Creative Simplicity

The creative for any marketing element is important. And while we have many tips on how to make an effective ad, we want to focus on the design - specifically for a few OOH media elements. As we all know the OOH media landscape can be a saturated space, with brands competing for consumer’s attention. Your objective is to grab the attention of consumers within the first 3 seconds of seeing your ad.

You may wonder, “how can we leave a lasting impression?” Your first thought is probably crazy, colorful creative, and all of the information you want your consumer to know, right? This can absolutely be an effective tactic in some marketing elements, but we suggest leaning into a simpler creative for OOH executions.

You want people to remember your ad, but you don’t want to create a distraction from the message you’re trying to convey.

A simple creative strategy might not translate to every advertising element though the below examples are situations where we think simple creative works even more effectively.

Digital Projection

Digital projections come in many forms, (2D, 3D, static ads, video) but you have to admit the use of simple creative with clean lines and a black/white contrast effectively delivers a message. In the Perfect Illusion example, the message is easy to understand. You see “Lady Gaga” followed by “Perfect Illusion” your next guess is that Lady Gaga is putting out an album. People can easily search for the album and understand the message from those two simple images.

Chalk Stencils

Another example of a media campaign that benefits from simple creative is chalk stencils. Moderne’s standard chalk stencil size is 24” x 24” and you can only fit so much copy into that size square. Condensed powerful copy is important here in this unique, playful media element.

Think about key information consumers need to know when they see your placement – who you are and where they can find information about your brand - be it an Instagram handle, a website, or an address. Short, sweet, and to the point chalk stencils will never steer you wrong.

Wild Posting

Finally, wild posting campaigns are another media element that you should consider using simple yet powerful creative. The below example is the perfect combination of eye-catching imagery, visually appealing color combinations, and condensed bold copy. Simple copy and creative worked especially well for this particular client.

We always suggest using two different creatives and putting them in an alternating pattern that we like to call a “diamond pattern” to make your graphics stand out and grab passersby’s’ attention.

Clean, simple creative allows for optimal brand recognition – that said we can also appreciate the ways in which complex creative can be beneficial in different situations, the key is to know when to go in either direction. Understanding your client, the messaging, and the media element you’re planning to use is the key to determine which way to go with the creative. Plus if you’re ever unsure of what makes the most sense for your campaign, Moderne is always here to assist you with these decisions, large or small!