the consumer has benefited from the use of the product. For example, an ad for a retirement plan focuses on a happy, stress-free life or how a specific app changes your life exponentially, giving you more time with your kids. It is not about the service itself. It is about the end goal the consumer is trying to achieve and how your product can help them get there.
Testimonials
Widely used in television and direct mail advertising, these commercials feature an actor or real-life person sharing their positive experience about the product or service. You should take advantage of satisfied customers and offer them an incentive to share their impressions.
Speaking of testimonials, you can check out what people are saying about IdeaPros: IdeaPros Reviews.
“People want to see real responses.” – Tessa Ashford
There are platforms where you can have people try your products and then get a user-generated content video. You can ask customers to do a testimonial for you and tell you what made them buy the product and what they love about it.
“Testimonials validate you, your app or product through someone else’s eye.” – Bobby Hallas
Parody Or Borrowed
The Parody or Borrowed format borrows its central premise from a popular film, TV show, sport, or even a fake news report. You can get creative here, as long as you are not copying 100% of the content. Instead, they are funny and based on something popular at some point in the past. After a certain amount of time, you can use pieces of old content.
Benefit Causes Story
This format shows how using the product or service causes something wonderful to occur. For example, when a guy sprays AX body deodorant, beautiful girls start chasing him down the street.
Exaggerated FX/Benefit
The previous format we mentioned uses exaggeration based on real life. This one is a bit more crazy. Arms are coming out of the biceps, people riding unicorns, or fighting laser sharks. It is over the top, taking things a step further and exaggerating the benefits. However, there is a lot of competition, and you have to stand out—something wild and crazy sticks with people making them picture it when deciding to buy.
Characters And Celebrity
These commercials hire a popular or well-liked entertainer, hoping to wow viewers who want to be more like that celebrity. If a big one is out of the business’s budget, it can be someone who relates to your brand or an influencer with an audience that cares about what they have to say. Don’t be afraid to get a review from an influencer. An honest review is worth more than anything. Even if they have something negative to say, it is an opportunity to pivot.
Associated Lifestyle
This format uses imagery with unknown characters or common stereotypes that the advertiser wants associated with their product. One of the most interesting and influential ones is the Abercrombie and Fitch commercial. A bunch of naked people are having a blast in the spa or are on the yacht partying. They are selling clothes, but no one has any clothes on. But it makes you think: “If I wear their clothes, I will live like this.”
Every commercial has its tone of voice, like upbeat, energetic, lighthearted, wholesome, kind, helpful, dark, dreary, sad, or scary, depending on the message you want to convey. The beautiful thing is that you can mix and match all the formats to achieve the most appealing approach for your target audience and get people to understand more about your brand.
Go out there and get creative! It is time to be remarkable.
The “Idea Pros” at IdeaPros have the resources, experience, and tools to help you at this step or any step in the entrepreneurial journey. We partner with entrepreneurs at any stage and who are ready to invest their ideas. Apply for an interview and let’s explore partnering together.