Types of Ads

Advertisements or ads are a form of commercial communication whose purpose is to inform the public of the availability of a good or service. Ads are generally persuasive in tone and promote the purchase or consumption of a product or service. Ads are a very common form of communication with the emergence of mass produced goods. All ads make claims of the benefits of a product or service, some ads try to persuade a consumer from purchasing a competitor’s product. The average person can see up to 5000 ads a day and they all try to compete for a person’s attention. Ads creatively get people’s attention by using humor, facts, or feelings that the advertisers want the public to associate with a product. The purpose of many ads is to foster consumer loyalty to a certain brand or brands. Ads are one method of marketing a product to increase sales or consumption of a product. Ads can promote discounts, sales, and the product itself. Ads can also promote a brand and their entire line of products or reputation. There are many different types of ads out there and the types of ad implemented depend on purpose and form of media. Advertisements could come be seen on television, on billboards, or in the cinema. They also can be read in magazines, periodicals, newspapers, or billboards. An ad can be textual or image oriented or a combination of both. Ads try to convey their information by all five of the human senses. An ad could be as simple as the lovely scent of buttery popcorn at a movie theater. Or ads can be as complex as a multi-sensory as a television ad with exciting text, narration, music and still or moving images.

The center of the ad industry is New York city in the area of Madison Avenue where a high concentration of advertising emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. In recent years, many advertising agencies have moved from Madison Avenue, New York City. However, “Madison Avenue” is still colloquially synonymous of with ads and ad agencies.

Television ads

Most television ads run between 30 seconds to a minute and vary in style and purpose. Television ads are broadcast when television programs are on commercial breaks. Television networks generate most of their revenues from companies who by advertisement slots during commercial breaks. This allows television networks to run their business because corporations and businesses want exposure to sell their products and services. The price of a television ad slot depends on the viewership of the television network’s programming. The most expensive television ad slots are during large sporting events like the NFL’s Superbowl, the FIFA World Cup, Or the Olympic Games. 30 second ad slots can cost companies millions. Many people enjoy watching ads during the Superbowl as they tend to be the most creative ads of the entire year. It is generally considered the most effective form of mass-market advertising. Because it is so effective, television ads are generally more expensive depending on the production. Television ads are multisensory and many ads feature catchy original songs commonly referred to as “jingles”. The objective of television ads is to be as memorable as possible to suggest the sale of a good or service to be consumed my millions of paying customers.

Infomercials

Infomercials are a long format television ad. They may be more persuasive in tone whereas normal short format ads are generally more sentimental. Infomercials generally feature a toll-free number through which a consumer can directly purchase an item or service without having to go to a store. These television ads generally air during the late hours of the night when networks are not broadcasting regular programming. The main objective of infomercials is to get an “impulse” purchase out of a prospective consumer. These ads generally feature charismatic salespeople who demonstrate products and provide information on the product themselves.

Press Ads

Press ads are any kind of advertisements that are featured in newspapers, trade journals, or magazines. Press ads cover anything with a broad readership base. The companies that produce printed publications sell ad slots that vary from a small corner of a page to a whole page. The price of the ad depends on the size and overall readership of the publication. An advantage of press ads is that a company could do research on the type of person who may read a certain publication or periodical, which increases the chances of the consumer paying attention to the ad. For example, the owners of a brewing supply store would prefer to purchase ads to be published in a magazine that caters to an audience interested in the hobby of home brewing. Home brewers who see the ad are more likely to consider purchasing the product because the consumer already had interest in the product.

Another form of press ads available are classified ads. Newspapers usually feature an entire section dedicated to this type of ad and sell ad-space to private individuals seeking to sell their own possessions, looking for a significant other, looking for employment. Small business also by classified ads to hire prospective employees. Classified ads are increasingly being featured on websites that specialize only in classifieds.

Radio Ads

Radio ads function in a similar manner that television ads do. Radio ads feature similar jingles and information on products that television ads do minus the obvious visual advantages of television. They are last about as long as television ads do. No long format type of advertisement exists on the radio.

Online ads

Online ads are the newest form of advertisements. They vary in style. They can be very similar to ads featured in the press but offer new innovative methods of mass distribution through the world-wide digital network of the internet. Search engines companies record every search that is entered in their search engine bar and archive them digitally according to IP address or e-mail address. Search engine companies sell search engine entries to companies interested in seeing what products are creating buzz on the internet. Social networking sites also use target marketing using ads on topics related to information featured on their social networking site profiles. If a person includes that they enjoy drinking Cola, soda companies that sell the sugary stuff will feature ads on the personal webpage. Online advertising is the most controversial form of mass marketing because many people are argue that it may constitute an invasion of privacy. The most controversial of all online advertising techniques may be the mass electronic form of chain mail known as “spam.” Many countries have passed laws and measures banning or regulating the distribution of spam. The danger of spam, in addition to causing annoyance, is that it may disguise computer viruses when a spam email is opened.

Billboard Ads

Billboard ads are generally placed in high traffic public areas where motorists and pedestrians may frequently see them. They are generally visually oriented and may feature a slogan, a sentence or phrase that would grab the attention of an individual who is passing the sign. Billboard ads can be seen on the sides of buses, highways, subway stations, public squares. They are another feature of the modern urban streetscape.

In-Store Ads

In-store ads are featured inside the buildings of retailers. They usually display a message that an certain item is available or for sale. Retailers use in-store ads to steer customer purchases to items that a retailer may want to move off the shelves. Retailers will use these signs to clear shelves to make more room for new items.

Covert Ads

Also known as product placement, this advertising strategy happens when an advertiser or corporation pays a television network or a movie producer to feature a brand name product in their broadcast or cinematic production. The camera focuses on the brand name repeatedly during the program or film. A famous example of covert advertising is when the General Motors Corporation allowed their product logos and car models to be featured in the production of both Transformers movies. Sometimes covert advertising is more subtle an unsuspecting viewer may notice the brand of cell phone a fictional character uses in a movie or television show. The viewer creates associations between the qualities of the character and the quality of the product covertly uses.

Celebrity Branding

Admirers of celebrities are more likely to purchase the items and services that celebrities themselves endorse. The most famous example of this type of advertising is the relationship between basketball megastar Michael Jordan and the Nike Corporation. The two collaborated in the designing of Michael Jordan’s signature sneaker. This type of advertising was so effective in creating demand for the sneakers that Nike could afford to sell the basketball shoe at a premium price of up to $159 USD.

Public Service Ads

This kind of ad is publicly funded by governments and non-profit organizations. They usually are intended to raise awareness of public health and social issues that affect the entire community. The most common form of PSA is the “anti-drug” ad. They appear in all forms of media.