Creativity

For a discussion of evidence on creativity, see this summary from Persuasive Advertising by J. Scott Armstrong (Palgrave Macmillan 2010)

 

Advertising principles

This section provides 194 principles that can help you to create persuasive ads. Use them to stimulate creativity in new areas as you develop an advertisement. The Map gives you an overview of the areas, which the checklist provides the details for application.

Persuasion principles map

Checklist of advertising principles.

 

Improving group process

Advertising campaigns typically involve working in groups. This can harm creativity and productivity as shown by previous research. Here are some procedures that can help enhance a person's creativity, and improve his efficiency. 

Generating ideas

• Brainstorming and Brainwriting
• Checklist to Stimulate Creativity in Advertising
• Guidelines for Problem-Solving Meetings

Borrowing ideas from great ads

After developing your creative ideas, look at previous campaigns for similar products to find additional ideas or to avoid using ideas that have been used too often.

• Print
  • Adflip - the world's largest archive of classic print ads.
  • Gaslight Archives - print ads from the 1880's to today.
  • Hartman Center (Duke University) - ads from 1850 to the 1950's
  • Ad*Access - Over 7,000 advertisements from 1911 and 1955 in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines
  • Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) - Images arranged by subject (accident, men, real estate, etc.)
  • vintageadbrowser.com - Ads organized by decade and product category
• TV Commercials
  • USA Today' s Ad Track Index - shows whether people like specific ads, along with commentary. It does not show ads. The Cinema Library - access to over 450,000 TV commercials.
  • Classic Commercials (About.com) - links to sites devoted to television commercials
  • The Living Room Candidate - TV ads for presidential elections, 1952-2004
  • Superbowl-ads.com - clips with the most popular ads, along with prices and commentary.
  • Adeaters - Search for film advertising from all over the world
  • Like Television Video Download Library - Television shows and commercials
• Other Advertisements
  • IKEA and Goodwill ad , April 25, 2003
  • Medicine and Madison Avenue Project - images and information for about 600 health-related print advertisements from the 1910s through the 1950s.
    
• Museums
  • Advertising Educational Foundation Museum - Full stories about public service advertising campaigns. Classic campaigns available
  • Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design - Portland, OR.
  • History of Advertising Trust (HAT), established in 1974 - the best of U.K. advertising.
  • Museum of Advertising Icons
    
    
    

  Improving Ideas

• Consensus

• Delphi

Implementation

• Time Lines (PDF)

Assessing group process

• Group Functioning Questionnaire (PDF)

• Group Process Checklist (PDF)

Other Resources for developing campaigns

• Advertising slogans and taglines: see AdSlogans.com
• Sample press release Communications are more credible if transmitted by an objective third party
• Website design - Annotated list of five useful books.