Give five chefs the same set of ingredients, and you’ll get five completely different dishes. Why? Because it’s not just about the ingredients or tools you have, it’s how you use them. This is technique, and it’s the same way with marketing and advertising.
So in this article, we’re sharing the 28 best advertising techniques broken into five different categories with examples for each. Let’s dive in.
Contents
What are advertising techniques?
Advertising techniques are strategic approaches used when promoting your products and services, as a way to influence your audience’s decision-making and behaviors. While advertising strategies refer to the channel or medium you’re using (like social media videos, paid search ads, etc), the techniques are the underlying psychological approach you take to make the message memorable, appealing, and effective.
Think of it as the means by which you connect with your audience’s needs, desires, or values.
Memorable? Check. Effective? Check. This ad is loaded with technique.
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The best advertising techniques to try
Advertising techniques are limitless, but we’ve curated the most effective ones and grouped them into five different categories. Let’s dive in.
Advertising techniques using emotional and psychological appeals
These advertising techniques target feelings, values, and perceptions.
- Shock value: Uses unexpected or provocative content to leave a strong impact.
- Values appeal: Taps into a person’s moral compass by aligning with causes or principles they care about, like sustainability or equality. Super effective for Gen Z marketing.
- Humor: Uses comedy and laughter to grab attention and create a memorable impression.
- Fear appeal: Highlights potential risks or consequences to prompt action.
- Nostalgia: Evokes fond memories of the past to create an emotional bond.
Humor? Fear? You decide.
For more examples using these advertising techniques, download this guide >> 135 of the Best Words & Phrases for Marketing with Emotion
Social and cultural influence advertising techniques
This is one of the best ways to write copy that sells. Here are some advertising techniques that leverage social dynamics and cultural context to have a persuasive impact:
- Bandwagon pressuring: Encourages people to join in because “everyone else is doing it.”
- Endorsements: Features a celebrity, expert, or influencer to lend credibility to the product.
- Social proof: Showcases testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content to build trust. View our testimonial ad examples here.
- Cultural references: Taps into current trends, memes, or society topics for relevance
- Storytelling: Crafts a narrative to engage the audience and create a memorable brand connection.
- Ethos appeal: Establishes credibility through authority, expertise, or ethics.
- Lifestyle association: Connects your product or service with a desirable lifestyle or group.
Bandwagon pressuring at its finest.
Design and aesthetic advertising techniques
These advertising techniques rely on visual, auditory, or structural design to build a memorable impression.
- Minimalism: Focuses on simplicity and clean design to communicate a message effectively.
- Typographic composition: Uses fonts, sizes, and layouts to convey tone, information hierarchy, or points of emphasis.
- Color psychology: Leverages colors to influence emotions and perceptions of the brand.
- Symbolism: Uses icons, metaphors, or imagery to represent deeper meanings or emotions.
- Jingles and music: Uses catchy tunes to create auditory recognition (or get stuck in your head for days or weeks).
- Contrast: Draws attention with opposing colors, messages, or designs.
Typographic composition meets minimalism in this example.
Logical and cognitive advertising techniques
These advertising techniques engage rational thought or create urgency. You can find a lot of these techniques in our Google Ad copy examples.
- Problem-solution: Also a copywriting formula, this highlights a problem and positions your product as the solution.
- Scarcity: Classic marketing psychology. Here, you create urgency by emphasizing limited availability or time.
- Repetition: Reiterates key phrases, slogans, or visuals for brand reinforcement.
- Comparative advertising: Compares your product directly to competitors to highlight superiority. View our comparative advertising examples here.
- Hyperbolic statements: Makes exaggerated claims to emphasize key selling points (without deception). For example, “Red Bull gives you wings.”
Comparative advertising + humor.
Free guide download >> The 42 Best Call to Action Phrases Ever (& Why They Work)
Advertising techniques using engagement and timely relevance
These advertising techniques focus on interaction, incentives, or current events. Which reminds me, have you downloaded our marketing calendar for this year yet?
- Competition/gamification: Engages the audience by incorporating game-like elements, such as challenges, leaderboards, or rewards, to drive participation and interest.
- Interactive advertising: Engaging the audience through quizzes, polls, or interactive content
- Seasonal appeal: Aligns campaigns with specific holidays, seasons, or events to tap into timely relevance and consumer sentiment.
- Guerrilla marketing/avant-garde: Using innovative or unconventional methods to stand out.
- Personalization: Tailoring messages or experiences to individual consumer preferences.
Waze gamified driving with a points and rewards system for reporting real-time traffic information.
Use these advertising techniques to make an impact
Advertising isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how you say it. The most successful ads don’t just present information; they engage, persuade, and stick with your audience long after they’ve seen them.
So as you refine your next campaign, think beyond the medium and focus on the method. Whether that’s tapping into emotion, leveraging social influence, crafting a striking visual, or using logic to drive action, the right technique can make all the difference.
Now use these techniques to go make some unforgettable ads.