Getting Emotional with Your Images

In business it's often said that it's better to be unemotional and detached. I subscribe to this philosophy when it comes to negotiating contracts, doing my taxes, or flossing after lunch. However, in marketing and advertising it's all about creating an image that sells, and successful creatives can't afford to be detached and analytical in the process. To be sure, there are certain steps to be followed when creating a successful ad or marketing design. Sometimes these steps are repetitive, more science than art. Sometimes they need to be a little chaotic and weird. It's the difference between prepping vegetables and creating a melt-in-your-mouth ratatouille. Think for minute about why a well-prepared meal inflames your senses. Is it a simple order of steps that you can punch up in a computer? If you can program your computer to say “Bam!” does it become Emeril Lagasse? Think about creating a design for a national ad campaign. Is creating a successful image  just a matter of choosing the right RGB values in Photoshop? Do pretty colors and 3D effects equal attention-grabbing images or is there something deeper than fonts and color wheels? Those “Think Different” Apple ads from a few years ago should tell you that pretty colors aren't always the answer. Those ads were black and white and darn successful, too. “I want to be like Albert Einstein and think different, too.” Deep down I know that a new macbook won't make me Einstein, but the ad made me pause and think about Apple. It's true that people are initially drawn to an ad, a book cover, or a piece of artwork because the bold color (or lack of) calls to them. In a way, we're like moths to a flame and we can't help but be attracted by the light. Unlike moths, we need something to keep us there, to hook us. It's something moths don't have. It's called emotion. Think about one of the most successful ad campaigns ever, the Nike “Just do it” ads created by Wieden+Kennedy. At this moment I can't recall any particular advertisement from the campaign, but the image of the Nike swoosh and the words “Just do it” are emblazoned on my brain forever. No, it's not pain from the aforementioned emblazoning, it's the feelings of anticipation, power and belonging to a group of like-minded athletes that hooked me. To me, it said “Get up off your bum, you lazy moron and go run.” That was powerful and it made me pay attention. How about the Keebler Elves? There's a powerful image in cookiedom, thanks to Leo Burnett. Years before I saw the Nike ad I was probably hooked by the cartoon image of an elf who baked in a tree. Together, Nike and Keebler could keep my emotions out of balance for a long time. Do I run or do I snack? That's the power of an image that sticks with you long after the campaign is over. Have you ever been assaulted by a piece of direct mail? Ow, that hurts. Your eyes, I mean. You might know what I'm talking about, there's one at the bottom of your recycle bin. It's the one with lots of spheres and gradients, maybe a REALLY BIG SENTENCE IN CAPITALS, and a nice... 3D explosion in the background. Does something like that draw you in by appealing to your emotions or is it merely an attack on the senses? It's a good bet that you wouldn't throw away something you were emotionally attached to. Graphically speaking, it could even be technically correct. The design books say that red is a warning color and grabs attention fast. Cool graphics like 3D spheres and explosions will definitely draw reflexive attention. What lingers in the audience's mind long after the image is gone is where you want to have the most impact. It's easy to get attention, but holding attention requires more thought. If you really want to reach people, you've got to do it on an emotional level. It's not so important what emotion(s) you're appealing to, as long as it reaches your intended audience in the way you meant it to. If you want to get people to revolutionize a small country, you might appeal to their anger. If you want someone to pay your company to do their taxes, you might try a little fear. Are you going to hit everyone the same way? No, because everyone is wired differently. Fortunately, it's not as simple as pressing buttons on an emotion machine. If it were that easy it wouldn't be very rewarding. That's the art part of the business, a new creative solution every time. Sometimes when I work with a client to develop an image, they'll start by telling me what colors they want, rattle off a few fonts, and point me to a web site that's sort of like what they want. Slow down Buckaroo, I say (yep, I will say Buckaroo if the situation calls for it). Those things are going to be important in the final design or illustration. Before we get there, I try to explain that I need to understand something about their vision, goals, and who their intended audience is. Otherwise it's like trying to design a new home by picking out a paint color first. Creating art or an image that stirs emotion isn't a scientific process. To some people, that can be a frustrating concept and difficult to accept. “Aren't there rules, didn't you go to school and read books about this stuff?” the most frustrated clients ask. The answer is that rules and guidelines for creating images that sell aren't set in stone. If they were, all advertising would look like a Moscow pep rally circa 1951. What works for one person turns another one off completely. To some people, the “Just do it” campaign made them frustrated enough to pop open that box of Keebler crackers. Thankfully in the creative business there's never one answer that applies to everything. Um, think different, to coin a phrase. So, more importantly than picking the right font or a piece of 3D clipart (don't even get me started, Buckaroo) is understanding what emotions you're trying to stir. That's where your audience lives and that's where you achieve long term impact from your images. I wrote this article on a mac, while wearing Nikes and eating a box of graham crackers. I think I'm going to Starbucks now. I hear “there's a lot going on inside.” 2008-02-18T20:14:48Z

2008-02-18T20:57:05Z

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getting-emotional-with-your-images

2008-02-18T20:56:57Z

How to create a successful marketing or advertising image that makes long term impact for the viewer. Is it all about fonts and colors or is there something deeper?

Getting Emotional with Your Images

2009-02-24T09:43:12Z