Creative Ads

Going back to being "sticky" as I discussed on August 19. I want to point out an ad I thought was original for the Washington Humane Society that appeared in the classifieds section of the Washington City Paper.

And here's another humorous one.

I like these ads because they are original, brief, and funny. They run every week in the City Paper, which comes out every Thursday. I would most certainly describe them as sticky.

Even though these ads are not for specific animals, I think we can learn from them. I'm not suggesting we blatantly copy them but rather make our Petfinder listings and other listings for specific animals more interesting, compelling, and eye-catching. Doing so can increase awareness amongst the general public. Here, an adopter in San Francisco responded to an ad because it sounded like a personal ad.

In fact, I'm seeing more listings take the personal ad approach, which may mean it's time to choose a different advertising style. What that it is I can't tell you. Maybe it's time to gather all your volunteers and come up with some creative ads. Especially for those big brown (or black) mutts that have so much trouble finding homes.

I have heard that some potential adopters can be put off by an ad that goes on and on about the suffering of an animal. I think that's possible and I would generally try to keep my ads positive. This being said, I think there are times when this can't be avoided, such as when it's a difficult to place or special needs animal. In this case, it pays to be upfront about an animal's condition and background to limit possible rejections.

I'll continue to link to some interesting and eye-catching ads as I stumble across them.