Advertising

Construction of Advertisement

Steps in translating Advertising

message into Copy
1.

Visualization: In the most simple words, it is

the process of designing the advertisement. It
is the mental process where visualize sees
through the minds eye and the end product of
this process is the layout.

2.

Layout: it is the end product of the

Visualization where all the elements of the
advertisement like diagram, graphics or words
are arranged in their desired place.

3. A visualiser decides about the inclusion

of different elements at the beginning of
his work. His mind will have the
Questions like: Where my advertisement
will have a headline?

 Where

there will be a sub headline?

Whether there would be a body copy?
Whether to have an illustration or a
photograph?
Whether to include slogan etc?
Thinking process the adve
tiser is now visulating

Elements of the advertisement

which visualizer will visualize

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

To begin with the visualiser foresees

how all these elements will be appearing
in the copy. The basic elements with
which a visualizer works are:
Headline, sub-heads
The body copy
The illustration
Logo,signature


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

There may be other elements which might be

seen in the ads are:
Slogans
Coupons
Price
Package
Seal of approval
Border
Quality marks etc.

Process of Visualization
1. This work is shared by the copywriter and
creative director of visualisation. At the
commencement of their work they become
intimate (known to) with the copy. They decide
whether product should be featured, what they
would be doing; will there be a background?
Which type? Should photos be used? Or line
illustration or sketches? How large the headline
would be? What components should make the
final copy: product? The address and name of
the company? The picture?

2. Once he became clear about the components or

elements he will include, he foresees their
relevance to each other, to one another. How
they would be placed in the copy? How the final
product (advertisement copy) will look like?
3. It is a mental process of creating mental image
of well balanced whole made up of balanced
elements. When a rough sketches of the various
alternatives are drawn on the paper it is called
Thumbnail.

 Thumbnail:

when all the elements of the

advertisement in advertisement copy are
arranged together to make a layout is called
thumbnail, the elements can be arranged in
different orders or in different places according
to the choice or the visualization of the copy
writer. The elements can be arranged differently
every time on the same thumbnail so that one
can know the blue print of the advertisement and
how will it look with the different arrangements of
the elements on the same thumbnail.

Example of thumbnail

 While

making a thumbnail the visualiser

has to keep in mind the space available,
the type of the paper on which
advertisement will be printed, whether it is
black and white or colour advertisement,
the printing technology employed etc. For
example: use of dark and bright colours in
the background of the adv. And the paper
used in the printing is the local newsprint.

Transformation from Visualization to Layout

Layout:

It is the outline of the advertisement

copy which include the written material as well
as the other elements of the advertisement like
the graphic, headline, sub headlines,
illustrations, name of the company, logo, any
slogan etc. The layout shows that where these
elements will be placed in an advertisement and
how they will be placed.
It works as the blue print of the advertisement
and also defines the relationship between the
different elements.

 The

paper work which has been started at

the time of the thumbnail is the starting
point of the process of layout.
Once a visualizer exercises himself
mentally and puts his pencil to paper, the
shape of the layout begins to emerge. It is
the smooth transition point and in this
phase we are moving from the abstract
idea to concrete shapes.

 Each

element is assigned a place and space

depending upon its overall significance, that
means each element is positioned. There is
visual evidence on paper. The various
possibilities are drawn separately on the paper
which are called as the thumbnail sketches.
They indicate the elements and their positions in
the ad copy. Many thumbnails when made they
give us the ides which one or more will best suit
us.

Thumbnail to Roughs
When

many thumbnails are made and every

possibility are known, we may decide that which
one is best suiting us while keeping in mind the
various complications like: size of the
advertisement, paper on which ad will be made,
the size of the headline etc. and we decide one
thumbnail best suits the requirement of the
advertisement, that particular thumbnail is then
made into the larger sizes which is called
Roughs or visuals. These are made in actual
advertisement size. As the copy matter only the
rough lines are made.

 Roughs

give an exacts idea about the

proportions and placement of the
elements.

Rough to Comprehensive
Comprehensive

are more finished form of

roughs. The body copy is pasted.
Headline lettering is done carefully. Photos
and illustrations (actual) are used.
Comprehensive comes very closer to
actual art work, which gives a finished adv.
Complete with printer instructions from
which the plated, the electrotypes are
made.

Journey from Visualization to final

Copy