The annual lists of “best creativity” and “advertising excellence” are usually dominated by a bunch of world-renowned big spenders. Most of them sell “simple” but popular products like soft drinks, beer, or training shoes. And in the advertising world, creativity or excellence doesn’t necessarily mean tangible or meaningful results.
In the real world, the great majority of all ads are small and published in extremely competitive environments, far from advertising fame and fortune. Like online used car ads or, indeed, classified personal ads. And, regardless of formats and budgets, the ultimate test of any ad is how attractive and engaging it is for the targeted audience.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
First and foremost, you need to stand out in a crowd. Like, in the street, on the beach, at work, in the nightclub, or in the classified ad section. If you don’t, nothing else will matter.
ENGAGING SPIRIT
To go from immediate attraction to interest and imagination you need energy, and signs of life. That’s why a video can be so much more engaging than a single still photo.
A GREAT MATCH
Whether you look for a date, a life companion, or a cool and reliable car you will then (consciously or subconsciously) tick off your list of “must-haves” and “like-to-haves”. Not in the boring sort of way but naturally, while at the same time admiring the good looks.
ASKING FOR A FIRST DATE
The last and most sensitive hurdle is to dare the leap from distant admiration to a real-life encounter. A romantic date, or a test drive of the car. Here, the first rule is to make it easy to ask for it, and easy to say Yes, please. Suggest an easily acceptable first step with no strings attached.
Just in case you wonder: This is really about the benefits of automated video-based car ads.
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