Donald Gunn: The 12 Types of Ads
Donald Gunn’s believes that there are only 12 types of ads that you see on TV. Here is the list that has been provided with the sample videos from Slate dot com. If you have a product to promote, this can be a great kick-start for choosing an ad type that will suit your product best.
Gunn’s first format is the “demo.”
This is a visual demonstration of a product’s capabilities. You’ve seen hundreds of demo ads on late-night TV, for things like kitchen knives (watch it slice through that tin can!) and stain removers (it can’t possibly erase that red wine blotch—and yet!). Some of the ads introducing Apple’s iPhone are just straight-up demos, pointing out the product’s features as the viewer looks on.
This spot, for Samsonite Spinners luggage, is a particularly stylish example of the demo format. We see the suitcase’s four spinning wheels in action (look at them navigate that crowded sidewalk!), but along the way, we get a tasty world-beat track and some vivid streetscapes to hold our attention.
- The second format is “show the need or problem.”
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The third format is a variation on showing the problem.
This time, you employ a “symbol, analogy, or exaggerated graphic” to represent the problem. - The fourth format is “comparison.”
- The fifth format is the “exemplary story.”
- The sixth format is “benefit causes story.”
- The seventh format is “tell it”—also known as “presenter,” “testimonial,” or “A-tells-B.”
- The eighth format is “ongoing characters and celebrities.”
- The ninth format is the “symbol, analogy, or exaggerated graphic” demonstrating a benefit of the product.
- The 10th format is “associated user imagery”.
The advertiser showcases the type of people it hopes you’ll associate with the product. - The 11th format is “unique personality property.”
- The 12th and final format is the “parody or borrowed format.”
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