Advertising Copy: Explanation, Types, Example, Elements

Priyanshi Shah October 28, 2020January 16, 2023 0 Comments

An advertising copy is a term used to describe the main text used in an advertisement. It is a written or spoken message which the advertiser wants to communicate to its targeted audience i.e. it can be text, audio, or a catchy punch line. The print, radio, TV are used to aim the targeted customers and promoting them to purchase the product within a couple of seconds. Advertisement copy is the product of collective efforts of copywriters, artists, layout, designers, etc.

Definition:

According to Otto Kleppner, ”The advertising copy refers to the reading matter that from the text of the advertisement, whether the text consists of only one word or many thousand words.”

According to S.W. Dunn and Barban, ”The copy, regardless and the medium is basically amplification of the headline theme or of the visualization.”

Characteristics of Advertisement Copy:

1. Written or audio-visual text: Advertising copy can be in reading, audiovisual form, or text form. It consists of words, paragraphs, sentences, illustrations in an advertisement.

2. Advertisement message: Advertisement message should be clear to understand the proper idea. It is designed to convey messages to the audience.

3. Focus on AIDA: AIDA means attention, interest desire, and action. The advertising copy calls the attention, creates interest, increases the desire to buy the product and the main purpose of advertising copy is to influence actions of the buyers which results into more purchase and increase the volume of sales.

4. Visualization: Visualization creates a copy. Its an essential element of the copy and the copywriters have a changeable public who have great vision. It includes all the aspects, in addition to having an ear for the rights, the person identifies the product from the tone of voice that fits the best to the targeted audience.

5. Word oriented creative concept: It is a word-oriented creative concept, finding the magical words is the responsibility of the copywriter so that it warms up or soften the consumer’s resistance.

6. Layout: An advertisement has its own unique layout. This layout is divided into two forms i.e. the display and body copy. Display copy includes all elements that consumers see in their scanning.

7. Visual communication: In effective advertising, it’s not just the word but visual also communicates. Words and pictures accomplish different messages. In most of the advertising copies the power lies in visual form and its primary work is to create attention. In copy visuals are because: Better at getting and keeping attention, seeing is believing, communicate faster than words, differentiate products

8. Appeal: It is an important ingredient of copy and the soul of the copy. Copy creates an appeal to buy and to act. An appeal is created through slogans, illustrations, poetic lines, etc.

9. Considerations: An advertising copy considers the most important thought of the product. The product features and Production budget for the advertisement are emphasized.

10. Tight style: Advertising copy is always tight. Ineffective words should not be used. Well, and others write,” Every word counts because both space and time are expensive.”

11. Other features: An advertising copy can be a mix of written, audio or visual. It has effective dialogue delivery. Writing a copy is considered as the creative process.

Types of Advertising Copy:

The advertisement copies can be divided into six main types:

1. Human interest ad copy: The advertising copy focuses on people’s undying interest in themselves, their families, and friends. This advertisement copy defines the products instead of sticking to the facts. Human interest copy gets to the selling part indirectly. The most important form of human-interest copy is- humorous copy, fear copy, story copy, and predicament copy.

2. Reason why ad copy: The reason why advertising copy offers the reasons for the customers to buy products and what the customer expects from that particular brand. In this, we directly explain the product’s qualities and beliefs to the customers by giving proof, testimonials, experiences, etc. The reason why advertising copy works with print media rather than electronic media.

3. Education ad copy: An educational advertising copy informs, updates, and prompts the customers to buy the product. The main purpose to design an advertising copy is to inform the customer about the product.

4. Institutional ad copy: Institutional ad copy aims to promote some selling house. It focuses to build the strong reputation of the selling house in the customer’s eyes. For e.g. the Apple company is building a reputation of the Apple brand rather than the Apple phone or iPad.

5. Suggestive copy: Suggestive copy suggests to convey messages or information to the readers. It can be conveyed directly or indirectly as its main purpose it to make buyers purchase the product. If the customers are confused regarding buying the product then this tool can be very useful for the marketer.

6. Expository copy: Expository copy provides detailed information to the customers regarding the product features, uses, merits, operation, benefits, etc.

Also Read: Advertising: Explanation, Importance, Objectives, Examples

Components of Advertising Copy:

The basic components of advertising copy that are used to write and copy to inspire or attract the public are as follows:

1. Headline: The headline is the word in the leading position and designed to be the first-word audience reads. Unique to one particular product, but not a slogan.

2. Subheads: subheads are smaller than the headline but larger than the body copy. They may appear above or below the headline or within the body copy.

3. Illustration: Illustration is any number of different drawings, sketches, diagrams, figures, or other representations for the visual component of the advertisement.

4. Slogan and logotype: A slogan should be a catch-phrase which evokes the feeling about the product. It should be motivating and empowering. The slogan rarely changes, especially during a particular ad campaign. A logo is a unique design symbol which helps in identifying the company visually.

5. Body copy: The body copy is the text of the advertisement and its primary role is to maintain the interest of the readers. The body copy can be small or large as it depends on the description of the product.