An Article that Explains What Metaphors are and How to Use them.

Here are some examples of Professional Metaphor Ads with Commentary and Analysis

Here are some examples of student’s work for the Metaphor Ad Project.

5 Elements to Incorporate in Ads

The Assignment

When perusing women’s magazines, a print ad catches your eye. There is a happy woman picking dandelions with her young daughter, while the caption reads: “Because of cancer, Juliette’ mother only has two months left to live.”

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes it only take a few words carefully selected by a designer to completely recast that picture’s story. Coming up with compelling advertising concepts requires this kind of artful spin through the intelligent marriage of word and image. If executed properly these ads hit you square in the gut.

Shoot a photograph of an item that you carry with you throughout the day or an item that you have in your dorm room.

Design three print ads showing that product in three different ways:

1. Positive

2. Negative

3. Metaphorical

i.e. If you took a photo of your eyeglasses, you could have a glowingly positive ad for the pair that you wear, an ad for a competing product that uses your glasses as an example of what not to buy, and a third ad that uses the glasses as an example of the focus you need when selecting a mutual fund.

Be sure to pre-plan your ads in sketch form before moving into execution.

Your Ads Should Include: Headline, Artwork (photo or illustration), Tag line (optional) Body copy if it explains the ad in more detail from the headline, CTA (see page 2), Logo, Address, Phone, Website. (You can make up a website, or a company)

Ad Size: Live Area: 8.5″ x 11″ Bleed Size: .25” all sides Color: CMYK