Before we dive in, let’s put our big girl panties on because this one’s going to sting a little. Let’s also give some grace to advertisers and designers alike — you don’t know what you don’t know.
The underlying problem behind bad ad design is usually one of two things: either the client trusted their advertising dollars to the wrong designer (and yes, we mean designer, not a publication sales rep), or the designer gave too much leash to the customer, abandoning their designer spidey senses based on the mantra “the customer is always right.” (…or maybe the designer just threw in the towel after being worn down with a trillion edit requests. Been there, done that. Fun fact: the average “lifespan” of most design careers? About 18 months. There’s a reason for that.)
…OR…
God forbid the advertiser joined the masses in viewing commercial design through the lens of “that looks like fun” and downloaded the latest free app to DIY Dumpster Fire their advertising dollars.
But we digress…
Does this ad make you squirm in your seat? Feel a little itchy? Confused, overwhelmed, maybe even a bit nauseous? It should. It’s breaking all the rules. Visually cluttered, difficult to read, and every angle makes your head spin, this ad is a rollercoaster your stomach never signed up for. No wonder clients come to us questioning whether they should keep spending money on print—or any—advertising. That said, this is nowhere near the worst ad that ever came to us, like a train wreck survivor being wheeled in on a stretcher.
So how do you avoid creating a visual trainwreck that leaves your customers dizzy and your ROI flatlining? Here are just a few of the tactics we employed to take this ad from the trash bin to the top of the attention charts. These rules are the design 101 foundation that should be put into practice no matter the application. They’re rules that actually work & if your designer isn’t following them, it might be time to jump the tracks.
Rule of thumb: never use more than three font families. Two is even better. You can vary styles and weights within those families, but resist the temptation to go wild. Too many fonts = hard to read = disaster waiting to happen. Let the logo drive your font selection – stay on brand and use accent colors and styles to pack a punch.
What if the “brand” or logo sucks? Yep… it happens… sometimes you’re stuck trying to make merengue for a mudpie. In this case, the logo itself was violating the three-font-max statute… Life is hard sometimes. Our approach? Select only one font family for the ad and use color, size, and weight to add flair. It’s possible to shake things up without giving your readers a seizure.
This isn’t a kids’ cereal box, people—it’s a commercial ad. Pick a simple color scheme and let the logo lead the way. Even if your client didn’t give you a brand guide, technology lets designers extract the exact color from any pixel. Look for what pops, set your palette, and stick to it.
Readability isn’t just about looking nice. It’s about giving the reader what they need, fast. The average print ad is scanned in 2-3 seconds, while digital ads get roughly 1-2 seconds of attention per impression. That means your ad has a fraction of a moment to tell your story. If readers only glance long enough to read five or six words, why clutter your ad with 100? Focus on the message, highlight your CTA, and make it crystal clear. Is it “Call now”? “Visit our website”? “Buy today”? Only one action, please.
Today’s technology allows designers to extract the exact color from any pixel, so there’s no excuse for not staying on brand or matching the color of a prominent design element. Guessing at a color that seems to be “close enough” is unforgivable…think of it like wearing three shades of red in one outfit. Just… don’t. Moves like that hurt everyone. Even if your client didn’t give you a brand guide, get the colors right. There’s no excuse for laziness.
Sometimes a customer will provide you with a less-than-stellar headline – or no headline at all. Every ad deserves a headline – a catchy one. Help your customer and your creative juices by writing one for them. Before you start fine-tuning the design. If you hit a wall, lean on AI to give you a few options to choose from.
Here’s the hard truth: respecting the mantra “the customer is always right” can sometimes hurt your client. If a homeowner told a contractor how to fix their house, the results could be catastrophic. If a patient told a surgeon how to close up, they could bleed out. Same principle here. As a designer, it’s your job to draw the line. If a client wants too many words, cluttered layouts, or low-res art, it’s okay—necessary, even—to say no. You’re doing it for their good, even if they don’t get it in the moment.
Lately, in my social feeds, I’ve seen several of our local businesses post “flyers” that were clearly generated with AI – making everyone’s advertisements look the same… ridiculous. Florida seafood advertisements with whales… fresh water lake sporting goods surrounded by seagulls and ship anchors…. ya’ll – your customers are smarter than you think – even if it’s subconscious – it’s easy to spot when something is made from a robot with no personal knowledge of your business or your customer demographic. If your customer is tuned in enough to realize you took the cheap route…. they will inevitably question your integrity…. There’s a BIG difference in a wise business owner being frugal with their marketing dollars and a sheister working hard to find the cheapest way to trick customers into buying their products. Customers can smell that pile from a mile away.
Before you even spend your dollars on placing an ad, think it through so you’re able to clearly communicate the goal you have in mind. What is your CTA? Who is your customer demographic? What information is crucial to convey? (remember – keep it simple!) Spending a little time before you buy will save you a ton of time on edits and back-and-forth designer revisions.
Your brand identity is key to customer recognition. Repetition is key. What your customers see in your ad should be very similar to what they see when they come face-to-face with you or your product. Does your logo reflect quality by meeting the basic standards outlined above? If not, pump those brakes and get back to the drawing board. Your logo is the foundation under every marketing block you build. If your designer didn’t provide you with a branding guide, take the time to develop your own. Learn more about logo design and branding guides here. Make sure your website, storefront, apparel, and every touchpoint are consistently branded and presenting your business at its highest level.
AI is great for some tasks—but design, including ad creation, isn’t one of them. In just the past month, we’ve seen stage-sized backdrops with upside-down hands, five-legged dog mascots, and logos that can’t be tied to any recognizable brand. Canned AI templates may be fast and free, but your customers can smell the difference between a thoughtful design and a “one-size-fits-all” hack. Use AI as a tool, not a shortcut.
At the end of the day, effective advertising isn’t about chaos, cheap tricks, or showing off every font and color you can find. It’s about clarity, focus, and respecting both your client and their audience. Follow these rules, and you’ll go from “ad-induced nausea” to “look at that, I get this brand!”—without making anyone dizzy along the way.
Advertisers, invest your dollars wisely. Find an ad representative or agency you trust to place you where it matters—and partner with a designer who cares about results, not just filling space. Because when strategy and design work together, your advertising doesn’t just look better… it actually works.