If you want to learn how to make your own advertisement, you are in the right place

26. Let Your Audience Fill In The Blanks

When creating an ad that uses a bit of humor or a clever approach, it’s normal to be worried and to fret “What if they don’t get it?”. But, have faith in your audience and try to avoid spoon-feeding them the message, let them infer certain things and let them fill in the blanks.

Have a look at this ad for Heinz Hot Ketchup that allows consumers to put the pieces together themselves, inferring what events lead up to the image, before revealing via the product name, what really went down. Like most ads, this one positions the product logo/image down the bottom of the ad, so that the joke is understood after viewing the image.

Note that there’s no copy that says “Sauce so hot that you’ll sweat” or anything too expository. The ‘getting it’ part of the ad is left up to the consumers. Try to think of your advertisement like a good joke, if it’s clever and strongly put together, you shouldn’t have to explain it.