29 Key Design Elements For Successful Creative Ads

In the times we live in, information tends to fade out with the click of every new tab. Therefore, in the time of 140 character limit, each piece of information whether in the form of news or advertisements needs to be catchy and undeviating in order to register and stick with the viewer, reader or listener.As there are so many elements available that it can be difficult to review all to get the final product right, so, we have compiled a list of 28 design elements that will help your brand shine out in the infinite array of products.

Going ahead, we have also included the advertising campaigns that got it right in the aspect of textual or graphic design and hopefully will inspire you to create the best advertisements by incorporating all the necessary design elements. The method to deliver the message can differ from brand to brand but there is one thing that goes common with all, it is the capability of storytelling. Whether you are a designer or are design enthusiast these small effective tips can help to bring a vast personality and flavour to your creation.

1. Try and Include the Location as a Source of Design Inspiration

2015 Los Angeles Marathon included the famous L.A. landmarks including HOLLYWOOD sing, capital building, Chinatown, along with L.A. skyline and Beverly Hills Hotel on the back of ASICS shoe. The inclusion of surroundings for depicting the message makes the viewer feel connected to the image.

2. Blend Image with the Subject

Blending image with the subject forms a unified connection with the design and message of the advertisement. A common platform helps to build a solid relationship and draws the attention of the viewer to one standard point.

3. Visual Over Text

One of the core design basics to keep in mind while drafting and creating your advertisements is that if you can present the message minimally through visuals then don’t add text. As visuals leave a better mark on the audience and are remembered for a longer period of time. This FedEx advertisement couldn’t be apter in its nature.

4. Create a Visual Link with the Design

FaberCastell came up with a very interesting way to link its coloured pencils to the actual products. The end result is both creative and visually appealing.

5. Juggle Around with the Size

This extra big burger ad clearly gets the design right and unique with extra big mouth painted over the face.

6. Try to Make Your Customer’s Life Easy with Design

Don’t hold yourself back to add a touch of humour in the advertisement. This precision parking ad by Volkswagen depicts their added feature of park assist in the new cars through this humour visual play.

7. Creative Design Details

Make the visual directly relate to the nature of the advertisement. “Switch off illegal downloads, Switch on MTV” campaign shows the fans that illegal downloads can actually hurt their beloved musicians and what better way to depict this than with the download status update bar.

8. Trick the Viewer with the Unusual

A creative campaign by Zoo Safari actually implements the tagline blend in through its design at its very best.

9. The Bright Play of Colours While Depicting the Solution

Ikea smartly highlights the lack of closet space for selling the space saving solutions.

10. Make a Boring Product Interesting

It doesn’t matter what you are selling as long as you have the right design to make the sale. This flexible bandaid advertisement shows the band-aid on the finger of Marvel superhero Hulk. What better way to give an interesting twist to the product than by using a superhero to lay emphasis to the product.

11. Edit Photos for Clever Outputs

This campaign for Schick used cute furry creatures in place of beards, the results couldn’t be any cuter and appealing.

12. Bring a Personal Connect with the Advertisements

This ford ad by depicting the city skyline in the key smartly shows that the car is best fit for city dwellers.

13. Take the Design Less Travelled

This Colgate ad instead of showcasing the standard white teeth shows the things that can stain your teeth. Attack the problem Colgate ad certainly kills two birds with one stone.

14. Just Like Proportion Variate Between Scale

Mini Cooper ad comes out rightly appropriate with the name as well as the image.

15. Mix the Context

We all love to see cats and dogs used in replaceable context. Lifeboy Hand Wash campaign, “You eat what you touch, shows your cute little pet placed over the cutting board in the shape of a loaf of bread.

16. Illustrations, Illustrations and Illustrations

Add the illustrations to give the design of your advertisement an extra creative boost.

17. Emotional Appeal

Emotional appeal in any design especially in the case of advertisement makes the product or service instantly personal and close to the audience. This General Motors ad features real people who had been injured by careless drivers. The safety campaign had the tagline- signs are there for a reason.

18. Give a Human Touch to Your Design

This appealing print advertisement from M&C Saatchi, Melbourne for Australia Post clearly reminds the people how it feels when you receive a letter from a loved one.

19. ‘Literally’ Creative

This hand to wildlife campaign shows a zebra actually painted strikingly on a hand. The design is both creative and literal and offers an instant association with the viewer.

20. Modify the Existing Photographs

Alter the original photos to deliver the message of the campaign. This public awareness campaign for the fire protection shows the city being burnt over the trunk of the tree.

21. Connect the Design to Popular Icons

This safe driving campaign advertisement shows the icon of Facebook over the speed limit board. With people constantly on social networking while on the move, this advertisement takes the basic and smart design route.

22. Make the Copy of the Advertisement the Queen of the Show

This creative copy doesn’t need the support of any fancy graphic element. Sometimes the best design element in the advertisement is its copy.

23. Minimally Creative

If less can do the job then why to pile on. This aspirin Ad sends out the message with a single visual element- Helmet.

24. Create a Collision of Well-Known Icons

One popular fiction meeting another famous fiction creates the best collision/combination.

25. Visual Metaphor

Visual metaphor always holds the advantage to strike the chord instantly. This New York Film Academy built in popcorn advertisement depicts what looks like trashed drafts, something which all writers can relate to.

26. Be Bold

Make a bold design statement to get your message across.

27. Opposite Images Deliver the Right Message

Opposite design sometimes comes together to deliver the right message just like this poster design for the Anti-Racism Festival 2010 by the Greek Graphic Designers Association (GGDA).

28. Include the Environment in Delivering the Message

This Frontline Flea & Tick Spray with a huge floor sticker ad in a shopping center, when viewed from above, makes the people walking over it appear as ticks on the dog.

29. Creative Typography

Try to adding movement in the design of your advertisement with creative typography.

Whether you choose one or few in combination, make sure whichever design elements you pick reflect the nature and personality of the product. Never hold back your imagination to deliver the best concepts in a visually extensive or minimally appealing way.