Advertising: tips to make a lasting impression

Published : 06/18/2025 10:41:29 Updated : 04/30/2025 10:53:30 Optimize your media budgets The Media Buying Academy : Basics to get started

Équipe Adintime

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What exactly are we talking about
How to make an impactful ad
How much should you budget to create a good ad
The essential tools for creating and distributing your advertisement
Examples of striking advertisements in 2025
Create in-house or delegate for your advertisement?
Mistakes to avoid for effective advertising

The key to a successful, eye-catching advertisement is a clear message, a well-crafted visual, good targeting and a format that's adapted to the chosen channel. The ad must capture attention in a matter of seconds and incite action.

What exactly are we talking about

In the world of communications, the terms advert and advertising are often confused. Yet understanding the difference between the two is essential for advertising campaigns that make an impact on your target audience.

What's the difference between an advert and an advertisement

Advertising refers to all strategic actions aimed at promoting a product, service or brand. It encompasses everything from social networking campaigns and Out Of Home advertising to radio and TV spots.

Within this global strategy, the advertisement is the concrete element that is disseminated: a visual, a text, a video or an advertising poster.

Let's take an example: if you launch a campaign on Google Ads, the advertisement is the complete project, the advert is the text that your audience will see when they click on the call-to-action button.

The objectives of an advertisement for a business

Your advertisement must first attract attention, then incite action.

It can have several objectives:

Increase brand awareness
Generate online or in-store traffic
Enhance your image or promote something new

A successful ad is one that captures your target's interest in a matter of seconds, by meeting their expectations. It's this first contact that often initiates the rest of your advertising campaign.

How to make an impactful ad

First and foremost, ask yourself this question: who do you want to talk to, and why?

An advert aimed at “everyone” won't convince anyone.

The more specific your target, the more powerful your message. Defining a clear objective - generating visits, promoting an offer, boosting awareness - is the basis for avoiding ineffective generic advertising campaigns.

What's more, your ad should appear where your audience spends time.

If you're targeting young, active people, give priority to social networks or digital media.

For a local clientele, a poster ad or radio will be more relevant.

Each channel has its own codes.

A YouTube video needs to captivate in under 5 seconds.
An Instagram story needs to be immersive and fast-paced.
A display banner needs to be legible in the blink of an eye.

Always adapt your tone and design to the medium used.

How much should you budget to create a good ad

The price of an advertising campaign varies greatly depending on your choices.

On average, you should expect to pay between €500 and €2,000 for a well-designed digital ad, and several thousand for an urban billboard.

Remember to balance your budget between content creation and distribution. A beautiful ad will be useless if it isn't properly displayed.

The essential tools for creating and distributing your advertisement

A successful advertisement rests on two pillars: careful visual creation and well-targeted distribution. To achieve this, there are a number of easy-to-use tools at your disposal - even without a marketing team. Here are the ones that can really make a difference to your business.

Graphic and video creation tools

For creating impactful visuals without being a designer, Canva is a benchmark. The tool offers professional templates suitable for social networking, print or digital banners. You can create an advertising poster in just a few minutes.

If you're a little more demanding in terms of graphics, the Adobe suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) lets you design highly personalized visuals, perfect for print formats or high-end brand visuals.

For video content - highly effective at attracting attention - platforms such as InVideo, Mojo or CapCut offer dynamic templates suitable for stories, reels or YouTube ads.

Broadcasting tools

On the broadcasting side, Google Ads remains one of the most powerful. It lets you display ads on search engines, partner sites or YouTube.

Meta Ads Manager is ideal for reaching your audience on Facebook and Instagram, with very fine targeting.

Also consider LinkedIn Ads for B2B, or TikTok Ads if you're targeting a younger audience.

Analytics and optimization tools

To track the performance of your advertising campaigns, Google Analytics / GA4 will give you a clear view of your conversions.

Tools like Semrush, Ubersuggest or Keyword Planner are useful for choosing the right keywords, especially for your Google ads.

Examples of striking advertisements in 2025

Some recent advertisements have made a lasting impression with their boldness, sincerity or well-judged humor. They prove that you don't need a huge budget to attract attention: a good idea, well executed, is often enough.

Innovative digital campaigns

It's hard to miss the fake collab between Burger King and KFC, dubbed BFF Burgers. It all started with an enigmatic post on social networks, suggesting an alliance between the two rivals. The announcement generated considerable buzz before being revealed as a marketing troll on the part of Burger King. The result: massive visibility and a strengthened brand image.

Discover the best Burger King ads now.

Intermarché took a different tack with its “Histoire d'un amour” video. In a romantic comedy tone, the brand depicts a chance encounter... in the toilet paper aisle. Behind the wink lies a real message: we all have a good reason to eat better. A sensitive and accessible storytelling that spoke to many.

Recent creative billboards or video spots

Another strong example: the Cerhom campaign, in partnership with Movember, deployed in the Paris metro. At Bourse station, posters with subtle wordplay raised public awareness of testicular cancer.

Little text, much impact. Proof that a powerful message can come from a simple, well-thought-out execution.

Create in-house or delegate for your advertisement?

When launching an advertisement, the first question to ask is: can you create it yourself, or is it better to call in an agency? Both options are valid, depending on your resources and ambitions.

Creating in-house: when it's possible, and with which tools

If you're on a tight budget or want to test formats quickly, tools like Canva, InVideo or Google Ads are perfect. They enable you to create and distribute online advertising without advanced technical skills. This is a good solution for SMEs who want to learn by doing.

What are the advantages of working with an agency

An agency will support you from A to Z: positioning, creation, targeting, distribution. They have the expertise to maximize your return on investment, especially on complex channels such as billboards, radio or social networks. It saves time, and often efficiency.

Mistakes to avoid for effective advertising

Even the best ideas can fail if certain classic mistakes aren't anticipated. Here are three pitfalls to be avoided if you want your ad to do its job.

Targeting too wide or too blurred

Trying to appeal to everyone is often tempting, especially for a young company. But a message that's too generic ends up reaching no one.

Good, precise and assertive targeting enables you to create an ad that attracts the attention of the right people, at the right time.

Sloppy visual identity and call to action

Your visual is often the first thing anyone sees. It must reflect your brand universe, be clear, legible and attractive. And above all: always include an effective call to action, to encourage engagement or clicking on the button.

Don't test or analyze your results

One of the great advantages of online advertising is its flexibility. Test different visuals, messages or channels, then analyze the results. An effective ad is rarely perfect on the first try - it's constantly adjusting.