Awesome Ads and What We Can Learn From Them

Sometimes, I see an ad and I have to smile just because it’s so smart. That’s why I’ve compiled some ads here that I think are smart. We can all learn from them.

The cavewomen chasing the shoes is just brilliant to me – take something old and tweak it to make it new. This could be used in so many ways – from something like how people gathered to listen to the radio are now listening to podcasts to leaving Santa gluten-free cookies. A new twist on an old idea works well because people are already familiar with the concept, and if you tweak it right, you’re seen as a genius.

A ridiculous image always works well in ads. Something that makes people look twice because there’s no way this could be real, yet it looks so real, is key to grabbing people’s attention. Of course, a ridiculous image won’t work if it isn’t done right – meaning the lighting is wrong, or if the image is scaly or fuzzy – but an image like this strawberry on this person made me look twice. It helps that the strawberry and chocolate look quite yummy!

Another technique that works well is making an image out of another image. Making a car out of what at first looks to be a bush, for instance, can be a real attention-getter. The key is to design the image so that it looks like something is slightly “off” but the viewer has to look closer to figure out what it is. Take a look at this ad for Reach toothbrush.

At first it just looks like a chicken with ridiculously long legs (hey, a ridiculous image!). But then you see that the legs and body look like gums on a top row of teeth. That makes me appreciate the ad, and makes me go in for a closer look to the writing: “Your teeth can hide many things.” I especially love this one because who doesn’t get chicken stuck in their teeth? And the chicken’s plucked body is about the color of gums.

Lastly, this Canon ad struck me as brilliant.

The camera comes with an image stabilizer, which makes the use of a tripod not necessary because the user is the tripod. I love the legs and how the user can imagine himself out in the wild with no use for lugging around heavy camera equipment just to get a great shot. All he needs is himself, which gives the user confidence, but at the same time says “this camera is all you need.” Very smart indeed. Not only is this a ridiculous image to first capture attention, but it also instills strength in the consumer, which of course, every ego wants. Feeding people’s egos always works well in ads as with anything else in life.

Top 10 Creative and Colorful Business Cards

Business cards can be a conversational piece all in the own right if they are created with a uniquely creative style. Below are a list of 10 business cards chosen based on their originality and color. Hopefully they will get your creative juices flowing or inspire you to design some of your very own.

 

Marketing Inspiration Found in M&Ms

If you aren’t sure what to get your loved ones for Christmas, you could put their pictures on M&Ms. Personalized M&Ms are now available for you to put a holiday message on one side and your face or someone else’s face on the other side.

M&M Faces
M&M Faces is a service launched last spring that allows people to upload photos to be printed right on the little chocolates. The Christmas M&Ms are red, green and white and you can get a photo printed on them and “Ho Ho Ho” or “Happy Holidays” on the other side.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has even partnered with M&M to give consumers DIY instructions on how to use these personalized M&MS in wish jars, “snack sacks” and even incorporate them into tree ornaments. The Web site www.mymms.com/Martha has the Martha instructions. “My M&Ms”, as the holiday product is called, will be featured on the Martha Stewart Show. This multiplatform approach should help M&M reach many target audiences.

My M&Ms is also reaching out to baseball lovers – My M&Ms has a licensing arrangement with Major League Baseball Properties, which means you can order M&Ms with the logos and colors of any of MLB’s 30 teams.

You can also choose from 22 individual colors at Mymmm.com, or you can choose a blend – 3 to 5 different M&M colors in one batch. And with the way color affects people’s psyches, the colors you choose for your M&M gift can set the holiday season just right. For instance, if you choose blue M&Ms, you can expect your recipients to feel relaxed and serene.

Business M&Ms
So what does this mean for marketing pros? Well there’s also a Business M&M, of which you can get your logo printed on one side of the candy and a short message on the other side.

You can order business M&Ms from http://www.mymms.com/business/. Here are some ideas for how to use them to market your business: 

• You can give out business M&Ms in little pretty gift bags as a Christmas gift for customers that drop by your store.
• You can order personalized packaging and hand them out at trade shows.  
• You can hand them out right in front of your store (especially if you have foot traffic around lunch or dinner time!).
• You can leave them on tables at sponsored events – like at a charity auction or corporate dinner.
• Include a package on each gift you give to families and friends (I see nothing wrong with encouraging business from those close to you! And, if you give them extras, they can give them out to their friends.)
• Offer them as dessert or appetizer at any holiday party you’re hosting or attending. 

These are a great way to have some fun while spreading the word about your company. And if you go for the personalized packaging, after people eat their treat, they can stuff the empty package in their pocket to remind them later to contact your company. 

Do’s and Don’ts of Business Cards

Do go for something unique. London-based Moo creates business cards in which you can upload multiple photos for different business cards. Moo is best for those who need a short print run – you can order business cards in packs of 50. Besides that, you can upload 50 images to be used on 50 cards. This is great if you have an ever-changing inventory and you want to show off that inventory with your business cards. One jewelry maker says she can reorder cards with her newest creations featured. I’m guessing she can also tell a potential client: “Here are some sample photos of my work” (which are her business cards), and then she can give the client a business card with the sample of work he liked.

Do keep the design simple. Use clean lines, and one or two colors max (unless you have more colors in your logo – it’s okay for your logo to be in full color). Use lots of white space, or empty space, so as not to clutter the design. If you put too much text and design in a small space like a business card, it will be hard to read.

Do update your cards with new information. If you have a change of address, title, phone number – whatever, you need to update your cards. Scribbling out the old address to put in the new doesn’t look professional and could cost you a client. It also says “I’m too cheap to buy new business cards,” which is not an image you want to convey.

Don’t let your business cards sit around in a holder all the time. The point of getting business cards is to distribute them, right? Don’t leave your business cards at home or in your office when you’re going out – have some with you at all times. Leave them on the counter of coffee shops. Hang them on community bulletin boards. Get them into people’s hands.

Don’t ignore the back of your card. It’ll cost you a little extra, but putting some useful info on the back of your card will help to keep it from being thrown in the trash. You can put a 3-month calendar, emergency phone numbers, cooking measurements (if you’re in the cooking business) or any other kind of useful on the back, you’ve given people another reason to keep your card.

Don’t print your own business cards. Many people use the perforated cards that you can print at home on an inkjet printer. These cards often look unprofessional and people can feel the perforations around the card. That screams “homemade.” Spend another $10 or $20 to get it done right the first time with an online printing company. You can get professional quality business cards for little more than the DIY home kits. It’s well worth it.

Ideas to Spruce Up Your Business Card

When it comes time to update or improve your business card printing orders, you have plenty of options. Your business card reflects your business and your brand, so you need to invest plenty of time, thought and money into it. Having included money, though, I’m not saying you have to break the bank – business cards are often the cheapest marketing tool you use. But instead of buying 250 boring business cards for $20, why not spend a little extra to impress prospects? The money you spend will come back to you in the form of new customers impressed by your card.  

But to impress prospects, you must have a business card that is different. Innovative. Unique. I’m going to give you some ideas of great designs that you can tweak to create your own distinctive design. Hopefully some of these ideas will spark a great idea for your revamped business cards.

Use the Back for Something Useful

One great idea is to use the back of the card for important info. This will give prospects a reason to keep your card when they otherwise wouldn’t, plus you are seen as helpful for including this info on your card. A common design technique is to include a 3-month or 6-month calendar on the back. (1-year calendars just don’t fit well on traditional business cards.) Another idea to is to list local emergency phone numbers, like for the nearest hospitals, fire stations, poison control hotlines, etc. There’s nothing wrong with this at all.  

But if you are in an industry that allows you to give helpful info that is connected to your industry, all the better! This makes your card tailored to your industry and helpful. For instance, a chef or cooking instructor could include cooking measurements on the back of her business card (1 cup = 8 oz.; 3 tsp. = 1 Tbsp.). That’s something I would keep around! Or, as seen here, a guitar instructor could include basic guitar chord fingerings for students. Any kind of music teacher could include fingerings for most instruments.

 

Make Your Card Interactive

Now, this type of technology isn’t widespread yet, mostly because each card costs $25 each, but it’s a cool notion of what’s to come. You can include a short video clip into your business card! How cool is that? The client has no time for an in-person demonstration? No problem! He can watch the demonstration at his leisure by whipping out your business card! According to Gizmodo, the rCard: Fully Interactive Business Card “plays video and comes with a 1.875" x 1.875" full color flat screen, speakers, a navigational button, 1 gig of memory, and a USB port. The battery on it is as thin as a postage stamp and lasts about 4 hours of continuous use, but there's a rechargeable battery option, and you can power it off and on. The whole thing only measures 2" x 3" and weighs a measly 2 ounces.”

Now if that doesn’t impress you, I can’t help you!

You may not be able to afford a video business card, but you could use a holographic image, metallic lettering or a clear plastic card. The design includes the card’s material and you don’t have to limit yourself to cardstock. If you have the budget, go for something new and unusual – recycled cans, wood – whatever is related to your industry.