Given the choice, which of these burgers would you choose?

You picked the #1, didn’t you? Of course you did! Who wouldn’t?

These burgers are actually the exact same, except that #2 is the one that you are more likely to get when you go to the store. But wait, that doesn’t seem fair… does it?

So, why did you pick #1? Or, why would it seem unfair to get #2?

The answer: we vote with our eyes!

Meaning… we make most decisions in our life based on what we SEE. Our vision helps us decide what we eat, what we drive… even who we date – Shocker? Where do you think the term “love at first SIGHT” came from?

*Disclaimer* I’m not exactly saying that we are purely shallow people. But there is some truth to it, and for the purpose of illustrating my point I had to say it! At the same time… there’s a reason my wife’s celebrity crush is Kevin Hart and not Kevin James…

ANYWAYS… back to burgers.  You would have picked burger #1 because it’s beautiful. But does a good looking burger mean it tastes better? Not necessarily! And isn’t eating a burger all about what it tastes like? We don’t choose to eat it because it SOUNDS good on the grill… so why would we choose to eat it because it just because it LOOKS good? The only reason is because our minds are programmed that if it looks good… it must taste good!

So, I have two points as this relates to advertising.

1) The difference between a very effective ad and a less-effective ad has a lot to do with the visual. More images, less words.

Take these ads for example.

What is the difference between these?  Ad #1 is acceptable. But, ad #2 is exceptional. #2 has much less words, but the image gives the audience an idea of “Hey, I would like to have a great bath where I can have more ‘me’ time”. The more people we get thinking this way, the more likely the campaign is to be successful! (The graphic for this ad was created by Pattison Outdoor, as a free service, for one of my clients.)

2) Include a visual medium in your advertising plans. Because we trust our eyes so much, choosing a visual advertising medium (like billboards) will allow for the consumer to create a desire for the product based on how it looks. The ad allows us to decide whether the burger or the car is worth further consideration… and once we decide that it is, then we are lead to the store to make a final decision… and that is the point of advertising, to get you in the store. It’s not the job of the ad to sell, that’s your job. It’s the responsibility of the ad to do an effective job in educating the customer on what choices they have.

Less is more. We vote with our eyes. And my wife really wants to kiss Kevin Hart.

Cheers!