Sunday, January 2, 2011

Breaking it down

To learn how to analyze print advertisements, you first have to understand its components...
Even though most print advertisements look different, they all follow a basic format believe it or not! A print advertisement is usually broken down into the following 5 parts:

1. Headlines: the words in the leading position of the advertisement
Types of headlines:
· Direct headlines: straightforward and informative
· Indirect headlines: provoke curiosity (ex: using questions)

2.  Subheads: secondary headlines that appear in smaller type size

3. Body copy: the main text portion of a print ad that focuses on the factual information

4. Visual elements: illustrations, photos, brand logo…etc, to identify  and create a strong, memorable brand identity

5.  Layout: the physical arrangement of the various parts of the ad