How do you measure success?

Some ads are meant to make the phone or cash register ring. Others like this one speak to current customers with an indelible branding message.

First People's Bank does a smart job of branding as they make a point about their 10 years in business.

I like this ad for its strong signal-- the image of the boy reaching out to tell you he's 10. And the copy is well written, inviting you to take part in the celebration.

Effective ads like this one make you feel good. Generally, ads that make you laugh or cry are the ones you remember.

Doctor, is that you?

Okay, many recruitment advertisers have take their postings to the web but there are still some great examples of powerful newspaper help wanted ads.
Take this one, for example, from the Denver Post.
Graphically this message calls to the doctor who may be the next Director of Surgery at Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton, Co.
The photo does the selling. Her eyes speak to the hard-to-find candidate who is compelled to stop and ask: is this position the perfect fit for me.
Effective ads like this serve as interruption advertising, stopping the passive job seeker for a moment when they least expect it.

Entire store is on sale

Shopping for women's apparel and reading this weekend's pages of the Vero Beach newspaper? This display ad for Frances Brewster (tcpalm.com) is bound to get your attention.
First, the signal is clear. Your eyes are drawn to the photo of the young woman, smartly dressed.
Next, the benefit headline shouts the entire store is on sale with savings 30-70% off.
Repeat customers will probably respond. Others may turn the page, skeptical that the offer is too good to be true.
My advice: add an example of an item on sale with its regular price, sale price and savings. Ads like this deliver better results with all three elements-- signal, benefit, proof.

Print ad offers 24 hour convenience

We make it easy.

Simple as that.

Anton's Cleaners with 44 locations in the greater Boston area and beyond offers this print ad with a simple benefit (We Make It Easy) and they prove it with 24 Hour Drop Off.

The layout is clean, the type is bold and the white space makes the message jump off the page.

Potential clients in a hurry might miss this message in the Marshfield Herald News for its lack of graphic hook. Add a phone number for more info and a photo of a happy customer dropping off her laundry to score better results.

Casino calls: spin to win

People who love the Casinos may find this ad impossible to resist. Found this print ad this morning in the San Jose Mercury News.

Non-gamblers might skip it but players, overly sensitized to the lure of winning, will stop and look. That's because the designers used a powerful image of two happy ladies presumably just hitting a jackpot. Consumers instantly imagine being there too.

The bold headline promises $500 winners every 20 minutes. And notice the teaser below for the chance to win $750,000.

I like this one. It makes you feel good.

Are you ready for some Sun?

It snowed last night in Seattle-Tacoma and probably a lot of other places in the northern hemisphere. So how tempting to stop and examine this skyscraper for the RIU Hotel & Resort in Cabo San Lucas.

Effective ads make it easy for the target audience to picture themselves using the product. In this case I'm sitting in a cabana chair, about to sip from a drink, holding the little umbrella with my finger and thumb.

The offer? All inclusive from $102 per day.

You just have to click for more info, don't you?

Mighty banner for McDonalds McMuffin

Hard to miss this 300x250 message from McDonalds this morning on the Atlanta Journal Constitution website (http://www.ajc.com/). It's posted across news, sports and other channels to reach online newspaper readers ready for a dandy deal on a Sausage McMuffin with egg.

Many online banners are designed to make you click. Not this one. They want you to drop what you are doing and drive to Mickey D's for breakfast.

Simple design, clean layout, powerful colors and a great offer.

The best part? Impressions for this banner seem to be served only in the morning.

Expect great response from this one.