Advertising Design: Types & Best Practices

Advertising design is one category of graphic design, focusing on visually attractive and effective ads. 

Advertising design and other types of design aren’t mutually exclusive.  It is very likely that a graphic designer will work on ads in their career path, but might specialize in something else, and vice versa.

That also means that all graphic design created for advertising purposes is also part of the overall visual identity of the company. So, advertising design strictly means visuals that have to provoke action.

All other graphic design assets elevate and nurture the brand as a whole and help boost sales. Here we can sort anything, from website design, and the look of mobile apps to email marketing, images used in public relations, collateral, and social media posts.

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Advertising design types

But what better way to understand what is advertising design, than look at some of the most common graphic design projects that fall under this umbrella category 

Print ads

Despite the fact that we’re bombarded by digital ads on a daily basis, print ads are still highly effective. Although they cost more to produce, and it’s more difficult to track results, print ads are proven to be considered more trustworthy and are given more attention.

Print ads come in many shapes and forms, such as:

• Magazine Ads
• Newspaper Ads
• Flyers & Brochures
• Posters

A skilled advertising designer will know the right size specs for each of these, as well as important print-related considerations (e.g. what material is printed on, which color modes are used, etc.) 

Print ads are commonly used for raising brand awareness, so the designers handling this project will also need a keen understanding of important branding assets, such as a logo, color scheme, typography, etc. 

Display ads

As you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen dozens of digital ads today already. Google Ad Network reaches 90% of all internet users, and is made up of over 2 million websites.

As you might imagine, display ads come in different shapes and serve different purposes. Since we see so many of them regularly, we tend to miss them (a well-known study reported that 86% of users ignore banner ads). 

So, the role of a great ad designer is to design ads that are difficult to ignore. There are many ways to do this, from a strong CTA, to striking visuals, and emotional impact (we’ll discuss some of them later). Of course, it’s also vital to stay true to your brand’s messaging to avoid harming your brand image. 

Another important consideration is using the right display ad sizes. This will ensure that your copy and CTA are always visible and prominently displayed. 

Social media ads

One of the biggest benefits of social media advertising is detailed targeting. Platforms like Facebook Ads Manager allow you to narrow down your audience to the exact people who are most likely to buy from you.

Still, if it’s difficult for a display ad to stand out on a website, things are even more difficult for social media ads. Many platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and even Facebook consist mainly of videos and graphics. So, creating visuals that stand out is no small order.

Social media ad designers need to know about the relevant design trends, but also find a way to make them work for the brand in question. Another distinguishing factor compared to display ads is that on socials you can also include a caption to give further context or instructions.

So, an effective social media ad uses as little text as possible, and instead relies on other design elements to gain attention and inspire action.

Email ads

Believe it or not, emails are still one of the most effective forms of business communication. According to Hubspot businesses earn $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing. That’s an ROI of 3600%!

And although you might think email marketing is primarily concerned with the best copy, that’s not exactly the case. A killer subject line might get people to open the email, but the banners and design of the email can make or break the conversation rates.

Outdoor and event advertising

If you’ve ever considered DIY over hiring a professional, this is an area of advertising design that should definitely give you second thoughts.

Designing outdoor advertising, such as billboards, car wraps, or event booths, requires lots of technical knowledge that you might not possess.

Moreover, deciding on the right design for something as large-scale as this is a difficult task. You don’t want to use too many design elements. On the other hand, you want to create visually appealing graphics that will get noticed by people on busy streets, and other situations with lots of distractions.

How to design effective advertisements?

Now you know the answer to the question “what is advertising design”. It’s important to understand this, whether you’re creating ads for your brand yourself, or wish to hire a professional designer to do it.

However, it’s also vital to know what makes a good ad design. Here are some actionable tips.

Strong headline and copy

Some of the most iconic ads ever used little to minimal copy. However, in most cases, design and copy need to work together to ensure the effectiveness of your ads.

It’s always better to keep things simple - avoid jargon, and present your offer in a clear and concise way. On the other hand, you should use your ad graphics to complement and enhance your call to action. 

This is a superb example from Norwegian Airlines that shows just how impactful great copy can be. It’s witty and very relatable. Although minimal, the design plays a big role. From the ad layout, to the choice of font and background color - all the elements work together to make the message all the more potent. 

Use your brand colors

You want ads to be eye-catching, so people will click on them. Still, remember that brand awareness is more important than a single sales campaign.

So, even though you might design sale advertisements, focused on boosting your profit, remember to keep design on-brand. Utilize your signature brand colors, and the type of messaging your target audience expects to see.

Appeal to the emotions

Some experts claim all emotions come down to one of the following four variations: happiness, sadness, fear/surprise, and anger/disgust.

In marketing, this insight is used for emotional marketing, one of the most effective marketing tactics to date. Simply put it means that your marketing efforts should aim to provoke emotions with your target audience, rather than push them to take action.

Advertising design can be a great ally in this respect. Just take a look at this example from WWF. Ads like this one inspire a potent sense of fear, which works very well for a campaign meant to raise awareness about one of the most pressing issues of our time.

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Get your graphic and advertising design in one place!

We hope this helps you understand advertising design a bit better. Of course, there are many free ad templates available online. However, these will hardly perform as well as custom-made ads for your brand.

You can hire a freelance advertising designer, however this can be time-consuming and costs do pile up over time. Working with a professional ad agency is always a great option, in case you have a few thousand dollars to spare on each campaign.

Luckily, there’s one more budget-friendly option right at your fingertips! Our unlimited graphic design service provides you with all the designs you need at a flat monthly rate. Whether it’s digital or print ads, landing pages, illustrations, or a complete brand identity design - we’ve got you covered!

Book a free consultation with us to learn more. Or check out our comparison hub to see how our service measures with other design providers.