ELEMENTS OF THE PSA EMS30 W/ MR. RICHARDS

How does this ad appeal to your emotions? What is the tag line? How does it catch your attention? What does the text, and choice of colour add to the overall feel of the poster? What is the natural flow of the eye?

PSA – Public Service Advertisement The goal of a PSA is to persuade the public to adopt a certain attitude or behaviour towards a certain social issue. The PSA must follow several core principles. These principles are:

#1 - Capture the reader’s attention like a stop sign and direct it like a road map. When readers look at your ad, they should have no doubt where to begin. Headlines are a traditional starting point, but if the illustration dominates the page, your readers are most likely to begin there. Provide a clear path for the eye to follow from one element to another. Canadians read from left to right. Most readers look down after viewing an illustration

The handgun provides a focal point The tag line also catches the audience’s attention From the barrel of the gun, the eye moves immediately to the story The soft text and bright colours gives the ad an emotional tone

#2 – Make an emotional connection Minds tend to follow hearts, so make sure you reach their hearts first. If you want your target audience to stop, read, and truly contemplate your message, you have to engage their hearts first. Facts fly by. Stories stick.

A three-word headline and an emotionally charged photo tell a powerful story that everyone can relate to. Its strong emotional content and implicit story telling – along with simple design and good flow – are certain keys to its success.

#3 – Write tag lines that offer a reason to read more. In many ads, the tag line will be the first element readers see. As such, your tag line should do one of three things: Appeal to the readers’ self-interest by offering a clear, tangible benefit. Arouse curiosity that can be satisfied by reading further. Break news – give the reader new information that will make them want to read further

The tag line invites the reader to continue The line is repeated throughout the ad The hot pink/black/white colour combination is attractive to the eye The information is news breaking – shocking figures have emotional impact

#4 – Use pictures to attract and convince If the tag line isn’t the most prominent design element, a photograph is. Colour pulls, black & white explains, and monochromatic does neither. Colour photographs possess the greatest ability to attract the human eye. Black and white possesses its own unique strength. By draining the image of its colour, the photographer is asking you to look beyond the subject for other things. Seeing is believing – a photograph is worth… Avoid placing text over image – this is confusing

Uses a combination of a shocking image, a violent scene and a strong font The deep colour treatment ads to the emotion of the ad

GOOD LUCK! Now it’s your turn to give these ad principles a try… Play around and have fun! Make sure to come to next Tuesday’s class with your photos ready to go on a USB stick!