Ads Bring Color to the Winter Season

January 15, 2013 by Leave a comment

As most of us experience a white landscape in winter, there is certainly one place where our clients like to add color: their print ads. White and blue hues convey the mood of this season and symbols like snowflakes, trees covered in snow and houses with snow-packed roofs create an evocative winter backdrop for the ads.

This season, our creative team put together winter-themed ads that were colorful and vibrant to attract potential customers. Here are some of our favorites.

This ad by Attridge Transportation explains viewers could contribute to the community by becoming school bus drivers. The cartoon characters and use of primary colors add to the charm and reinforce that the drivers would be serving children.

Attridge Transportation (final ad)

The ad by Tropical North highlights one of the many things that we love about winter: adventure sports! Read more of this post

Filed under advertising, graphics, print advertising, retail marketing, SMB marketing Tagged with , , ,

Christmas Ads of 2012

December 27, 2012 by 2 Comments

As the holidays approach, our creative team is very busy designing ads for clients who want to thank their customers or just share season’s greetings. This year we were surprised by the range of industries wanting holiday-themed ads. We went through our most recent work to share with you designs that we thought were especially effective. We hope our efforts made the festivities happier and brighter for our clients!

This ad avoids using any standard Christmas symbols but illustrates the holiday connection with its red and white theme and ribbon. Simple and effective!

Christmas ad 1

The adorable photo of kids in the branches made this ad stand out. It evokes the thrill of seeing the holiday through children’s eyes and perfectly communicates the business the ad promotes: a farmer’s market selling Christmas trees.

DNMR001538498_hr

The magical landscape gives this ad a story-book feel and inspires nostalgia.

PMP1791679_hr

This design definitely stands out with its unique color combination that communicates winter and snow and yet looks different from the typical holiday ad. The collage of photos depicting people getting all sorts of spa services coupled with the smartly designed message is attractive and balanced.

RECR0011638269_hr

Here, the ad for a musical production catches your attention instantly by featuring a scene from the performance.

TNP752613-01_hr

Lastly, this simple ad showing star shaped cookies could motivate anyone to join the cooking school just with one mouth-watering visual!

Cooking_School (big ad)

As you gear up to ring in a new year, what holiday-themed ads caught your attention this year? Do you have any that stand out as your all-time favorites? We’d love to hear what you think!

Filed under advertising, graphics, print advertising, retail marketing Tagged with , , , , ,

Tips on Using Stock Photos

July 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

Images are a key component of every marketing design. When used properly, images can have an enormous impact, enticing viewers to stop and take in the message.

Finding the right images can be a challenging task because there are many options.

  1. You can take your own photos, but most of us are not professional photographers and amateur efforts never look as good. Plus, you might want something that you can’t easily photograph: a photo of an island in the ocean, for example, when you live 1,000 miles from the beach.
  2. Another option is commissioned photography, but the cost can be prohibitive for SMBs. It also requires a lot of time and effort: selecting locations, hiring models, etc.
  3. The third—and easiest—alternative is stock photography. One of the advantages is that you have millions of photos to choose from and it’s easy to purchase and download from websites.

One big downside of stock photography is that the images you choose might also be used by other subscribers to the service. But if you’re willing to risk not having a one-of-a-kind image, this is a cheap and easy option.

To use stock photos effectively, here are some things to consider.

Read more of this post

Filed under graphics, marketing communications Tagged with , , , , ,

Your Marketing and Design Reading for The Weekend

July 6, 2012 by Leave a comment

Reading magazine outdoorsDo you find yourself at the end of each week with a virtual or literal pile of insightful articles and white papers to read? I’ll bet you were super excited to delve in when you first saw the links but, as the material piled up, you realized there is no possible way you can actually read everything? Well that is how my weekends typically begin.

With that in mind, we’re introducing a new feature that is a weekly compilation of the best industry articles we have read in the past week. Instead of wading through your ambitious collection, you can simply scan our highlights.

Enjoy the reading and please share with us any articles you think are on point or SMB marketing topics you want us to cover.

How to Breathe New Life Into Your Marketing With Visual Content

This was very timely because we are always trying to turn words into visuals to improve our online marketing. Recently, we spent extra time and attention on PowerPoint presentations. We are on the same page with Allyson Galle, who notes that “Most people don’t have any trouble coming up with ways to integrate visual content into their social strategy . . . But you should be thinking about the role visual content plays in all of your marketing channels.” That includes organic search, email marketing and more. The cliche is that a picture is worth 1,000 words but it is more true than ever today with our increasingly short attention spans! Thank goodness for Mel!

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising, marketing communications Tagged with , , ,

The Romance of Wedding Ads

June 29, 2012 by Leave a comment

Since June is such a popular month for weddings, we thought it would be nice to review a few ads for this category. We get many requests to design ads for the range of wedding-related businesses but I didn’t realize how many until we requested some files to review for this blog post. As I looked through the dozens I got from our team, it was not a surprise to see that virtually all the ads are for jewelry, flowers, cakes, photographers, dresses, venues and planners.

As a rule, wedding ads are traditional. They featuring symbols like rings, flowers and cakes. Fonts are serif and often resemble invitation calligraphy.They have a single or main image rather than busy layouts. And if they are not romantic, they don’t sell.

The key thing to note about the ads is whether the style speaks to “the dream” that the bride, groom or other decision makers have for the big event. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s the bride most of the time! An instantaneous connection has to be made. For example, if hot pink daisies are featured and you want a formal, evening wedding, you will turn the page or click over to another website.

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Apparel Ads Speak Volumes with Few Elements

June 11, 2012 by Leave a comment

We don’t work on apparel ads frequently as many other types like those for restaurants and the automotive category because they are often national campaigns developed and executed by advertising agencies. But every once in  a while, a local boutique will want to have a new ad designed and we are there to answer the call from our multimedia publishing clients!

An important thing to keep in mind about apparel ads is that they are all about image and appeal to specific segments of the audience, depending on the clientele. The photography has to be strong and the colors and fonts must reinforce the appropriate theme.

The ad below is directed toward a more affluent client because it touts a relationship between client and clothier, master tailoring and a personal shopper. You don’t go to this place to find a cheap t-shirt–you need an ample budget. That’s why the images are of what appear to be established businessmen in suits. The font is a classic serif and the gray and black colors couldn’t be more traditional. And if you had any doubt that this is a men’s store from its name and website address, the copy mentions it three more times in the heading, sub-head and body copy! Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Designing Business Cards For Your Brand

May 18, 2012 by 3 Comments

With Mel Fernandez

“If you don’t get noticed, you don’t have anything. You just have to be noticed, but the art is in getting noticed naturally, without screaming or without tricks.”

–Leo Burnett

Despite the growing prevalence of smart phones and tablets, business cards are still important tools for sharing contact information and building relationships. You don’t have to use special apps or worry about compatibility, and they are cheap. They are also a branding opportunity to build credibility and share your company’s personality.

First and foremost, business cards have to provide the contact details that are appropriate for your industry, including at least two of these: an email address, phone number or website URL. The design should help you communicate this more effectively rather than distract or make information difficult to read.

Aside from the details, the starting point for designing a business card is the logo, as it will guide your choices for colors and fonts. Here are some other considerations: Read more of this post

Filed under graphics, marketing communications Tagged with , , ,

Mother’s Day in Advertising

May 12, 2012 by Leave a comment

Because Mother’s Day occurs in spring, ads for this holiday often feature pastels and tend to be heavy on the pinks and purples. The fonts tend to look like script or fancy calligraphy and flowers are commonly used.

I didn’t know until I started doing some research, but Mother’s Day is one of the top sales opportunities for salons and spas–we all want to pamper mom because she takes care of everyone else the rest of the year. So it wasn’t surprising when I asked our team for ads designed for this holiday that this one turned up. It gets your attention with the bright, feminine colors and uses the same light blue in the logo to highlight the sale price effectively.

Mother's Day Ad: Pedicure

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Designs of the Quarter: Print Ads

May 7, 2012 by Leave a comment

In our first Designs of the Quarter contest this year, we had a slightly different format. We awarded three designs in each of three categories, instead of three designs overall. The categories this time were: print ads, video and image editing.

Today, I’ll share the winning print ads with you.

This first ad is really striking in its layout and the use of fonts and colors. The ad design lives up to the slogan: “Makes other bourbons feel underdressed” by complementing elegant imagery with classic fonts and understated colors so the product is dominant. This bourbon suggests it is in a different class of spirits and the design reinforces that point!

Print Ad for bourbon

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , , ,

Hair and Makeup Ads

April 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

What is different about hair and makeup ads is that you typically can’t get away with a lot of copy and clutter. A single photo often dominates and communicates the feeling of the company or product. When women buy beauty products, they buy a dream and photos have to convey these aspirations at a glance.

Color is also important to these ads because colors are the basis for good-looking hair and makeup. More than almost any other type of creative, the colors have to be right on.

In this ad, the goal is to draw in customers who want to freshen up their looks for spring. The photo has a lovely woman wearing makeup in cool tones of teal and pink. The designer picked up on this and used the same colors in the headline and again in the offer of a free makeover. The other important info–the location and phone number–is featured in a bright pink background.

Print Ad: Spring Color

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Differentiating with Direct Mail

April 17, 2012 by Leave a comment

How many emails did you receive in your business account last week? How many from outside your company did you actually read? For those that you didn’t read, how long did it take you to determine an email was a pitch, ad or other promotion?

Email is a relatively cheap marketing tactic so companies of all sizes can use it to target potential customers. And that’s pretty obvious by the volume of junk that comes our way—day and night!

If you are anything like me, you get hundreds of offers, updates and notifications a day and read somewhere between one and five percent of them. Even when I have “time” on the weekends or while standing in line using my phone, I’ve just run out of patience for the same old stuff in the same old way.

When I get snail mail, I’m also discriminating but actually open many of the envelopes. The reason is that I’m taking a break once per day to read my mail but am trying to work all while the emails roll in as interruptions.

We also use email at Affinity Express but have been leveraging direct mail more frequently in the past two years. It is more expensive in terms of production, materials and postage but it can be a tremendously effective if you use it selectively and follow these tips. Read more of this post

Filed under marketing communications Tagged with , , , ,

What We Mean When We Say We Design Ads

April 12, 2012 by Leave a comment

Isn’t it difficult to have your ads or marketing materials created by someone in a remote office?

Not really. The input we receive from customers varies from detailed instructions to a few scribbled lines of copy on a sheet. Our designers are pretty good at figuring out what works for the product and the brand.

The input for this ad has more direction than many and you can see the person has a solid idea of what he or she wants. We are comfortable following instructions and execute down to the letter for these customers. The more information they provide, the more we adhere and deliver exactly what they want.

Print ad for aging at home, with input

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising, marketing communications Tagged with , , ,

Easter: Bunnies, Eggs and Crosses

April 5, 2012 by Leave a comment

Easter comes early this year and brings quite a few ads to our designers from companies eager to tie into the holiday and generate revenue. But not all ads at this time of year focus on business and festivities.

As with most holidays, there are traditional colors and images for Easter. Typically, we are asked to feature colorful eggs and the Easter Bunny. The desired colors are almost always pastels: pink, blue, purple, green, blue, yellow and orange.

A case in point is this ad for Pharmasave, complete with a bunny, eggs and pastel colors. What I find interesting is that the retailer is not promoting any products or prices but they are likely to get good traffic by offering free photos with the Easter Bunny. Kids for miles around will be lining up for a turn and the parents will probably pick up “a few things” while waiting. Pretty smart!

Ad for free photos with the Easter Bunny

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Selling Design Services to Your Customers

March 22, 2012 by Leave a comment

Wedding invitation designed by Affinity ExpressWe often work with clients who offer printing services to small businesses or to consumers for business cards, brochures, letterheads, posters, invitation cards and so on. But how can you capture more printing work per customer and increase your profits? Sell higher-value design services!

Identifying customers who are in need of design services is the first step to selling. How do you do this? In four simple ways.

What do you see?

Your biggest clue is the document that the customer wants printed or copied.

  • What is the condition of the customer’s original document? Is it well-designed or do you see obvious problems: stretched or blurred images, difficult-to-read text?
  • If the customer wants a copy of a printed document, is the original in good shape? Does it have markings on it or things taped onto it?
  • Did the customer provide only hand-written copy that they want you to type up and create a document for?
  • Does the customer own a business, but doesn’t have a logo?

Read more of this post

Filed under marketing communications Tagged with , , , , ,

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

March 17, 2012 by Leave a comment

Because my first name is Kelly and I was born and raised in New York (where the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held), I feel eminently qualified to review these holiday designs. So before you go out for a green beer (or many), take a look at these ads our team designed. It’s no surprise that many are for bars or clubs.

This one trots out all the standards for St. Patrick’s Day. You have the leprechaun, the beer, clovers and several shades of green. There are not one but two glasses of beer, in the event you didn’t already associate the beverage with the holiday. What works especially well is the bar’s logo–you can’t miss the red among all that green.

The one day everyone's a little Irish

This one has everything you want in an ad for the holiday. The theme is obvious, the information is easy to find and there are no extra elements. The large beer screams, “drink me!” As a result, the message is clear: come party and have fun with us at Hooligans.

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising, graphics Tagged with , , ,

Print Ads for Restaurants

February 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

Here’s another round-up of ads our team worked on. (Yes, we work on more than food ads, but those seem to catch my attention most.)

I have had this ad filed away for a long time, to use in the right post. I love how the food takes center stage, and that picture just makes me dizzy with hunger. They kept the copy minimal (but right on target) and just let the picture do the talking.

Seafood ad

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , , ,

Designs of the Quarter: Pre-Media and Print Ads

February 7, 2012 by Leave a comment

Once again in Q4 of 2011, we called for submissions to our Designs of the Quarter contest. This time, we did not limit the categories, so all Affinity Express designers could participate. We were pleased with the response and the committee selected these four to feature. For the first time, we had two winning entries from the same person, who is clearly a design superstar in the making!

Oasis Cafe

Check marks the spot—in coffee beans on the cover of this menu, which is an interesting device to incorporate the main product in the design in a fresh way. It is reinforced by the coffee cup at the bottom. The brown, black and white color scheme works well for a coffee-oriented restaurant and the layout is clean and easy to read, despite there being a lot of text.

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising, marketing communications Tagged with , , , , ,

New Year Ads

December 27, 2011 by Leave a comment

What comes to mind when you think of New Year’s Eve? Based on the ads we create at this time of the year for our clients, it is fireworks, balloons and decorations, and champagne. Unlike Christmas, there isn’t a wide variety of iconic images from which to choose, which means it can be challenging to stand out in a crowd of New Year’s promotions.

Nevertheless, I think this ad for Jaguar is successful. It gets your attention with bright fireworks that lead the eye to look down at the cars. Wouldn’t it be nice to ring in the new year with a new luxury car? Well, it’s nice to dream . . .

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

Christmas Ads

December 20, 2011 by Leave a comment

We’ve written previously about holiday-themed ads and how to best tie into the season to encourage customers to buy products and services. As we approach the winter holidays, let’s take a look at some fresh winter ads.

This is another example of adding an image to a standard ad to brighten it up and evoke the season. It’s easy and, quite often effective with minimal work required. Basically, it is an ad for businesses to do just that: pop in an image and some copy and run it in the newspaper.

Read more of this post

Filed under advertising Tagged with , , ,

10 Tips on Designing Brochures

December 16, 2011 by Leave a comment

With Mel Fernandez

Even with the prevalence of digital marketing, brochures are common marketing materials, used in both printed and electronic form. We use them to present our company and its products and services in an interesting way that grabs readers’ attention and makes them want to buy from us or work with us. To be effective, a brochure must have solid branding, strong visuals, clear and concise messaging, and effective page layout and design.

When we recently re-wrote and re-designed an Affinity Express trade show brochure (for print) and some posters to display in our booth, we took the time to document the process. Mel and I have worked together on dozens of brochures and come at it from two perspectives: strategy and content for me and design and branding for Mel.

Together, we came up with the following tips that will help you create effective brochures.

Affinity Express graphic services brochure

Read more of this post

Filed under graphics, marketing communications Tagged with , , , ,

← Older posts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 170 other followers

%d bloggers like this: