Standing out from the crowd as a business is starting to get more and more difficult.
Thanks to numerous advances in technology, the world has become more interconnected than ever before, and companies around the globe are constantly having to rethink and hone their advertising strategies to try and stay profitable.
It’s safe to say that some businesses are much better at this than others.
Whether it be a thought-provoking charity ad or a bespoke magazine advert injected with a bit of humour, print advertising can showcase products, services or businesses in highly innovative and thought-provoking ways. Here are eight companies who have done exactly that.
Jeep.
Jeep is known the world-over for its all-terrain cars, transporting people anywhere and everywhere regardless of the surface.
This advert – designed by Leo Burnett France – plays on that idea, and features an optical illusion of an animal with the strapline ‘see what you want to see’. On initial viewing you will see a deer, but when you look at the advert upside down, it suddenly transforms into a penguin, subtly highlighting the different climates that Jeeps can tolerate.
Whiskas.
There may be several big differences between a household cat and a tiger, but their basic instincts are the same. Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO’s advert plays on this idea, portraying household cats in various scenarios in Africa and mimicking the actions of bigger, scarier cats.
Using prints that featured the famed Whiskas cat ‘Mitten’ hunting down gazelles, elephants and zebras, the ads certainly catch the eye and provide an innovative take on what ‘cat food’ is.
KFC.
Back in spring 2018, KFC – a fast-food chain known around the globe for its fried chicken – actually ran out of chicken. As a result, most of its 900 UK restaurants were temporarily closed and the restaurant took a lot of flak both online and in the press.
To combat this, Colonel Sanders and co worked alongside Mother London to create a print ad apology that instantly went viral. Rearranging ‘KFC’ to imitate a certain swear word, the brand used humour to accept responsibility for their mistake and worked quickly to get customers back onside.
RBH.
Job adverts tend to be fairly bland and follow the same kind of template across job sites. Recognising this, RBH decided to do something a little out of the norm when looking for a new copywriter.
Using a collection of illustrated pictograms, their recruitment ad spelled out the words ‘copywriter needed’ (copy-right-er / knead-Ed). This immediately grabbed the attention of potential candidates, encouraging them to apply in their droves.
IKEA.
Usually, if someone wees on an advert, that means they don’t really like it that much. However, in the case of IKEA, they actually encouraged people to do this – and for a good reason.
Promoting the launch of their new crib, the Swedish brand decided to add a pregnancy test to their dedicated print advert. If the result proved to be positive after being peed upon, the retailer would offer the mum-to-be a half price crib, saving them hundreds of pounds.
Pedigree.
People says that an image is worth a thousand words and, in the case of Pedigree, that certainly seems to hold true.
In an effort to encourage people to adopt a dog, the dog food manufacturer launched a print ad campaign showing the difference that a dog can make to a picture. In the left-sided image, a fairly solemn looking man stands alone on a beach. In the right-sided image, a dog is added next to said man, instantly brightening up the picture and making him appear much happier.
Guinness.
Whether you love or hate Guinness, the Irish drinks manufacturer certainly know a trick or two when it comes to print advertising. One of the best examples of this came back when they decided to poke fun at the amount of time people spend on their phones while out at the pub.
Creating a pint of their famous Guinness using a collection of phones, the ad encouraged people to enjoy face-to-face interactions with each other, rather than staring at the bright screen of their phones all evening.
Opel.
It’s a well-known fact that you should never text while you’re driving, yet many people still do. Opel decided to launch a simplistic print ad campaign with this in mind, highlighting the dangers involved and ultimately discouraging drivers from using their phone.
Thanks to the largely black background, your eye immediately becomes drawn to the ad’s message. While it may appear non-sensical at first, once you’ve read what the message actually says, it starts to hit home as to what the advert is telling you. Talk about subtle yet effective.
