Parts of an Ad

How many of these elements does your ad design have?

Ads come in all shapes and sizes but they have a common goal -- to sell a product, a service, a brand. Text, visuals, or a combination of the two are the main elements of any print ad.

1. Artwork
   Photographs, drawings, and graphic embellishments are a key visual element of many types of ads. Some ads may have only a single visual while others might have several pictures. Even text-only ads might have some graphics in the form of decorative bullets or borders. When included with visuals the caption is one of the first things most readers look at after the visual. It's not in all ads.

2. Titles
   The main headline may be the strongest element of the ad or it may be secondary to a strong visual. Some ads may have subheads and other title elements as well.

3. Body
   The copy is the main text of the ad. Some ads may take a minimalist approach, a line or two or a single paragraph. Other ads may be quite text-heavy with paragraphs of information, possibly arranged in columns newspaper style. While the words are the most important part of the copy, visual elements such as indentation, pull-quotes, bullet lists, and creative kerning and tracking can help to organize and emphasize the message of the body of the ad.

4. Contact
   The contact or signature of an ad may appear anywhere in the ad although it is usually near the bottom. It consists of one or more of:
   • Logo
   • Advertiser Name
   • Address
   • Phone Number
   • Map or Driving Directions
   • Web Site Address

5. Extras
   Some print ads may have additional special elements such as an attached business reply envelope, tear-out portion with a coupon, tip sheet, product sample.