Face the Facts Smacking the reader with the cold, hard truth can give your ad a strong punch.

We've all seen the in-your-face TV commercials on the perilsof substance abuse, falling down and not getting up, and even thedisastrous effects of yellowed teeth on your social life.There's no better way to get an apathetic prospect to bolt toattention than to expose the consequences of any life-changingmalady.

That's part of the idea behind the ad shown here, developedby OneSource Marketing for Novartis Ophthalmics Inc. of Duluth,Georgia. The ad promotes the company's treatment for maculardegeneration, a devastating vision ailment that blinds more peopleover 65 than cataracts or glaucoma.

Theheadline gets an A+ for two reasons. First, it compels the passerbyto ponder the question in the beginning: "How scary is losingyour sight to Macular Degeneration?" The secondpart-"Spend a few minutes with Bob, here, and findout"-forces you to dig into the body copy for theanswer, but not before glancing at the haunting photo. The readercan't help but be drawn into Bob's diseased eyes, and thephoto is made even more dramatic by being cropped at the bridge ofhis nose.

The body copy starts: "He can't drive. He can'tread prescriptions unless they're magnified 60 times."Then it leads into "the real scary part? Most people don'tknow they have it until it's too late." Now, the ad is setup to propose a solution that "offers hope. But only if youcatch it in time." This is followed by a call to action, whichasks the reader to phone for free information.

The only criticism I have is that the ad could have promoted aprovocative title for the free information-one that hints atits value. I'd suggest a title such as "The 12 WarningSigns of Macular Degeneration and What to Do About Them." Atitle like that would invite more inquiries. Never just say"send for free information." Give the information a titlethat makes it seem valuable apart from being a promotionalpiece.

Jerry Fisheris a freelance advertising copywriter and author of CreatingSuccessful Small Business Advertising.

Contact Source

• Novartis Ophthalmics Inc.
  (800) 821-2450, www.visudyne.com