No one takes in any information without it going through one or more of their five senses. Advertisers too must get their message through the same gates. At times the sense of smell is central. The smell from a bakery draws consumers to buy some fresh backed goods. The taste test is used in commercials for soda drinks or pizza. Pictures of food as you enter a restaurant will bring good memories of its flavor. When buying a bed, touch is the main seller. Consumers want to try out the various options to imagine how comfortable it would be for eight hours.



The most influential of all our senses is that of sight. In fact, 80% of all we learn comes in through our eyes. Most of the other 20% is learned through hearing. A radio ad then must capture the consumer's attention through words alone.

With 80% of what we learn entering our eyes, advertisers are wise to center their ads around the visual. If they can add sound, this is even better. Printed ads can be read over and over by many people. They can last longer and for this reason potentially influence more consumers than sound ads alone.

Visual advertisement uses words and pictures. Words are abstract representations of real objects. The word 'mom' brings to mind a person, and good or bad memories. Words can also represent products. Some slogans have become famous. One of the best know was the Wendy's ad phrase, "Where's the beef?" Though mostly heard, it sold millions of hamburgers.

It is rarely how many words are used but which words that is important in an ad. People are usually too busy to read a long message and it is more expensive anyway. The message must be catchy yet have content. This balance is hard to achieve.

Humor, when appropriate, is an excellent way to capture the attention of the public. For example, Alaska airlines portrayed their company's strength through exaggerating the competition's weaknesses. It was humorous and kept people watching, and flying with them for several years.

Sometimes the ad is whittled down to just a motto, a logo, or a symbol. These along may associate a particular product to people's needs. The colors of Pepsi without words will sell the product. In other words, the wordless picture is the whole ad.

When ads use visual and audio, use effective words, and add a touch of humor, that ad will surely get the attention of the public. It is a difficult combination, but certainly possible. Some are able to concisely express their product and then have the message flown over a large gathering of people. This is called a banner ad. It is an effective way to get a well planned message out to a large audience at a minimal cost. And with the added attention attractor of the plane's motor, the two major senses of sight and sound are used effectively to get the message to the public.