Welcome to ad designs by The Artworks

Telephone: 01663 745070

Bright ideas for marketing and advertising

V. ADVERTS FOR VALETING, VETS AND VAN & CAR HIRE

Do exaggerate if possible. What can be added or made bigger or longer to add value to the product or service? See the Mercury rent-a-car advert top right. A perfect example is also the County Van Hire advert above. You could also try the opposite exaggeration with this ad based on the price. What reduction no matter how extreme could represent the low price point more effectively? Answer; simply redesign the ad with just a small price as the headline surrounded by white space. Simples!

WEB BANNER ADVERTS

W. ADVERTS FOR WROUGHT IRON, WASHERS AND WATER COOLERS

Do put as much thought into your end-line as much as your headline. In larger adverts there are a number of ways to sign off. One is the final telling fact that completes the sales. Another is the call to action. Most popular of all there’s the witty line that relates back to the headline in some way.

W. ADVERTS FOR WINDOW CLEANING AND WINDSCREEN REPAIRS

Do consider a change of perspective to enhance your product. How can the product be presented from the viewpoint of another angle. Consider playing with extreme close-ups or distance to communicate the unique selling proposition of your product just like the window cleaning advert above.

VAN DESIGN LIVERY

WEBSITES

X,Y,Z. ADVERTS FOR ...We haven’t done any adverts for YOGA, YOUTH ORGANISATIONS or ZOOS so we thought we’d show you some work with zebras in instead!

Don’t allow your advert to be designed by committee. Without proper leadership and general decision making skills, you invariably end up with a complete conceptual mess. If you try to please everyone (by applying all their thoughts) the purity of your original idea will suffer, which is so often the fate of many potentially great ads.  Think of it this way - a zebra is a horse designed by committee!

And finally nothing is universally perfect. When creating an advert you are combining the literal and the lateral. Anyone can criticise anything creative. Criticism is easy, it’s the art that is difficult. Be passionate about your work but don’t get too precious.

Well, that’s about it, you’ve got to draw the line somewhere.

W. ADVERTS FOR WEDDING SERVICES AND WINDOW FILM

Do use raw statistics when possible which are far more convincing than polished opinions.

Do you want a car that does 60 miles to the gallon or one that’s “outstandingly economical?” Obviously more people can relate to 60 miles per gallon.

W. ADVERTS FOR WINDOWS

Do push it!

The phrase “push it” is popular among creative directors and college lecturers.  But what exactly does it mean?  It basically means rework, tweak and improve your idea. In other words, there’s definitely something in the original ad or campaign idea, but it’s yet to reach its potential. Some combination of the headline, visual and tagline needs “pushing.” Perhaps the ad’s just not simple, funny interesting or powerful enough yet, but often it’s 90% of the way there, and a small tweak is all it needs.

Like most time-served graphic designers we spent the first part of our careers only designing for print. We have discovered how the design industry as a whole has changed and continues to evolve.

Certainly, some thought they would be left behind because they were not labeled as a web developer. But what has become increasingly clear is that design skills are design skills. If you have the eye, and a willingness to learn how to work across multiple platforms, you can do some stunning work.

They may have different names, but the concepts are all the same. It’s just the screen or paper that’s different. The Artworks offer standard, no-frills online brochure websites (see examples below). Up to 5 pages of text, graphics and links. You supply the text and any graphics you want used (e.g. company logo) in suitable format and we can supply any other graphics for the general look of the site. 

What you won't be able to do is any of the following: update your own content (unless you want to learn some html), expect animations, sounds, video or any other multimedia content, expect user-participation features, like forms or games, or to be able to sell anything online ... we leave all that up to our associate web maestro Chris at Thisworks (see contact details below).

What you will get is a great looking, multi-page site displaying images and text to tell people about your business, including contact details and an email link. Think of it as the online equivalent of a brochure.

Although we can't guarantee success in any particular Google search results, we can create a site which is search-engine friendly and will compare competitively with similar sites in search engine results. We can also explain ways you can boost your search engine ratings through links with

other sites. SEO (search engine optimisation) is more about fixing technical issues and it's about being sure you're using words that your target audience uses. And these days, in the wake of Google’s Panda and Penguin, it's also about diagnosing bad links and other things that may be bringing your site rankings down.

If you have already registered a domain (a web address) that's fine, we can work with that, or if you'd like us to take care of that, just let us know what domain you'd like and we'll look into it.

Likewise, if you already have web hosting somewhere (perhaps a holding page already exists) we can use that, or we can provide hosting.

Want to know more? Call Mike on 01663 745070 now!

Want to know how to move your website up a gear into the realms of E-commerce and effective SEO (search engine optimisation)? Call Chris at our associate company ThisWorks on 01925 498858 or visit www.thisworks.co.uk

Car, Lorry, Bus and Van Graphics

Vehicle graphics are a great way to get constant publicity, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  We hold a vast array of templates for the majority of cars, vans and buses. Stunning, eye catching vehicle livery design is a hugely cost effective way for a small or medium sized business to promote their name, products and services. The key to an effective van design is simplicity. Vehicle wraps are the hottest and the trendiest in the world of vehicle advertising. Full and part vehicle wraps are a lot more than just contemporay trends. Recent advances in sign technology mean that they are here to stay. Graphics have been used on vehicles in several different forms for many years now but with this new current technology you can wrap entire vehicles, vans, trailers etc with precision, high clarity and ease. Even with a single vehicle wrap businesses can gain huge benefits in terms of visibility since the vehicle would be advertising anywhere and everywhere instead of being restricted in one location like traditional static advertising.

One of the reasons why vehicle signage has become very popular is because it is a cost effective advertising solution. We know that with the kind of economic conditions that we are facing, most companies have slashed advertising budgets. We offer you the most cost effective and high quality vehicle signage so that you can reach out to higher number of potential clients, get more leads and enjoy increased revenue and sales. Typically, advertising in radio, TV or outdoor billboards can easily cost a fortune but with a vehicle sign you can significantly lower comparable advertising costs. Our professional and friendly team are waiting to assist you in any way we can to boost your advertising presence. Not sure about the kind of design that will suit your business? Simply contact us and we will talk you through the options and provide suggestions about what will work out to be the best for your business according to your marketing needs.  Our experienced design team can create a clever wrap design on your vehicle so you can start banking on maximum impact. At The Artworks we understand the importance of quality and therefore our clients can always expect high quality vehicle signage advertising solutions from us. We bring a wide range of advertising and marketing solutions that fit the requirements of all kinds of companies like the examples shown here.

VITAL DO’S & DON’TS FOR MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER & TELEPHONE DIRECTORY ADVERTISING

Don’t settle for an average advert. At best we only remember the great ads or the really, really bad ones. The rest are invisible, like wallpaper. Doing a great advert involves immersing yourself in the product or service, but in our experience whenever there is a great advert, there is usually a great client. Bad ads are usually the result of “seat of the pants marketing” from a client with the luxury of too large a budget.

We like simple and effective web design which leaps off the screen. You should too!

Curious about what makes a great advert?

"Far and away the finest design company in the North West we’ve ever come across."

J. Arden - BOLLINGTON INSURANCE

"We initially used them for just a small ad from a recommendation from a media company. We were looking for an outdoor design specialist ... we discovered “the” outdoor design specialists."

I. Beith - TRAILWISE

"During the golden days of press advertising in the 90‘s they certainly made our adverts shine."

H. Cooper - COOPER ADVERTISING

"Worked with Mike for years. A real design gentleman."

J. Elliot - SIGNS & LABELS

"They’ve done some brilliant work for our clients."

Angela Poole - GM BUSES

"Ask to see a copy of the Viking Tyres radio advert they did for us ... it’s very clever indeed."

Laurence - Whitegates Garage

"Simply love your work."

K. Thomson - LAMB & CO.

"Mike is the ultimate design maestro."

C. Jones - PRINTING.COM

"Never come across a company as creatively quick as the Artworks."

S. Forster - THOMSON LOCAL

"No problem in endorsing their skills." 

P. Sigley - GBM

"A highly talented designer and charity fundraising genius as well as an all round good egg. See Mike as his alter ego Chief Crazy Horse at www.help2000.co.uk"

A. Boulton - DIZZY HEIGHTS FUNDRAISING

"Mike is mad ... and mad about design."

Y. Davies - PETER ASHLEY LANDSCAPES

"The Artworks are the headline kings."

Bernard - ROYAL UMPIRE CARAVAN PARK

"Have relied on their service for countless years."

B. Murphy - STOCKPORT COUNCIL PUBLICITY DEPT.

"Our brochure looks great."

T. Hughes - HAYFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

"Much appreciated. They go above and beyond what you’d normally expect from certain so called design professionals."

Brian Ellison - EWP

"I give them 5 stars ... every time"

K. Talbot - FOUR SEASONS

"Discovering The Artworks was like a breath of design fresh air"

P. Smith - GREAT WESTERN WINDOWS

"The Artworks set a benchmark for my business with a fabulous logo design."

I. Bostock - HIGH LANE FRAMES

“Mike’s style is copied in many publications."

G.Udoh - DOWN YOUR WAY

"I can sleep easy at night knowing that using The Artworks all our press deadlines will be met."

D. Johnstone - PINE WAREHOUSE

"Really, really pleased with your creative interpretation of our previously bland ads.”

C. Tranter - HOLLINGDRAKE LAND ROVER

"Wow! I did not expect such a simple bespoke  “ready-to-go” design solution to my complex brief in such a short space of time. Everything is brilliant.”

16. P.Halstead - STYLE CONSERVATORIES
    

"The work you have produced is a quantum leap from our existing adverts.”

P. Harrington - JORDAN’S ESTATE AGENTS

"The Artworks have the skill to come up with design ideas really quickly.”

D. Dawson - DAWSON’S ACADEMY

"Used them for many years since starting my business.”

B. Griffith - SMART TRAINING

"Perfect! What else could you ask for?”

A. Andrews - INTROPOINT

"Bringing a stable of over 30 years of design work on one website is no mean feat. Very few other sites have achieved this.”

J. Smith - NORISK

"I’ll keep this testimonial short and straight to the point, just like Mike’s ads ... BRILLIANT!”

7. G.Atkinson - YELLOW PAGES
   

"Mike’s ability to create simplistic yet stunning work is truly inspirational.”

D. Ryan - 24 INSURE

"If you’ve trawled the internet for design companies you’d be lucky to find them, I think they were on page 3 of Google when I came across them. They do have a considerable number of competitors, but when it comes to competition The Artworks wins hands down ... every time!”

Steve - SPEEDY PARTS

"A cracking logo. You interpreted my brief perfectly.”

T. Heatley - PENGUIN HOME IMPROVEMENTS

"Great book cover design.”

P. Stenson - AUTHOR

"The Artworks certainly win my customer service award for innovative design. Nobody holds a candle to them.”

D. Goddard -  MARKET CAB & CARRIAGE CO.

"Mike is the embodiment of a true design professional.”

S. Hayes - THE BRAMHALL BEAUTY CENTRE

"The two logos you created for me are exceptional.”

B. Dunlop - CONSERVATORIES ONLINE/E-BUILDERS

,

When it comes to creative marketing they cover everything

P. Whitehead - WHITEHEAD & WHITEHEAD

SEND US YOUR BEST ADVERT, LEAFLET OR

LOGO & WE’LL SEND YOU BACK A BETTER ONE!

AN A-Z DIRECTORY OF ADVERT DESIGNS THAT WORK

It's an old maxim that the best kind of advertising is word of mouth and more recently because of technological advances, word of mouth coupled with a bit of viral marketing. Unfortunately you can't buy space in “word of mouth” media. At least not with money.

How you can buy it, is with advertising that gets noticed.

The more it gets noticed, the more it gets talked about, and the more it gets talked about the more it gets noticed ... and that’s when it goes viral.

Talking of sex ... using sex to sell is lazy, but there is more than one form of lazy picture, the kind that becomes a visual cliche, and as such, fails to attract attention. One of them is the "Kitchener-needs-you" picture, a stern looking face and raised right hand, with finger pointing straight out of the ad into your face. How many times have you seen that? Another one is the montage and some advertisers are drawn to it because they believe they must illustrate everything. Thus you get a kind of "film poster" effect, with the factory, the product, a train, plane or truck, a computer, a telephone and heaven knows what else all melded together. It's a natural "first thought" but when it pops into your mind I urge you to discard it. Other lazy pictures include thumbs up signs, pieces of paper fastened with paper-clips and bees making a bee-line for something. Or puns like the illustration of a chess board with the headline that says: "It's your move” for a removals firm. Once you've thought of them think again.

You’ll find a vast array of these on template design websites ... avoid them like the plague.

In conclusion, remember you’ve got a limited amount of space to get your message across, so keep your message crisp, clean and simple just like these effective BRV web banner & magazine banner adverts below.

Always consider putting yourself in the advertisement. (Like I have done on each page of this website as my alter ego Chief Crazy Horse). It helps to make the advert more human. It lets the customer come into direct contact with the guy at the top of the tree, the person with the little plaque on his desk that reads, "the buck stops here" That makes the reader feel good. And if it's successful for giant companies, eg Virgin (though nowadays once companies become successful they tend to turn into call centre zombie firms, eg BT), how much more effective is it for a small company, run by a straight-as-a-die- boss, determined to offer personal service and see the customer get what he wants? You're not one of those remote Managing Directors, working out of an ivory tower, eg Banking & Energy companies, who only comes down to staff level when they’ve been caught wrongdoing. You take a shop floor interest in what goes on, and if anything goes wrong, you'll see it's put right. Featuring the boss of the company has another advantage, besides personalising the advertising, eg Richard Branson. It lets you write in the first person. That eases up the style, make it colloquial, you can use phrases you'd use in everyday conversation and they'll sound perfectly natural.

Start with a bang! Like the SEX headline above, (which is a simple and crude example, yet effective for me in trying to explain a point).

Make the reader jump. Or smile. Or be intrigued. Don't start with the name of the product or the name of the company. Don't repeat in the first paragraph what can be seen from picture and headline. Use short words and sentences. Be enthusiastic, lively colloquial and leave the reader in no doubt about what to do next.

SEX

Be wary of using too many adjectives in banner advertising. It tends to cheapen your product. Exciting, amazing, incredible, and other superlatives rarely manage to impress. If you really are offering a breakthrough product, it's enough to explain the breakthrough. Adjectives and flashing images, more often than not, slow communication rather than speed it and will certainly annoy the reader. Avoid flashing whizz-bang banner ads with moving type at all costs.

Remember the eye-journey on banner ads (a) picture (b) headline (c) name of company and contact details. Keep it SIMPLE & RELEVANT to your target market.

The advertising rule of thumb is, if you're talking to women, you should show women in your picture, if to men, then feature men, if to pensioners, pensioners, and so on. But you can also use the subjects that interest women; animals, babies, weddings, christenings, fashion. And the subjects that interest men, sport, money, cars, war, natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes. And the subjects that interest almost everybody; entertainment, film and TV stars, famous personalities of all kinds, and, of course sex.

The idea of having a celebrity endorse your product is as old as the hills ... and very expensive. But since you probably only have a modest budget, and can't afford a famous personality, how can you use this trusty technique? There are ways. Instead, invoke the experience of a group of experts. For example:

1. The kind of windows builders recommend

2. 2.The hotel that hotel-owners like to stay in
   

3. 3.The place where travel agents take their holidays
   

4. 4.The car hire company that chauffeurs like to use
   

5. 5.The alarm system retired policemen recommend
   

6. 6.The calculator that impresses accountants
   

7. 7.In our survey 9 out of 10 prison inmates preferred our competitors alarm system
   

Next comes testimonials. The only difference between the endorsement advertisement I've described above, and testimonial advertising, is that for testimonials you need satisfied customers.

Here’s some of ours from the last 30 years. You’ll see many others on previous pages of this website.

ENDORSEMENTS

& TESTIMONIALS

PUTTING YOURSELF IN THE ADVERT

Finally on a personal note about websites and the internet. At it’s initial conception the internet was supposed to be for everyone to share equally. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. Take search engines for example, it is dominated by cyber bullies like Google who are constantly moving the goalposts (along with their tax liabilities) with their ambiguous rules regarding ranking of websites with copy rich content and back-links, so proceed with caution when a company promises you a page one ranking, SEO is a black art!

ADVERT DESIGNS FROM £95   LEAFLET DESIGNS FROM £95   LOGO DESIGNS FROM £95

And if you don’t like our ideas or designs, it’s our problem, not yours.

Call Mike on 01663 745070 for full details and availability of our introductory FREE copyrighted design service.

WHICH IS BEST? YELLOW PAGES, THOMSON LOCAL or THE BT PHONE BOOK?

The Artworks,

149 Kinder Road, Hayfield,

High Peak SK22 2LE England.

Tel/Fax: 01663 745070

www.addesigns.co.uk

email: mike.greensmith@btconnect.com