The Elements of an Effective Print Ad
The MRI Starch List of Top Performing Ads Offers Clues to What Works
Oct 13, 2009
When MRI Starch Communications decided to pick the top ten performing ads of the 2009 summer, the research firm measured more than 5300 full page and two-page ads. It then determined their “engagement” score by measuring “the percentage of readers who noticed” the ad and the percentage “that took any action as a result of seeing the ad.”
In an article for Advertising Age, Senior Vice President Michael Galin said MRI Starch compiled the top performing list by choosing the ads that attracted the most reader attention in 10 major product categories. “Readers acted upon these ads at levels above the average for the product category,” Galin said.
Starch has been measuring print ad effectiveness for over 80 years.
Unlike most advertising contests, MRC Starch studied ad performance or success, not the quality of copywriting, photographs, headlines or ad design. But once the ads are measured for their success, the relative strength of the ad elements can be judged by how many engagement points each element shared.
Photos Scored Most Engagement Points
For instance, eight of the 10 top performing ads featured a photograph, either of the advertised product or a product user. Together the photos and cartoon scored 1006 engagement points, more than any other ad element. The ads carrying the eight pictures averaged about 126 points per ad.
Females were featured in six of the ads, averaging 130.5 points. A man appeared in only one of the photographs and scored only 108 points. Here's how some other elements graded:
- Product photographs- Seven ads averaging 130.4 engagement points
- Photos of either male or female- Five ads, averaging 135 points
- Pictures of individual looking directly into camera- Five ads, averaging 135 points. MRC Starch said these can offer "a sense of direct eye contact."
- Bold colors- Five ads averaging 131 points
- "Slice of life" themes- Four ads averaging 117 points
- Humor- Three ads averaging 133 points.
- Individual with engaging smile- Three ads averaging 128 points
Dairy Industry Scored With "Got Milk?"
A dairy industry “Got Milk?” ad had a score of 146, the highest among the 10 category winners. It showed Food Network Chef Elle Krieger with a white mustache, holding a glass of milk, smiling and looking directly into the camera,
What the winning ads did not have may also be noteworthy. Only two had celebrities and neither one had universal recognition. Only one had a male photograph. Only one was an all type ad. Only one was based on a testimonial. Only one ad included what might be considered a clever headline.
There were no babies nor animals in any of the ads, though both are often found in ads promoting similar adult products and services. There were no supermodels and no risque elements.
Judging from the above, the perfect ad in this study would have had:
- A bold informative headline
- An interesting picture of an attractive (not necessarily beautiful) woman smiling and looking directly into the camera
- A picture of the product.
- Bold colors.
- A bit of humor.
None of the ads included all of those elements.
MRI Starch List Draws Critical Comments
Galin’s article in Advertising Age drew 11 quick comments, all critical of the ad list and/or the process for determining the top performing ads. However, individual elements of ads can be measured with any system that first measures and scores the effectiveness of the total ads.
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