How to design an ad to pull your readers' heartstrings

Originally written: January 19, 2020

Appealing to your audience’s empathy is a necessary skill to employ when trying to persuade your audience, and it can be done with a few simple design tricks.

CRS, which stands for Crisis Relief Singapore is a non-profit organization that is designed to raise awareness of crisis relief and help train volunteers to help those in “crisis-hit locations.” They do this very well with their “Liking isn’t helping” campaign.

Contrast:

Contrast isn’t the strongest element in this photo because there is a lot of color, however it still is in play by making use of the color white. Because the rest of the photo is different shades of grey and black, the white clothes of the two figures in the center of the photo radiate. Also, the text in both corners grab our attention because they are white in comparison to the darker background.  Also, the idea of the ad is contrasting because the “thumbs up” from the others is a very different reaction from normal reactions if they saw this in real life, which is the point of the ad.

Repetition:

The entire photo is black and white and the font keeps up with the theme of no colors by remaining a simple white. The photo’s message is powerful with the repeating “thumbs ups” surrounding the woman and boy. If there was just one thumbs up, the photo wouldn’t be as meaningful. The font is also in the same which strengthens unity.

Alignment:

The text in the left corner is aligned with one of the hands giving the pair a “thumbs up.” The bottom of the second line of text aligns with the bottom of the log in the corner too. The arm of the people in the left side of the photo also match the lines formed with the gate. The “thumbs ups” are all aligned which create the feeling that the pair in the center are trapped and in a cage.

Proximity:

“Liking isn’t helping” is placed very near the little boy’s face which makes it impossible to read the line without looking at his distressed face. The second line of text that helps viewers make a difference is placed besides the logo which helps direct the readers to the organization where they can now go act. The proximity between the woman and the child is close; she is obviously much more involved in his life than the hands around them because there is a great distance between those hands and the child.

Color:

There isn’t any real colors in this photo which adds to the bleakness of the image. The greys, whites, and blacks create a sense of somberness and eliminates distractions so that our eyes identify the subject is the dying little boy. The whites in the photo do match the whites of the font to continue unity.

This particular advertisement is very bleak and somber, but it is a powerful advertisement all the same. It’s definitely possible to use design techniques to get your point across and make a difference with your ad.