using people in Ads
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- WildPony
My boss is constantly criticizing the use of "people" in my designs saying that "that's just some random guy and could be about any product!" adding "people aren’t drawn to images of other people".
Now, I work as an inhouse designer in the financial services industry and my boss is not a designer. I feel that Ads that have people form a connection and draw people in.
What I need from my QBN friends is links or documents that "prove" that people are more drawn to images of other people. Something that says that Ads that feature people work better. The only way my boss will believe me is if I have proof (sigh)...
- zenmasterfoo0
I guess that's why most TV ads only use circus animals.
- harlequino0
I would tend to agree with you. Naturally it depends the nature of the ad, the copy, and all that jazz.
I don't have any documents, but I can tell you I've rarely created any ad that doesn't include a human (where appropriate).Potentially good reason: The presence of a person in an ad immediately communicates the tone and intended demographic far quicker than any other copy or design element.
(I'm making this up, but it sounds good)
- zarkonite0
You might want to use a different approach, he's obviously not sane...
- bulletfactory0
I have great disdain for shots of people that are obviously stock photo shots.
- +1
Stock happy people, families, home-owners, and business-types are the worst.pylon - exactlybulletfactory
- +1
- pylon0
Depends on the client, ad, and market.
A lot of the financial institutions here are really into aspirational furniture and home-setting imagery so that potential customers can project themselves onto the imagery.
- WildPony0
It's just when I'm doing an Ad for "mortgages" or "Money Market Accounts", I feel that having an image of a person can draw you in. Just showing some money or a pic of a house is no where near as powerful...
- harlequino0
Show him 2 approaches for your next comp.
One with a 40-something couple looking concerned but pensive over their investment portfolio...
And one with a llama.
"Which way would like to go on this one?"
- skt0
- pylon0
As above, maybe try a different track? Obvious visual clichés are just even in any industry but banking is among the worst; piggie-banks, piles of coin or paper money, banker-types, accounts-types with head-sets on.....
And on the other side, all the stock of happy families.
Maybe there's another direction for you to explore?
- brandelec0
"i like this, can we put an asian guy though. they're good with numbers. yeah! do that!"
fucker
- brandelec0
"like that kid. good age, good choice but can we make him more ethnic. just a more obviously ethnic mmmmmk, great"
- skt0
get a good illustrator in instead... the kind of stuff you might see used for an economist advert. you don't need people if you can say something clever with an image.
- MHDC0
The proper ad-people equation. No less than 1 woman, 1 black male, one Asian (flip coin for gender)
- fusionpixel0
"What I need from my QBN friends is links or documents that "prove" that people are more drawn to images of other people. Something that says that Ads that feature people work better. The only way my boss will believe me is if I have proof (sigh)"
If you believe in what you do, you are the proof and no need to go out and find resources, again why did you start putting people in your designs in the first place? Where did you get your inspiration from? were you following a trend when you started? who are you?
- rupedixon0
the problem with financial services is the lack of tangibility of the product. and the lack of emotional engagement you get from it.
but by what you're describing it sounds like you're just putting an image of someone into your ad for no reason. how are these people connected to the concept of the ad, or are they just there as decoration? if it's just decoration then I'm with your boss, if they connect with the copy and concept then use the people.