We explain what an advertisement is, its characteristics and the types that exist. Also, what is its function and various examples.
What is an advertisement?
An advertisement or advertising spot it is a short message that has commercial or promotional purposes, that is, it seeks to encourage the consumption of a specific good or service. It can be broadcast through different media (sound, audiovisual, written, etc.).
The advertisement is a very common resource in the marketing industry, and companies invest large sums of money in competing with their commercial rivals, through more striking, original or attractive advertisements. The basic idea is that its existence make the promoted product or service visible, gives it a greater presence in the consumer market and, therefore, it trades better.
As such, the advertisements have been around since capitalism emerged and its consumer market, since at that moment the need to capture the consumer’s attention was born. These messages have been adapted to the different mass media that humans have created: newspapers, magazines, radio, television and, more recently, the Internet, taking advantage of the advantages that each format allows them.
For example, the first television commercial aired in 1941, during the break of a baseball game in the American season, and consisted of an advertisement for the Bulova watch brand.
Characteristics of advertisements
Advertising advertisements are broadly characterized by the following:
- They consist of small narratives or descriptions of the product or service in question, highlighting its attributes and inviting the consumer to buy it or take it into account.
- Usually contain nice images, attractive and seductive, that seek to associate positive emotions with the consumption of the product. The use of trendy songs or catchy phrases (slogans). The idea is that the consumer remembers the product as much as possible.
- In the case of print media, they often use bold letters and bright colors, or attractive photographs, to capture the attention of the reader.
- They are persuasive, that is, they try to convince the consumer, either through arguments, or through subjective and emotional resources.
- They are usually found under the specialized regulations provided by law, in order to protect consumers from misleading advertising, scams and other similar crimes.
Types of banner ads
In principle, advertisements can be classified according to the medium in which they are found: print, radio, television, digital, etc. However, a more detailed classification is the one that attends to the construction of the advertising message, classifying them in:
- Talking heads: of English talking heads, are those ads in which a figure (usually a celebrity or some professional authority) promotes and recommends the product.
- Problem-solution: These are advertisements that address an existing or future dilemma, and then offer as a solution to the product or service offered.
- Testimonials: those ads in which one or more consumers (real or fictitious) share their experience of consuming the product and recommend it.
- Everyday scenes: these are the advertisements in which ordinary life situations are recreated, emphasizing the presence and above all the convenience of the promoted product.
- Character: These are advertisements in which a fictional character, usually a cartoon, invites consumers to buy the product.
- Comparatives: those in which the promoted product is compared with the brands of the competition, openly or discreetly, to demonstrate its superiority.
- Emotional: in this case the ads do not resort to any logical convincing strategy, but rather to the consumer’s emotions, through moving images, sequences or stories, to associate their brand with those feelings.
Function of an advertisement
As we have said, the general function of any advertisement is invite the consumer to try the product or service offered, or to ensure that when making purchases, the consumer is aware of the existence of the product. These are persuasive messages.
Examples of banner ads
Here are some examples of banner ads:
