Some clients’ print ad requests have broad parameters: “Wow me!” or “Make my stuff stand out from the competition.” In the closet organizing industry there are many competitors all selling seemingly similar products. Their product photos may look alike with the exception of the cabinetry colors and styles. So how do we make our clients’ products grab the viewers’ attention over the competitions’? After all, the goal is to get the customer to see your ad first and make the call to buy or obtain an estimate.

The client supplied the product photography. We provided the ad campaign theme about “taming closets” (shown below), the design, and all copy writing. No one expects to see a tiger (or other wild animal) in a closet. And while the budget prohibited an actual photo shoot with a tiger in the closet, the visual juxtaposition that was needed to make this campaign stand out was achieved through the imagery of side-by-side photos of the animal and product. As wild animals are unusual and rarely seen in promotions for home improvement products, this campaign (which included print ads, door hangers and postcards – see examples in Direct Mail) was successful in obtaining new business because customers were intrigued by the fresh and unexpected advertising approach to the product.

For another client, a variety of print ads simply promote new or existing products with a stylish presentation.

These ads are an excellent example of client photography that inspires creative ideas. The red dress belongs to the client’s wife and was displayed on a hanger in the front of another closet photo (not shown here). At the time, the red dress (and the red shoes) were the most exciting thing in the photos, so we wrote and designed the ad campaign (which extended to postcards and door hangers) around the dress and shoes. Since that time the separate dress photo and ad theme have been applied to many other beautiful product images, an example of the longevity of a catch-y product theme. Bright colors, particularly red, are an eye magnet. An added bonus is that the dress is a perfect symbol of the type of clothes to be found in the target demographic customer’s closet. While the company did not sell the dress, it was a big help in selling the closet systems.