Banner beckons Cherrydale by the Sea

Photo of the rider fills the frame in this 300x250 I found on www.delmarvanow.com, the website for the newspaper in Salisbury, MD. Instantly this one grabs the attention of equestrians seeking escape to 20 acre homesites on Virginia's Eastern Shore. I like the ad for its graphic hook and tight copy but how many are called to click for more information?

Ad promotes team formerly known as Sonics

As a Sonics fan I hate this ad. But if I woke today in Oklahoma City to read the daily newspaper I'd stop, look and smile.

The photo of Seattle Coach P.J. Carlesimo and Kevin Durant plus the bold block letters that spell: "The NBA is coming to town" get the attention of pro basketball fans and cause them to read the rest of the ad.

The call to action is clear and effective. Look in Sunday's Oklahoman to learn what you need to know about the team formerly known as the Sonics.

I'm sure thousands of Oklahomans will do just that.

Bikini Boot Camp ad lacks strong benefits

In 2 seconds how many women looking for weight loss or summer fitness program would pause as they read the Calgary Herald to read this ad for Bikini Boot Camp?

Not very many. Some will see the big type or the shapely torso in the upper right corner (which initially I saw as a pair of lavendar sea horses :) but probably most will miss the message.

Visit http://www.bikinibootcamp.ca/ and you'll find photos, testimonials and details of the program. Meet the many trainers and discover the firm's competitive advantages. This print ad will drive more traffic to the website with a picture and benefit headline and a few lines of copy that convince her to go online to register.

Banner clickers beware

Would you take a minute to vote for which fries are better--McDonalds or Burger King--- especially for a chance to win $50,000? Found this innocent looking leaderboard for www.predicto.com on the website for the Courier Post in Cherry Hill, NJ. For its layout and simple message it's a highly effective banner ad. Click on it (and I expect many will) and you are prompted to enter your cell phone number to vote by text message. The fine print reveals it will cost you $9.99 per month to participate in the surveys and chance to win prizes. Many people I know won't enter a sweepstakes at the mall or click on banners ads for fear of telemarketing calls or unwanted emails. On the other hand voting by text message is so common many people do it without much thought.

What do you think of offers like this one?

Banner makes you pause for little miracles

Notice how the baby business is booming again? This 300x250 from New Orleans (www.nola.com) catches your eye with its focus on a cute little newborn. I like the way the photo fills the frame and the benefit-- Specializing in Little Miracles-- is tucked below. If the goal is name awareness then Tulane-Lakeside Hospital executes well with this creative. No obvious call to action but if one is curious for more information a click takes you the hospital's home page. Better if it linked directly to content for the birthing center.

Banner speaks to passive job seekers

Not everyone loves their job. This ad speaks to nurses and other medical professionals who are willing to jump ship for a better work environment. Found this leaderboard for Baptist Health Care on the website for the Pensacola (Fla) News Journal on the Jobs page. I'm sure the employer has their openings posted on the PNJ's jobboard but this message is meant to reach passive job seekers who are interesting in a better opportunity but don't have lots of time to search the listings. Many recruiters are eager to reach top talent working for the competition for their resumes are often prized more than those from ordinary job seekers.

This banner gets high marks for its strong signal and clean look but might yield more response with a simple call to action.

Tell and sell what's special about your store

Found this clean and colorful ad on statesmanjournal.com (Salem, Or.). The leaderboard has a local look with the cornucopia on the left and the bare bottomed guy running on the right. Designers of this ad urge you to "Be Natural" and shop Life Source Natural Foods. They sell Organic produce, groceries, bulk food, etc. plus the vegetarian deli. The banner ad rotates through a show of snapshots of the inside of the store. Apparently it's a big place. The ad asks you to "click here" and perhaps you'd be inclined if given a reason (Instant savings, Online specials, Order a sandwich). To win new customers many ads fail to tell and sell why you should shop this store rather than another.