6

Advertising Design : theoretical

framework and types of
appeals.
.
 Overview
• The message design process is not performed in isolation.

• It is based on the creative brief, which is prepared by the client in

conjunction with the account executive, and also takes into
consideration the media that will be utilized.
• The creative will be able to create effective adverts by combining all
these elements.
 6 Advertising theory.
• In developing an advert, several theoretical frameworks are useful.

• The first is the hierarchy of effects model.

• And the second is means-end chain.

• Both of them can be used to develop leverage points; a leverage

point moves the consumer from understanding a product’s benefits
to linking those benefits with personal values.

• The third involves visual and verbal images present in an

advertisements.
 Hierarchy of effects
• the model suggest that there are six steps a consumer or a business
buyer moves through when making a purchase these steps are:

• 1- awareness.
• 2- knowledge.
• 3- liking.
• 4- preference.
• 5- conviction.
• 6- the actual purchase.

• This aids in clarifying the objective of an advertising campaign and

the development of individual ads.
• These steps are sequential; a consumers will spend a period of time
at each step before moving to the next.

• The hierarchy of effects approach can help a creative understand how

consumer reaches purchase decision.

• Some of the theory assumptions have been questioned:

• 1- it is possible that these six steps are not always the route taken by
consumers.
• 2- shoppers may purchase product when little or no preference is
involved.
• 3- someone may not even remember the name of the brand
purchased.
 6
- The hierarchy of effects model has many similarities with theories
about attitudes, including the concept of cognitive, affective, and
conative elements.
- The cognitive component is the person’s mental images,
understanding, and interpretations of the person, object, or issue.
- The affective component contains the feelings or emotions a person
has about the object, topic, or idea.
- The conative component is the individual’s intentions, actions, or
behavior.
- Look at page 150 to see the common sequence that takes place when
attitude forms.
• Cognitive-oriented ads work best for advertising objectives of brand
awareness and brand knowledge.
• Affective-oriented ads are superior in developing liking, preference,
and conviction for a product.
• Conative-oriented ads are normally the best for facilitating actual
product purchases or other types of buyer action.

• Watch the next advert.

 Means-End Theory
• This approach suggest that an advertisements should contain a
message, or means, that leads the consumer to a desired end state.
• These end states include the personal values that are listed in figure
6.2
• The ultimate purpose of the means-end chain is to start a process in
which viewing the ad leads the consumer to believe that using the
product will help him/her reach one of these personal values.
• Means-end theory is the basis for a model called the means-end
conceptualization of components for advertising strategy
(MECCAS).
• This model suggests the use of five elements in creating ads:
• 1- the products attributes. 2- consumer benefits. 3- leverage
points. 4- personal values. 5- the executional framework.
• this model moves consumers through the five elements. The
attributes of the product are linked to the specific benefits consumers
can derive.

• These benefits, in turn, lead to the attainment of a personal value.

• Look at the example on page 150.

• The next slide shows an advert based on the means-end theory.

 Leverage Points
• Both the hierarchy of effects model and the means-end chain
approach lead to leverage points.
• A leverage point is designed to move the consumer from
understanding a product’s benefits to linking those benefits with
personal values.
• Creative builds the pathway that connects a product benefit with the
potential buyer’s value system.
• In terms of the effects model, the first stage awareness begins the
process of exposing consumers to product benefits.
• As the viewer moves through the six stage, he/she develops the
conviction to buy the product.
• At that point, the benefit has indeed been linked with a personal
value.
 6 Verbal and Visual Images
• The third theoretical approach to advertising design includes the
decision the creative makes about the degree of emphasis given to
the visual part of an ad versus the verbal part.
• Benefits of visual images:
• 1- they lead to more favorable attitudes toward the ad and the brand.
• 2- more easily remembered.
• 3- they make it easier for people to recall the message.
• 4- they are stored in both left and right of the brain.
• Visual image can range from concrete and realistic to highly abstract.
• A concrete visual is one in which the subject is easily recognizable as
a person, place.
• While in abstract image the subject is more difficult to recognize.
• Concrete pictures have a higher level of recall than do abstract
images, why? Read the last paragraph on page 152 to know why 
• Radio advertisers often seek to create visual image for the audience.
• Look at the Pepsi example on page 153.
• Actual visual events require less brain activity than using one’s
imagination to develop the image.
• Global advertising agencies try to create Visual Esperanto.
• Visual Esperanto: is a universal language that makes global adverting
possible for any good or service.
• This concept is based on the fact that visual images are more likely to
transcend cultural differences.
• Look at the example on page 153.
 6 Types of advertising appeals.
• Throughout the years, advertisers have employed a wide variety of
advertising approaches.
• The decision about which type of appeal to use should be based on a
review of the creative brief, objective of the ad, and means-end chain
to be conveyed.
• The final choice depends on the following factors:
• A- the product being sold.
• B- personal preferences of the advertising creative and the account
executive as well as
• C- the wishes of the clients.
 Fear

• Advertisers use fear to sell numerous products.

• Life insurance- consequences of not having life insurance when a
person dies.
• Shampoo- fear of dandruff which may make a person a social outcast.
• Various incidents can lead to negative or positive consequences,
which then affect future behavior.
• In developing fear adverts, creatives focus on the severity and the
vulnerability (high probability ) of negative consequences
• The goal for fear ad should be to make it powerful enough to capture
a viewer’s attention, and to influence his or her thinking.
• But not so scary that the person avoids seeing the ad.
• Fear increases both the viewer’s interest in an advert and the ad’s
persuasiveness.
• Fears ads match well with products that eliminate problems or
threats to a consumer’s sense of personal security.
 Humor.

• Clutter is a significant problem in every advertising medium.

• So capturing a viewer's attention is difficult. Even after an advertiser
has garnered the audiences' attention. Keeping that attention is even
more challenging.
• Consumers in general enjoy ads that make them laugh.
• The success of humor as an advertising appeal is based on three
things: humor causes consumers to 1- watch, 2- laugh, and most
importantly 3-remember.
• To be successful, the humor should be connected directly to the
product's benefits.
• Also, it should tie together the product’s features, the advantages to
customers, and the personal values of the means-end chain.
• Humorous ads can go wrong; it is usually because the joke in the ad
is remembered but the product or brand is not.
• The humor should relate either to a product's attribute, a customer
 6
• Look at figure 6.7 on page 156.
• Sometimes the humor may overpower the advertisement, in other
words the ad is so funny that the audience forgets or does not catch
the sponsor’s message.
• So, the humor should relate either to a product’s attributes, or a
personal value obtained from the product.
• Humor that works can bring great success to a company by enhancing
its brand equity.
• Humor is often culturally based. Not all ardencies will see a
humorous ad in the same way.
 Sexual appeal.
• same as humor, sexual appeal are often used to break through
clutter.
• Nudity and other sexual approaches are common. However, sex no
longer has shock value. Today’s teens are growing up in societies
immersed in sex.
• So, sexually oriented ad gets very little attention.
• Sexuality has been employed in ads in different five ways. Look at
figure 6.8 on page 157.
• 1- Subliminal approach:
• Here, the creative place sexual cues or icons in adverts in the attempt
to affect a viewer’s subconscious mind.
• Truly subliminal cues are not noticed nor do they create any effect.
• A subliminal message that register only in the subconscious mind is
not going to be effective.
• 2- sensuality:

• Sexual appeal can be also based on sensuality.

• Many women respond more favorably to a sensual suggestion than
an overtly sexual approach.
• Image of romance and love can be more enticing that raw sex.
• 3- sexual suggestiveness:

• Here, the advertiser will sending a suggestive sexual message or

suggesting a sexual activity. Look at the example on page 157.
• 4- nudity or partial nudity:
• Nudity or partial nudity is still used to sell products that have sexual
connotations, such as clothing, perfume, and cologne.
• Decorative models is a common sexual approach in advertising , a
decorative model is an individual in an ad whose primary purpose is
to adorn the product as a sexual or attractive stimulus.
• Look at the example on page 159.
 Musical Appeal.
• Music helps capture the listener’s attention. It is easily linked to
emotions, memories, and other experiences.
• Music can be intrusive, which means it will gain the attention of
someone who previously was not listening to or watching a program.
• Music can be stimulus that ties a particular musical arrangement, or
song to a certain product or company.
• Also, music increases the receiver's retention of information.
• Moreover, it can lead to better recall of an ad’s visual and emotional
aspects.
• Music can also increase the persuasiveness of an argument.
• Look at the different roles that music plays in ads.
• Using a well known song in ad has certain advantages:
• consumer already have developed an affinity for the song. So brand
awareness, brand equity, and loyalty are easier to develop
• This happens when consumer transfer an emotional affinity for the
song to the product.
• However, well known songs are expensive.
 6 Rational Appeal
• A rational appeal follows the hierarchy of effects stages of awareness,
knowledge, liking, preferences, conviction, and purchase.
• an ad oriented to the knowledge stage will transmit basic product
information.
• In the preference stage, the ad shifts to presenting logical reasons
why one particular brand is superior.
• A rational ad leads to a stronger conviction about a product’s
benefits, so that the purchase is eventually made.
• Rational appeal rely on consumer actively processing the information
presented in the advert.
• In order to be effective, the consumer must pay attention to the ad,
comprehend the message, and compare the message to knowledge
embedded in his cognitive map.
• Print media offer the best outlets for rational appeals. :
A- print ads allow readers greater opportunities to process copy
information.
B- they can pause and take time to read the verbal content.
- Conventional advertising wisdom state that rational appeals are well
suited for high-involvement and complex products. Why?
- Simply, because high-involvement decisions require considerable
cognitive activity, and consumer spend more time evaluating the
attributes of the individual brands.
- For some consumers, however, emotions and feelings even influence
high-involvement decision.
- A rational appeal is superior to other appeals in developing or
changing attitudes and establishing brand beliefs.
 6 Emotional Appeal
-Emotional appeals are based on three ideas:

-First, consumers ignore most adverts.

-Second, rational appeals go unnoticed unless the consumer is in the

market for a particular product at the time it is advertised.

-Third, and most important, emotional advertising can capture a

viewer’s attention and cause an attachment to develop between the
consumer and the brand.

-Most creative view emotional advertising as the key to brand loyalty.

They want customers to feel a bond with the brand.
- television is one of the best media for emotional appeals.
Example
 Scarcity appeals
• Scarcity appeals urge consumers to buy a particular product because
of limitation; it can be a limited number of products available or,
more often, that the product is available for only a limited time.
• Using this appeal enhance the product’s value in customers eyes.
• A scarcity appeal is often tied to other promotional tools. Look at the
example on page 167.
• The usage of this appeal can be also tied with contests and
sweepstakes.
• The primary benefit of scarcity appeals is that it encourage
consumers to take an action.
Example
 The structure of an advertisement
• The majority of ads prepared for publication or broadcast tend to
contain five elements. These ingredients create the structure of an
advert:
• 1- the promise of a benefit ( the headline)
• 2- the spelling out of the promise ( a sub headline)
• 3- amplification.
• 4- proof of the claim.
• 5- action to take.
 6
• Typical features of the headline are that the words are short, simple,
and limited ( less than 12) inviting or interest provoking, action
oriented, and supply enough information.
• Amplification is the text or body copy of the advert. The wording
should be concise.
• It is the unique selling proposition or the major selling idea is
portrayed in the copy.
• Proof of the claim can be generated from many sources. These
include guarantees ( money back if not fully satisfied), samples,
testimonials.
• Finally, the consumer must be made aware of the action to take. “buy
now”, “stop by for free sample” and “tell your friends” are
statements declaring the action the consumer should take.
• The action should mirror the stage in the hierarchy of effects model.