Where images speak louder than words

Advertising is everywhere. In print, on the internet and in our heads. Æsthmetrics has been creating ads for employers and companies for years. And, in fact, our director has even helped "write the book" on advertising. As the Collaborative Editor for "Contemporary Advertising," the leading college textbook on advertising (click to show the book image to the left of this block of text), he wrote the creative chapters, worked with agents on getting approval for using ads featuring actors, celebrities and more. He's won awards for his advertising as well.

Of course, advertising isn't all Æsthmetrics does in the way of promotions. We're experienced public relations practitioners, too. We write publicity articles (our promotional stories have been featured on the first page of Section B of the New York Times). Our director has assisted a Vice President with an impromptu press conference, escorted well known newsmen on miitary bases and set up three day trips for high-ranking VIPs to visit radio and television talk shows.

Advertising is best used to promote awareness for a product or service. To do this, attention-getting images and headlines are needed. This is demonstrated by the light-hearted imagery and pun-oriented text in the ads and coupon book on the left half of the image above. In contrast, public relations advertising and promotional programs are best used to establish credibility via anecdotal information presented in different ways over time. A  subtle difference can be seen between the ads on the left and the ads on the right half that feature a more moderate and factual approach with a focus upon broader concepts.

1. In the illustration above, the businessman with all the hats typifies why he can't get his marketing programs because he's too busy managing every other detail. Of course all the things he can't get done, Æsthmetrics can do."
2. The three vertical ads use a play on words and photos to say the university's student health insurance plan is suitable for everyone
3. The CCN ads are simple and elegant. The images on the two-page ad complement the "The Power of Being Connected" headline to create a feeling.
4. The "Titanic Headache" ad's attention-getting iceberg can be seen larger on the "Illustrative" gallery page.
5.  In the interactive block to the left, the first image shows that nicely designed ads and coupon books, etc., can be printed okay on cheap, "pulp" paper.
6. The white book version of "Contemporary advertising" is one of several editions partly written by our director who served as the collaborative editor.