Don't say I didn't warn you...some of these ads may contain "cringe-worthy" images. However, the reason why I'm sharing them is because they are all over the...View More
web - tens of thousands of dollars are spent on these ads every month and you've likely even seen some of them before. Now, before we get into the details, I want to be clear on the products being promoted via these ads. The ads lead to fake-looking news sites that promote weight loss supplements. From an ethical standpoint, you do NOT want to model such behavior. The "Eat This, Never Diet Again" is a wee bit over-the-top as well and the Dr. Oz claims are not substantiated. However, the main reason I'm sharing these ads with you is because their entire campaign is based around effectively using obscure images to grab attention. If the common reaction to the ad is "what the hell is that?", you can bet that the user will have an increased curiosity to click-through and see what it's all about, even if you don't care about weight loss. I know I've clicked through before. So, here's the formula you can takeaway from these ads: Brief headline (in this case, "Do This, Never Have To Do This"), an obscure image that grabs attention & in their case, the naming of a big authority that supports the product.