The e o an aeiemen ha ell i imple Keep all ee on he po · 2017-01-19 · map made of sticks, whew! The problem isn’t that this flier is ugly (ugly ads can be effective salesmen,

®

The key to an advertisement that sells is simple: Keep all eyes on the product.

Design a flier that sells

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2 of 15

Mr. Wilson was late for the home show, and busy. There were trucks to rent, contracts to sign, furni-ture to arrange. The new lines hadn’t arrived.

Was the flier done yet? At least the flier would be easy: He had beautiful products, one location, a simple message; what could go wrong?

Lots.The common, throwaway flier is advertising’s

low man. It is most often used to put an adver-tiser’s message on paper when there’s no time and no money. But its allure can be deceptive. Why? Because it’s so easy to think cheap and miss what’s obvious to others—that on that rickety, 10-cent page is nothing less than your company’s precious, irreplacable image.

Let’s see if we can make a flier worthy of that.

Design a flier that sells a productWhether you spend a little or a lot, the key to an advertisement that sells is simple: Keep all eyes on the product.

Look familiar?Words everywhere, photos misaligned, a map made of sticks, whew! The problem isn’t that this flier is ugly (ugly ads can be effective salesmen, which drives designers nuts) but that the products—the items actually for sale—are smothered in visual chatter. The retailer scrupulously avoided hype and carefully provided his store’s location, contact info and even a map, but forgot that the product must come first! Once the reader decides he likes the product, he’ll find your store.

Before

PIER SEVENPATIO AND INDOOR FURNITURE

RENTALS

SALESThe Warmth of WickerThe Strength of Steel

PIER SEVEN19661 Antelope Rd.

Elk Grove, Calif. 95624

916-555-8212

To Stockton To Sacramento

ANTELOPE RD.

HWY. 99

Perkins B

lvd.

DiamondPark x

W

E

NS

The beauty and warmth of Hand-woven wicker over a framework of structural steel. Extremely Durable And Strong, The steel is wrapped in Epoxy. Beautiful and almost Maintenance free. Many Styles to choose from, from Antique to Modern.Cushion Pattern And Colors To Com-pliment Your Decor.

BEAUTIFUL STRONG WICKER FURNITURE FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR MODERN LIVING

INDOOR-OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND MORE FOR WEDDINGS, PARTIES AND

SPECIAL OCCASIONS




® Design a flier that sells a product 3 of 15

3 of 15

In real life . . .If you walked into Mr. Wilson’s store, this is what you’d see: a line of beautifully modern, casual furniture. Handsome, isn’t it? Surrounded by such nice stuff, it’s easy to see how, in his mind’s eye, Mr. Wilson’s readers could see the product as clearly as he.

To an ad designer, reality, incredibly, can be misleading! Why? Because while you can see and touch the prod-uct, the reader experiences nothing except what’s on paper (or screen). Your goal, therefore, is, through words, pictures and composition, to make your product speak for itself.





4 of 15

Before you begin . . .Advertising design would be the same as any other kind of design except for two especially distorting influences: our self-consciousness (we tend to see ourselves, while shoppers see the products), and the money at stake. It will pay to consider . . .

No one shops everywhere.Many people will never buy your product, no matter how obvious its qualities are to you, and nothing shreds money faster than trying to change their minds. The way to profits is to visualize those who are interested, and present your product to them.

Maintain your poise.As people, we share a troublesome tendency to weigh our negatives more heavily than our positives. But comparing ourselves to others usually results in overreaction, which typically takes the form of TALKING LOUDER or talkingfasterandcrowdingmorein. Maintain your poise. Mr. Wilson’s furniture is excellent; we can sell that. A shopper isn’t looking for a store; he’s looking for a product.

Be cool.Your audience is just like you—intelligent and preoccupied. Visualize a business meeting: Dress well. Be prepared. Be clear. Make your point. Be concise. Don’t waste their time.





5 of 15

Start by setting a stageIf you think of your paper or screen as a stage—like a theater stage—you’ll be in the right frame of mind. Why? Because a good advertising page is a stage, not a spreadsheet, on which you’ll craft drama, tension, impact, interest.

Place guidesBecause it will be printed on a desktop, your images can’t touch the edges, or “bleed.” Place border guides wide enough for your printer but no wider—typically a quarter inch or so in—and place a guide on the centerline.

The powerful centerLike center stage, center is the most powerful place in any visual field. (By center, we mean centerish, not the exact mechanical center.) Remember this as you plan your page, and think “center out,” not

“top down.”





6 of 15

No!

No!

Place your productPlace your product on the page in the same way that you’d show it off to your friends: Set it out in the center of things where it can be seen and touched.

Picture your product clearly! To do this well, you need a photo graph. The factory or distrib u tor is often able to furnish a good one; call them. Failing that, you may hire a photographer who specializes in product photog raphy (a different skill from portraiture or nature photography). Keep in mind that if shoppers cannot see your product clearly, they will not buy it.

(Right) It is tempting to play with a design in an effort to add one’s artistic touch. Resist! In product advertising, the prod-uct is the show. Don’t tilt the photo or distort it in any way. Don’t add ruffles and flourishes. Don’t make it tiny, thinking a shopper would prefer to read about it. And don’t crop it like an art poster, which will just frustrate an interested buyer.





7 of 15

patio and indoor furniture

Wıcker&Steel.

Add a headlineElucidate! Once your product is on the page, add words to reveal detail and nuance and direct the reader to virtues or uses of the product that are not evident just by looking at it.

We like stuff Shoppers enjoy seeing and experiencing new prod-ucts. (We like to be thrilled, basically.) You’ll write your best headlines if you think of your readers as eager listeners. Think, What’s the first thing I would tell my friends about this product? Begin with the feature that you find most interesting or exciting. In this case, it’s that the soft wicker is beautifully combined with strong, durable steel. If your product is more ordinary—a screwdriver, perhaps, or a set of bath towels—think, What do I like most about this prod-uct? Explain that.

Rule of thumb #1 A short headline is preferable to a long oneIn oral conversation we yak on and on with 20 words when one or two would do. As readers, however, we are bored quickly. Shoppers want to like your product, but they won’t tolerate much blather. English is a rich, descriptive language; there’s usually a per-fect word. Finding it will pay off.

Rule of thumb #2Avoid catchy slogansWhy?1) You won’t be able to think one up.2) If you do, it will be corny.

Use photo colorsColors eyedroppered from the photo will always coordinate perfectly. Note the small deckhead color matches the chair.





8 of 15


Wıcker&Steel.

What typestyles?

Always appropriate: The classicsUnderstatement, the classic mark of confidence, allows the product to shine. Match headline and deckhead (the line beneath it) in a face that’s designed for text. Some of the best: Garamond (above), Caslon, Century, Times, Bembo, Sabon. Classic type complements almost any product. Note that the deckhead is in uppercase.

Not so good: DecorativesRosewood (above) is a heavily styled typeface—part of a class called decoratives—whose pres-ence is a scene stealer. Decoratives are really showy on type specimen sheets, which is why they’re tempting to use, but remember that the product, not the type, is the show. Decoratives are better for posters than for product ads.

Cool: Styles that express their wordsHere, beautiful typestyles reflect their words—in this case, light wicker and heavy steel. This tech-nique is best in understatement; it will fail if the connection feels obvious or artificial, which is like-liest to occur if the type is heavily stylized. It also requires care to pull off; if you’re uncertain, we recommend using classics, which are easier.

The warmth of wicker and the strength of steel come together in Wicker & Steel, a beautiful

line of casual furniture in styles from classic to ultramodern. Select wicker is hand-woven over a

robust framework of structural steel to make furniture that cradles your body and is practically

indestructible. Visit our store soon to see our entire line of furniture for indoor and outdoor living.

patio and indoor furniturewicker&steel

AndromedA ChAiSe $999






Wıcker&Steel






9 of 15






Wıcker&Steel.


Add your textAs you write, bear in mind that a shopper will be reading if—but only if—the product and its headline have interested him sufficiently. As you compose your text, therefore, have confidence that your reader is interested. Be clear. Keep your poise.

Design simplyWilly-nilly layout (above left) is not only un attrac tive, but it’s difficult to do—there are too many decisions to make! The makeover is simple, horizontal lines—head, deckhead, photo, text—right down the page. Easy! What makes it so clear is that the lines run edge to edge; your eye isn’t stopping, zigging, zagging and backing up as it moves around the page.

Rule of thumb #3 Be kindIt is the reader, not you, who is in the driver’s seat. No matter how big you are, nothing will happen unless the reader wants it to happen. Respect that. A proper advertisement is a dignified product presentation, not a stick-up.

It is an American fantasy to think a shop-per can be compelled to buy a product. As shoppers, we actually sell ourselves.

Help! When business success is at stake, making an ad can give your tummy big butterflies. You may find it helpful to visualize your friends and imagine showing your product to them. Why? Because that’s who we are—people just like you. A good sale will be a relaxed, win-win transaction.






Wıcker&Steel.


pier sevenpatio and indoor furniture

rentals

salesThe Warmth of WickerThe Strength of Steel

pier seven19661 Antelope Rd.


916-555-8212one block south of Perkins blvd. • www.Pierseven.net

to stockton to sacramento

antelope rd.

hwy. 99

perkins B

lvd.

diamondpark x

W

E

NS


BEAuTiful STRonG WiCkER fuRniTuRE foR indooR oR ouTdooR modERn livinG

indooR-ouTdooR fuRniTuRE And moRE foR WEddinGS, pARTiES And

SpECiAl oCCASionS





10 of 15






Wıcker&Steel.


19661 Antelope road, elk Grove, CA 95624One block south of Perkins Blvd.

916-555-8212 www.pierseven.net

PierSeven

Add your logoPresent yourself last, and small. Two reasons: You are the last link in the sale—remember, we shop for products, not stores—and small says confident.

Full stopThe lower-right corner is the exit point of the page and an excellent place to put your logo, where it works like a punctua-tion point and brings the reader to a stop. A small logo is more authoritative than a big one; real power always appears effortless. In this case, the surrounding white field adds to its visibility, although the reader will not be aware of that. Add contact information below the logo or at least in the vicinity.

Note how the flier is divided into four easily digested pieces—headline, photo, text and store name—which together make a clear, coherent statement.

Here’s an easy way to make a logotype:

Type your name

Remove the word space

Tighten the letter spacing

Color

Pier Seven

PierSeven

PierSeven

PierSeven





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An

telo

pe

Rd

Perkins Blvd

99

An

telo

pe

Rd

Perkins Blvd

99






Wıcker&Steel.


N



PierSeven

Add a mapA map is an underused asset. Especially thoughtful of shoppers are maps of labyrinthine parking garages, one-way streets, off-the-beaten-path entryways, things like that. Start with a Google map, then modify.

Perkins BlvdPerkins BlvdPerkins Blvd

Antelo

pe R

dA

ntelo

pe R

dA

nte

lop

e R

dA

ntelo

pe R

d

Perkins Blvd

Delete streets, move the highwayToo big, too detailed

Google maps are excellent, but for a tiny space they’re too detailed. To simplify, import a screen image of your Google map, then trace new roads over Google’s. Skip all but the main streets, then (in this case) move an important but distant highway . . .

. . . closer to the store (above). When you change a Google map, you’ll need to change the look. We recommend light roads on a neutral background. You can also add your own touches, like the shadow beneath the elevated freeway. Crop tightly to fit (left).

Move the highway





12 of 15

Have more products?Tight budgets usually mean doing more with less, so your flier may need to show more products. There are two good ways to do this. The first is shown below—put one product center stage, and make your other products much smaller . . .

Clear hierarchyOne big photo and a row of small photos yields clear visual hierarchy, which aids understanding. Key is that the sizes are boldly different; small differences create only ambiguity and clutter, as you’ll remember from the busy original (left). Note the map has been moved to the end of the row, sustaining the hori-zontal theme.

Crop uniformlyPhotos of like objects in a row should be cropped so that the objects are the same size, or as close as possible. Judge size by the bulk of the object, not details like legs and other small parts.


rentals






antelope rd.

hwy. 99

perkins B

lvd.

diamondpark x

W

E

NS




SpECiAl oCCASionS

Logo moves to align with the photo.





13 of 15






Wıcker&steel.

A

N

moon pod chair $499Safari chair $499grandma jo chair $699

eclipSe pod chair $799Tropical chaiSe $799

19661 antelope road, elk grove, ca 95624One block south of Perkins Blvd.


PierSeven99






Wıcker&Steel.


N



PierSeven

More productsThe second way is to make your products the same size and group them center stage. Now the group, not a single product, is the focal point. Reward the reader by providing names and prices right on the photos.

Same-size photosA crisp block of photos becomes a multi-image focal point. Key to this technique is that all the furniture be the same size, or almost, so crop with that in mind. Arrange so that the outside chairs face inward, if possible.

Half width, same sizeYou don’t notice at a glance, but two of the photos are exactly half width. The key is exactly, which creates an intentional, not ambig-uous, look. Stack the photos in horizontal and vertical segments (above left); avoid a “brick wall” arrangement (above right), which introduces zigzags. And remember that even at half width, the furni-ture must be the same size as in the other photos.

Map remains small to sustain the hierarchy.


rentals






antelope rd.

hwy. 99

perkins B

lvd.

diamondpark x

W

E

NS




SpECiAl oCCASionS

Misaligned, zigzaggy

Straight and clear






Wıcker&steel.

Perkins Blvd

Antelo

pe R

dA

ntelop

e Rd

99

A

N

moon pod chair $499Safari chair $499grandma jo chair $699

eclipSe pod chair $799Tropical chaiSe $799

19661 antelope road, elk grove, ca 95624One block south of Perkins Blvd.


PierSeven

An

telo

pe

Rd

Perkins Blvd

99






Wıcker&Steel.


N



PierSeven





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Typefaces

1 HTF Didot | 84 pt

2 Franklin Gothic Condensed | 84 pt

3 Benton Sans Condensed Book | 27 pt

4 (a–b) ITC Franklin Gothic Heavy a) 14 pt, b) 11pt

5 Helvetica Neue Bold | 44 pt

6 (a–c) Trade Gothic Light | a) 11 ptb) 14/22 pt, c) 10 pt

7 Trade Gothic Oblique | 11 pt

Images

Images: iStockphoto

8 (6175780)

9 (542325)

10 (7220638)

11 (3173386)

12 (3172210)

13 (2682001)

Article resources

Colors

C0 M0 Y0 K100

C20 M25 Y60 K10

C0 M0 Y0 K70

C9 M57 Y100 K41

C25 M100 Y100 K25

14

15

16

17

15

16

14

18

18

1

4a

9

2

3

8

5

6

6c

10

1211 13 4b 6a 7

6b

17

http://www.typography.com/fonts/font_overview.php?productLineID=100004

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/franklin-gothic/condensed-37102/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/fontbureau/benton-sans/cond-book/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/itc-franklin-gothic/heavy/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/helvetica-neue/helveticaneue-bold/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/trade-gothic/light-63882/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/trade-gothic/oblique-63882/?refby=beforeandaftermagazine

http://maps.google.com/

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=6175780









®

15 of 15 | Printing formats

Design a flier that sells a product 15 of 15

Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.

John McWade Publisher and creative directorGaye McWade Associate publisherDexter Mark Abellera Staff designer Before & After magazine323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678 Telephone 9167843880 Fax 9167843995E-mail [email protected] www http://www.bamagazine.com

Copyright ©2009 Before & After magazine ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved

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Design a fl ier that sells

Con

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06812

of 15

Mr. W

ilson

was late fo

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om

e show

, and

bu

sy. T

here w

ere trucks to

rent, co

ntracts to

sign, fu

rni-

ture to

arrange. T

he n

ew lin

es had

n’t arrived.

Was th

e fl ier do

ne yet? A

t least the fl ier w

ou

ld

be easy: H

e had

beau

tiful p

rod

ucts, o

ne lo

cation

, a sim

ple m

essage; wh

at cou

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wro

ng?

Lots.T

he co

mm

on

, throw

away fl ier is ad

vertising’s

low m

an. It is m

ost o

ften u

sed to

pu

t an ad

ver-tiser’s m

essage on

pap

er wh

en th

ere’s no

time

and

no

mo

ney. B

ut its allu

re can b

e decep

tive. W

hy? B

ecause it’s so

easy to th

ink ch

eap an

d m

iss w

hat’s o

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that o

n th

at rickety, 10-cen

t page is n

oth

ing less th

an yo

ur co

mp

any’s

precio

us, irrep

lacable image.

Let’s see if we can

make a fl ier w

orth

y of th

at.

Design

a fl ier that sells a p

roduct

Whether you spend a little or a lot, the key to an advertisem

ent that sells is sim

ple: Keep all eyes on the product.

Loo

k fa

milia

r?W

ords everywhere,

photos misaligned, a

map m

ade of sticks, w

hew! The problem

isn’t that this fl ier is ugly (ugly ads can be effective salesm

en, which drives

designers nuts) but that the products—

the items

actually for sale—are

smothered in visual chat-

ter. The retailer scrupu-lously avoided hype and carefully provided his store’s location, contact info and even a m

ap, but forgot that the product m

ust come fi rst! O

nce the reader decides he likes the product, he’ll fi nd your store.

Be

fore

PIE

R SE

VE

NPA

TIO

AN

D IND

OO

R F

UR

NIT

UR

E

RENTALSSALES

The Warm

th of Wicker

The Strength of Steel

PIE

R SE

VE

N19661 A

ntelope Rd.

Elk G

rove, Calif. 95624

916-555-8212

To Stockton

To Sacram

ento

AN

TE

LOP

E R

D.

HW

Y. 99

Perkins Blvd.

Diam

ondP

arkx

WE

NS

The beauty and w

armth of H

and-w

oven wicker over a fram

ework of

structural steel. Extrem

ely Durable A

nd Strong, T

he steel is wrapped in E

poxy. B

eautiful and almost M

aintenance free. M

any Styles to choose from, from

A

ntique to Modern.

Cushion Pattern A

nd Colors To C

om-

pliment Y

our Decor.

BE

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Design


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4 of 15

4 of 15

Be

fore

you

be

gin

. . .A

dvertisin

g design

wo

uld

be th

e same as an

y oth

er kind

of d

esign excep

t for tw

o

especially d

istortin

g infl u

ences: o

ur self-co

nscio

usn

ess (we ten

d to

see ou

rselves, wh

ile sh

op

pers see th

e pro

du

cts), and

the m

on

ey at stake. It will p

ay to co

nsid

er . . .

No

on

e sh

op

s eve

rywh

ere.

Many people w

ill never buy your product, no m

atter how obvious its qualities are to you,

and nothing shreds money faster than trying

to change their minds. The w

ay to profi ts is to visualize those w

ho are interested, and pre-sent your product to them

.

Ma

inta

in yo

ur p

oise.

As people, w

e share a troublesome tendency

to weigh our negatives m

ore heavily than our positives. B

ut comparing ourselves to

others usually results in overreaction, which

typically takes the form of TA

LKIN

G LO

UD

ER or talkingfasterandcrow

dingmorein. M

aintain your poise. M

r. Wilson’s furniture is excellent;

we can sell that. A

shopper isn’t looking for a store; he’s looking for a product.

Be

coo

l.Your audience is just like you—

intelligent and preoccupied. V

isualize a business meeting:

Dress w

ell. Be prepared. B

e clear. Make your

point. Be concise. D

on’t waste their tim

e.

®B

efore&

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3 of 15

3 of 15

In re

al life . . .

If you

walked

into

Mr. W

ilson’s sto

re, this is w

hat yo

u’d

see: a line o

f beau

tifully m

od

ern,

casual fu

rnitu

re. Han

dso

me, isn’t it? Su

rrou

nd

ed b

y such

nice stu

ff, it’s easy to see h

ow, in

h

is min

d’s eye, M

r. Wilso

n’s readers co

uld

see the p

rod

uct as clearly as h

e.

To a

n a

d d

esig

ne

r, rea

lity, incre

dib

ly, ca

n b

e m

islea

din

g! W

hy? B

eca

use

w

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you

can

see

an

d to

uch

the

pro

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uct, th

e re

ad

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xp

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s no

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ex

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ma

ke

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ea

k fo

r itself.


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sign

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ier th

at se

lls a p

rod

uct 0681

0681 D

esig

n a

flie

r tha

t sells a

pro

du

ct

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

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sign

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at sells a p

rod

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rod

uct

5 of 15

5 of 15

Start b

y settin

g a stag

eIf yo

u th

ink o

f you

r pap

er or screen

as a stage—like a th

eater stage—yo

u’ll

be in

the righ

t frame o

f min

d. W

hy? B

ecause a go

od

advertisin

g page is a stage,

no

t a spread

sheet, o

n w

hich

you

’ll craft dram

a, tensio

n, im

pact, in

terest.

Pla

ce g

uid

es

Because it w

ill be printed on a desktop, your im

ages can’t touch the edges, or “bleed.” P

lace border guides w

ide enough for your printer but no w

ider—typically a quarter inch or so in—

and place a guide on the centerline.

The

po

we

rful ce

nte

rLike center stage, center is the m

ost powerful place

in any visual fi eld. (By cen-

ter, we m

ean center-ish, not the exact m

echanical center.) R

emem

ber this as you plan your page, and think “center out,” not

“top down.”

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

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rod

uct

6 of 15

6 of 15

No

!

No

!

Place

you

r pro

du

ctP

lace you

r pro

du

ct on

the p

age in th

e same w

ay that yo

u’d

show

it off to

you

r frien

ds: Set it o

ut in

the cen

ter of th

ings w

here it can

be seen

and

tou

ched

.

Pictu

re yo

ur

pro

du

ct clea

rly! To do this w

ell, you need a photo graph. The factory or distrib u tor is often able to furnish a good one; call them

. Failing that, you m

ay hire a photographer w

ho specializes in product photog raphy (a different skill from

portraiture or nature photography). Keep in m

ind that if shoppers cannot see your product clearly, they w

ill not buy it.

(Right) It is tem

pting to play w

ith a design in an effort to add one’s artis-tic touch. R

esist! In prod-uct advertising, the prod-uct is the show

. Don’t tilt

the photo or distort it in any w

ay. Don’t add ruf-

fl es and fl ourishes. Don’t

make it tiny, thinking a

shopper would prefer to

read about it. And don’t

crop it like an art poster, w

hich will just frustrate

an interested buyer.


Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

4 of 8

De

sign

a fl

ier th

at se

lls a p

rod

uct 0681

0681 D

esig

n a

flie

r tha

t sells a

pro

du

ct

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

7 of 15

7 of 15

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

Wıcker&

Steel.

Ad

d a h

ead

line

Elu

cidate! O

nce yo

ur p

rod

uct is o

n th

e page, ad

d w

ord

s to reveal d

etail and

n

uan

ce and

direct th

e reader to

virtues o

r uses o

f the p

rod

uct th

at are no

t eviden

t ju

st by lo

okin

g at it.

We

like

stuff

Shoppers enjoy seeing and experiencing new

prod-ucts. (W

e like to be thrilled, basically.) You’ll w

rite your best headlines if you think of your readers as eager listeners. Think, W

hat’s the fi rst thing I w

ould tell my

friends about this product? B

egin with the feature that

you fi nd most interesting

or exciting. In this case, it’s that the soft w

icker is beautifully com

bined w

ith strong, durable steel. If your product is m

ore ordinary—

a screwdriver,

perhaps, or a set of bath tow

els—think, W

hat do I like m

ost about this prod-uct? Explain that.

Rule of thum

b #1 A

sho

rt he

ad

line

is pre

fera

ble

to

a lo

ng

on

eIn oral conversation w

e yak on and on with

20 words w

hen one or two w

ould do. As

readers, however, w

e are bored quickly. Shoppers w

ant to like your product, but they w

on’t tolerate much blather. English is a rich,

descriptive language; there’s usually a per-fect w

ord. Finding it will pay off.

Rule of thum

b #2A

void

catch

y slog

an

sW

hy?1) You w

on’t be able to think one up.2) If you do, it w

ill be corny.

Use

ph

oto

colo

rsC

olors eyedroppered from the photo w

ill alw

ays coordinate perfectly. Note the sm

all deckhead color m

atches the chair.

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

8 of 15

8 of 15

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

Wıcker&

Steel.

Wh

at type

styles?

Alw

ays a

pp

rop

riate

: The

classics

Understatem

ent, the classic mark of confi dence,

allows the product to shine. M

atch headline and deckhead (the line beneath it) in a face that’s designed for text. Som

e of the best: Garam

ond (above), C

aslon, Century, Tim

es, Bem

bo, Sabon. C

lassic type complem

ents almost any product.

Note that the deckhead is in uppercase.

No

t so g

oo

d: D

eco

rative

sR

osewood (above) is a heavily styled typeface—

part of a class called decoratives—w

hose pres-ence is a scene stealer. D

ecoratives are really show

y on type specimen sheets, w

hich is why

they’re tempting to use, but rem

ember that the

product, not the type, is the show. D

ecoratives are better for posters than for product ads.

Co

ol: S

tyles th

at e

xp

ress th

eir w

ord

sH

ere, beautiful typestyles refl ect their words—

in this case, light w

icker and heavy steel. This tech-nique is best in understatem

ent; it will fail if the

connection feels obvious or artifi cial, which is like-

liest to occur if the type is heavily stylized. It also requires care to pull off; if you’re uncertain, w

e recom

mend using classics, w

hich are easier.

Co

ol: S

tyles th

at e

xp

ress th

eir w

ord

sH

ere, beautiful typestyles refl ect their words—

in this case, light w

icker and heavy steel. This tech-nique is best in understatem

ent; it will fail if the

connection feels obvious or artifi cial, which is likeli-

est to occur if the type is heavily stylized. This tech-nique requires care to pull off; if you’re uncertain, w

e recomm

end using classics, which are easier.

The warm

th of wicker and the strength of steel com

e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful

line of casual furniture in styles from classic to ultram

odern. Select wicker is hand-w

oven over a

robust framew

ork of structural steel to make furniture that cradles your body and is practically


patio

an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

rewick

er&steel

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



patio

an

d in

do

or

fur

nit

ur

e

Wıcker&

Steel

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999


Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

5 of 8

De

sign

a fl

ier th

at se

lls a p

rod

uct 0681

0681 D

esig

n a

flie

r tha

t sells a

pro

du

ct

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

9 of 15

9 of 15

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

Ad

d yo

ur te

xt

As yo

u w

rite, bear in

min

d th

at a sho

pp

er will b

e readin

g if—b

ut o

nly if—

the p

rod

uct

and

its head

line h

ave interested

him

suffi cien

tly. As yo

u co

mp

ose yo

ur text, th

erefore,

have con

fi den

ce that you

r reader is in

terested. B

e clear. Keep

you

r po

ise.

De

sign

simp

lyW

illy-nilly layout (above left) is not only un attrac tive, but it’s diffi cult to do—

there are too m

any decisions to make! The m

akeover is sim

ple, horizontal lines—head, deckhead,

photo, text—right dow

n the page. Easy! What

makes it so clear is that the lines run edge to

edge; your eye isn’t stopping, zigging, zagging and backing up as it m

oves around the page.

Rule of thum

b #3 B

e k

ind

It is the reader, not you, who is in the driver’s

seat. No m

atter how big you are, nothing w

ill happen unless the reader w

ants it to happen. R

espect that. A proper advertisem

ent is a dignifi ed product presentation, not a stick-up.

It is an Am

erican fantasy to think a shop-per can be com

pelled to buy a product. As

shoppers, we actually sell ourselves.

He

lp!

When business success is at stake, m

aking an ad can give your tum

my big butterfl ies. You

may fi nd it helpful to visualize your friends

and imagine show

ing your product to them.

Why? B

ecause that’s who w

e are—people

just like you. A good sale w

ill be a relaxed, w

in-win transaction.

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

pie

r se

ve

npa

tio

an

d ind

oo

r f

ur

nit

ur

e

rentalssales

The Warm

th of Wicker


pie

r se

ve

n19661 A

ntelope Rd.

Elk G

rove, Calif. 95624

916-555-8212o

ne

blo

ck

sou

th o

f P

er

kin

s blv

d. • w

ww

.Pie

rse

ve

n.n

et

an

telo

pe r

d.

hw

y. 99

perkins Blvd.

x

WE

NS

The beauty and w

armth of H

and-w


ework of


ely Durable A

nd Strong, T


poxy. B


aintenance free. M


A

ntique to Modern.

Cushion Pattern A

nd Colors To C

om-

pliment Y

our Decor.

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

10

of 15

10

of 15

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

19661 Antelope r

oad, elk Grove, C

A 95624

One block south of P

erkins Blvd.

916-5

55-8

212 w

ww

.pierseven.net

PierS

even

Ad

d yo

ur lo

go

Presen

t you

rself last, and

small. Tw

o reaso

ns: Yo

u are th

e last link in

the sale—

remem

ber, w

e sho

p fo

r pro

du

cts, no

t stores—

and

small says con

fi den

t.

Fu

ll stop

The lower-right corner is the exit point of

the page and an excellent place to put your logo, w

here it works like a punctua-

tion point and brings the reader to a stop. A

small logo is m

ore authoritative than a big one; real pow

er always appears

effortless. In this case, the surrounding w

hite fi eld adds to its visibility, although the reader w

ill not be aware of that. A

dd contact inform

ation below the logo or at

least in the vicinity.

Note how

the fl ier is divided into four easily digested pieces—

headline, photo, text and store nam

e—w

hich together m

ake a clear, coherent statement.

He

re’s a

n e

asy w

ay to

ma

ke

a lo

go

type

:

Type your name

Rem

ove the word space

Tighten the letter spacing

Color

Pier S

even

PierS

even

PierS

even

PierS

even


Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

6 of 8

De

sign

a fl

ier th

at se

lls a p

rod

uct 0681

0681 D

esig

n a

flie

r tha

t sells a

pro

du

ct

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

11

of 15

11

of 15

Antelope Rd

Pe

rkins B

lvd

99

Antelope Rd

Pe

rkins B

lvd

99

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

N

19661 Antelope r

oad, elk Grove, C

A 95624


erkins Blvd.

916-5

55-8

212 w

ww

.pierseven.net

PierS

even

Ad

d a m

apA

map

is an u

nd

erused

asset. Esp

ecially tho

ugh

tful o

f sho

pp

ers are map

s of

labyrin

thin

e parkin

g garages, on

e-way streets, o

ff-the-b

eaten-p

ath en

tryways,

thin

gs like that. Start w

ith a G

oo

gle map

, then

mo

dify.

Perkin

s Blvd

Perkin

s Blvd

Perkin

s Blvd

Antelope RdAntelope RdAntelope RdAntelope Rd

Perkin

s Blvd

De

lete

stree

ts, mo

ve th

e h

igh

wa

yTo

o b

ig, to

o d

eta

iled

Google m

aps are excellent, but for a tiny space they’re too detailed. To sim

plify, im

port a screen image of your G

oogle map,

then trace new roads over G

oogle’s. Skip all but the m

ain streets, then (in this case) m

ove an important but distant highw

ay . . .

. . . closer to the store (above). When you

change a Google m

ap, you’ll need to change the look. W

e recomm

end light roads on a neutral background. You can also add your ow

n touches, like the shadow beneath the

elevated freeway. C

rop tightly to fi t (left).

Move the

highway

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

12

of 15

12

of 15

Have

mo

re p

rod

ucts?

Tigh

t bu

dgets u

sually m

ean d

oin

g mo

re with

less, so yo

ur fl ier m

ay need

to sh

ow

mo

re pro

du

cts. Th

ere are two

goo

d w

ays to d

o th

is. Th

e fi rst is show

n b

elow—

pu

t o

ne p

rod

uct cen

ter stage, and

make yo

ur o

ther p

rod

ucts m

uch

smaller . . .

Cle

ar h

iera

rchy

One big photo and a row

of sm

all photos yields clear visual hierarchy, w

hich aids understanding. Key is that the sizes are boldly different; sm

all differences create only am

biguity and clutter, as you’ll rem

ember

from the busy original (left).

Note the m

ap has been m

oved to the end of the row

, sustaining the hori-zontal them

e.C

rop

un

iform

lyP

hotos of like objects in a row

should be cropped so that the objects are the sam

e size, or as close as possible. Judge size by the bulk of the object, not details like legs and other sm

all parts.

pie

r se

ve

npa

tio

an

d ind

oo

r f

ur

nit

ur

e

rentalssales

The Warm

th of Wicker


pie

r se

ve

n19661 A

ntelope Rd.

Elk G

rove, Calif. 95624

916-555-8212o

ne

blo

ck

sou

th o

f P

er

kin

s blv

d. • w

ww

.Pie

rse

ve

n.n

et

an

telo

pe r

d.

hw

y. 99

perkins Blvd.

x

WE

NS

The beauty and w

armth of H

and-w


ework of


ely Durable A

nd Strong, T


poxy. B


aintenance free. M


A

ntique to Modern.

Cushion Pattern A

nd Colors To C

om-

pliment Y

our Decor.

Logo moves to align w

ith the photo.


Be

fore

&A

fter | w

ww

.bamagazine.com

7 of 8

De

sign

a fl

ier th

at se

lls a p

rod

uct 0681

0681 D

esig

n a

flie

r tha

t sells a

pro

du

ct

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

13

of 15

13

of 15

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

steel.

N

mo

on

po

d c

ha

ir $499

Safa

ri c

ha

ir $499

gr

an

dm

a jo

ch

air

$699

eclip

Se po

d c

ha

ir $799

Tro

pic

al c

ha

iSe $799

19661 antelope r

oad, elk grove, c

a 95624


erkins Blvd.

91

6-5

55

-82

12

ww

w.pierseven.net

PierS

even

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

N

19661 Antelope r

oad, elk Grove, C

A 95624


erkins Blvd.

91

6-5

55

-82

12

ww

w.pierseven.net

PierS

even

Mo

re p

rod

ucts

Th

e secon

d w

ay is to m

ake you

r pro

du

cts the sam

e size and

grou

p th

em cen

ter stage. N

ow th

e grou

p, no

t a single p

rod

uct, is th

e focal p

oin

t. Rew

ard th

e reader b

y p

rovidin

g nam

es and

prices righ

t on

the p

ho

tos.

Sa

me

-size p

ho

tos

A crisp block of photos

becomes a m

ulti-image

focal point. Key to this technique is that all the furniture be the sam

e size, or alm

ost, so crop w

ith that in m

ind. Arrange so that

the outside chairs face inw

ard, if possible.

Ha

lf wid

th, sa

me

sizeYou don’t notice at a glance, but tw

o of the photos are exactly half w

idth. The key is exactly, which

creates an intentional, not ambig-

uous, look. Stack the photos in horizontal and vertical segm

ents (above left); avoid a “brick w

all” arrangem

ent (above right), which

introduces zigzags. And rem

ember

that even at half width, the furni-

ture must be the sam

e size as in the other photos.

Map rem

ains small to sustain the hierarchy.

pie

r se

ve

npa

tio

an

d ind

oo

r f

ur

nit

ur

e

rentalssales

The Warm

th of Wicker


pie

r se

ve

n19661 A

ntelope Rd.

Elk G

rove, Calif. 95624

916-555-8212o

ne

blo

ck

sou

th o

f P

er

kin

s blv

d. • w

ww

.Pie

rse

ve

n.n

et

an

telo

pe r

d.

hw

y. 99

perkins Blvd.

x

WE

NS

The beauty and w

armth of H

and-w


ework of


ely Durable A

nd Strong, T


poxy. B


aintenance free. M


A

ntique to Modern.

Cushion Pattern A

nd Colors To C

om-

pliment Y

our Decor.

Misaligned, zigzaggy

Straight and clear

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

steel.Perkins B

lvd Antelope RdAntelope Rd

99

A

N

mo

on

po

d c

ha

ir $499

Safa

ri c

ha

ir $499

gr

an

dm

a jo

ch

air

$699

eclip

Se po

d c

ha

ir $799

Tro

pic

al c

ha

iSe $799

19661 antelope r

oad, elk grove, c

a 95624


erkins Blvd.

916-5

55-8

212 w

ww

.pierseven.net

PierS

even

Antelope Rd

Pe

rkins B

lvd

99

patio an

d in

do

or fu

rnitu

re

The warm


e together in Wicke

r & S

teel, a beautiful



oven over a

robust framew



Wıcker&

Steel.

An

dr

om

edA

Ch

AiSe $999

N

19661 Antelope r

oad, elk Grove, C

A 95624


erkins Blvd.

916-5

55-8

212 w

ww

.pierseven.net

PierS

even

®B

efore&

After

BA

mag

azine.co

mU

iX

De

sign

a fl ier th

at sells a p

rod

uct

0681

Design


rod

uct

14

of 15

14

of 15

Type

face

s

1 HTF D

idot | 84 pt

2 Franklin Gothic C

ondensed | 84 pt

3 Benton Sans C

ondensed Book | 27 pt

4 (a–b

) ITC Franklin G

othic Heavy

a) 14 pt, b) 11pt

5 Helvetica N

eue Bold | 44 pt

6 (a–c) Trade G

othic Light | a) 11 ptb) 14/22 pt, c) 10 pt

7 Trade Gothic O

blique | 11 pt

Ima

ge

s

Images: iStockphoto

8 (6175780)

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urce

s

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lors

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