1. 8 Basic Principles of Advertising for Graphic Artists
Graphic arts professionals are often put in a unique position. They are asked to create a beautiful project
which is what they’re good at, and yet still create something functional.
That function is often branding or advertising for the company. Every document, image, or work a
graphic artist is asked to create is made to sell an idea, product, or brand to an external or internal
audience.
More simply put, every document they make is selling a product to potential customers or selling an
idea to employees. Consequently, a professional of graphic arts in Salt Lake City, for example, has to
know how to advertise to the people of Salt Lake City.
Here are 8 of the basic principles to advertising to help the Salt Lake City graphic artists get their word
out. Take note and see how each can apply to your industry in your area.
Don’t Trick Persuade
First, transparency attracts people to you and your product. People are tired of companies trying to pull
the wool over their eyes.
They don’t want to be tricked into buying a product, they want to be persuaded. People are more easily
persuaded when they can see through you.
They want the truth. They want to know what your purpose is
and they want to know how you do it.
Second, get to the point quickly. Don’t bury the lead—a term
used in reporting to indicate that you save the best news for
last.
Give them the lead quickly and simply. Don’t use 5 words
when you can use 2.
Simple is memorable. Telling them the point quickly hits your audience immediately.
Billboard advertising finds quite a bit of success this way. They are forced to keep things simple and
direct.
Make the Product the Focus
Third, make the product the main character of your advertising. Brand placement in the background is
hard to notice.
Making the product an object in the advertisement makes it a secondary character. You want your
product as the main character because the main character is who people remember.

2. When you think of the movie Iron Man, do you think of Pepper
Pots first or Tony Stark? Find a creative way to make your
product or service the main character.
This will also help you get to the point quickly. Your product
becomes the actor.
Fourth, be adventurous in your advertising. If it has been done
before, then no one wants to see it.
Your competition will have a step-up on you. A great example of its effectiveness comes from the recent
movie Sky Fall.
James gets ahead of the villains plot by changing the game. He takes his boss M to a place that he can
control the game.
Effective advertisers change the game. They create an advertisement that is unpredictable and
surprising to their audience and competition.
Finally, Salt Lake City graphic arts professionals are relevant. Their simple message answers the
consumer’s question, “Why should I care?”
That message has to be delivered quickly, simply, and obviously. You become effective as a graphic artist
as you incorporate the principles of advertising into your work.