Ready to have your mind blown? A Washington Post article estimated that it would take 305.5 billion pages to print everything on the Internet. And that was back in 2015, that number is even bigger now.
We are well and truly in the digital age. But with so much content online, how the heck is your brand supposed to cut through the noise?
Print ads could be the solution.
These statistics make a compelling case for print advertising:
- Eight out of 10 consumers trust print ads most when making a buying decision
- Print advertising generates a 112% ROI in terms of consumer response rates
- When combined with email marketing, businesses see a 49% increase in sales and a 125% increase in inquiries
Now for the fun part. I’ve rounded up 16 of the best print ads of all time and the lessons we can learn from them.
1. This MBF ad in Women’s Weekly increases bookings by 800%
Back in 1993, MBF released this print in Women’s Weekly to promote its breast cancer screening services. Women’s Weekly featured a high quantity of ads, meaning MBF needed to do something to stand out.
It enlisted the help of copywriter John Bevins, and this was the end result.
I love this print advertisement because it’s bold and unexpected. But more importantly, it does the impossible. Ads couldn’t normally show a breast affected by cancer, but using this artwork made it possible. It raises awareness of the signs of breast cancer (like skin puckering) and encourages people to get tested.
The results were incredible:
- 83% of all women noticed the MBF ad
- It achieved the second-highest “Read Most” score
- 69% of readers correctly attributed the ad to the right brand
- Bookings to the clinic went up by 800%
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2. This “I never read The Economist” poster makes people do a double-take
Even if you don’t read The Economist, you’re probably familiar with their distinctive “White out of Red” ad campaign.
The series was created in 1988 by the famous agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. It featured short, eye-catching print ads written in white text on a red background.
The copy in each ad gives a clever nod to how The Economist is the best magazine in the world for business professionals.
This is one of my favorites because it says so much in just nine words. At first glance, it’s just someone saying they’ve never read the magazine. It also subtly infers that this person would be more than a Management trainee if they had The Economist.
The campaign was active for 14 years (1988-2001). During that time, the business saw some incredible results:
- 65% increase in circulation
- 95% rise in subscriptions
- Steadily growing advertising revenues
- A host of accolades (like the Creative Circle Award)
3. IKEA asks women to pee on this ad
In 2018, IKEA shocked us all with a print ad that doubled as a pregnancy test. As part of its “Where Life Happens” messaging campaign, IKEA set out to promote its baby crib.
The ad ran in Sweden, asking women to pee on the ad to see if they were pregnant. If the test was positive, it revealed a discount code for a baby crib.
Interestingly, despite only running in one Swedish magazine, the ad became a global talking point. I love this because it proves that you don’t need a huge budget when you have a really great idea.
4. This Volvo ad paints a visual picture
When you think of the brand Volvo, what’s the first word that pops into your head? For most people, it’s “safe”.
Volvo understands this. It knows it can’t be as sexy as a Porsche or as sleek as a Lamborghini. But it does have the market share in safety. Volvo has nailed its positioning, and this ad is proof.
I love it because:
- It paints a visual picture of just how safe Volvo’s cars are
- It’s unexpected (most car brands steer away from mentioning crashes – not Volvo)
- The ad copy is great, but you don’t even have to read it to get the message
5. Air BnB plays on a famous tagline
AirBnB has done some epic print ads over the years. One of my personal favorites is this one to promote its new Grand Pianos Category on the app.
The image shows us what to expect (a piano in our AirBnB). But the copy does something unexpected. It takes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic phrase from The Terminator, “I’ll be back” and gives it a new spin.
According to the Ad Professor, this technique is known as “copy forking”.
6. Delhaize rebrands the humble vegetable
Ok, so technically this one isn’t a print ad, but I had to mention it because it’s brilliant. In June 2018, Belgian supermarket Delhaize pulled off one of the most impressive marketing feats of the century: it rebranded vegetables so kids would eat them.
In a bid to encourage kids to eat their veggies (and show the brand’s commitment to customer health), Delhaize collaborated with local schools and asked the kids to rename 12 products.
Carrots became “Orange rockets”, onions became “Clown’s noses”, and oyster mushrooms became “Gnome trumpets” (my personal favorite). The supermarket even added these names to in-store signage, packaging design, and receipts.
Delhaize sold over two million magic veggies and saw a 151% increase in sales. That’s one way to beet the competition. 👀
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7. Prost8 UK busts myths with a mind-bending image
Prost8 UK has a strong message. 12,000 people in the UK die every year from a treatable illness. Prostate cancer. And one of the main reasons why men avoid getting tested is because of a lack of education.
Prost8 set out to raise awareness about how a prostate exam is done (i.e., it’s a simple blood test and not an invasive procedure). This billboard is genius because the image gets the audience to stop and stare, and the message is clear.
In just over two weeks, the campaign garnered 3.2 million organic impressions and 40,000 social reactions.
8. Adidas uses the fold to grab our attention
Why fight the fold when you can leverage it to bring your print ad to life? That was Adidas’s philosophy with this magazine ad for its Forever Sports campaign.
This double-page spread cleverly uses the fold to make the static image dynamic. When you open and close the pages, the athlete does a crunch.
I love it because it’s simple, smart, and creative. Everything an effective print ad should be.
9. Publicis creates an emotional connection through artwork
In 2007, a study called “Marketing in the Era of Accountability” revealed that emotive ad campaigns were twice as profitable as rational ones. That explains why this print ad by the Belgian League of Alzheimer’s (created by Publicis) is so powerful.
Titled “Alzheimer’s Day”, the print ad was published by the Belgian League of Alzheimer’s. I love it because it uses the imagery of a blank page to create empathy for people living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s emotive and it cuts through the noise.
10. Porsche’s 911 Carrera Cabriolet ad is just what the doctor ordered
Vintage car ads are a goldmine for print ad inspiration. Over the years, Porsche has given us some iconic ones. For me, this classic Porsche poster ticks all the boxes I want in a print ad:
- It uses an eye-catching and witty tagline (something fans of the brand have come to expect)
- Rather than list the features of the Porsche, it surprises us by positioning it as a health product
- It creates an emotional connection between a healthy lifestyle and Porsche
If this got your engine revving, take a look at our roundup of the best car ads.
11. WWF uses photography to shock its target audience
Climate change, deforestation, poaching. We all know what’s happening to the planet, but most of us are too busy with our hectic lives to take action. WWF wanted to create a series of print ads that forced people to take notice.
Enter its “Before it’s too late” campaign.
The image shows a pair of green lungs. One lung is noticeably damaged. The only copy is the “Before it’s too late” tagline.
I love this ad because it creates a link in our minds between the damaged lungs of a smoker and the earth’s lungs (our forests). It’s a strong message that is hard to ignore.
12. Norwegian Airlines makes us laugh with a timely print advertisement
Just three days after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie announced their split, Norwegian Airlines ran this ad. It alludes to the trending gossip but doesn’t make it too obvious.
People loved the creativity, so Norwegian Airlines decided to make an even better print ad in UK newspapers. This time, they came right out and said it: “Brad is single,” along with the price of a one-way plane fare to LA.
I think there’s a bit of a misconception about print ads. Many marketers believe that they don’t work for reactive marketing. This is a great example of how effective print advertisements can be in reacting to the latest cultural trends or events.
The copy is minimal. There’s limited design. But the statement is bold (and trending), so it works.
13. KFC uses a creative ad to do reputational damage control
KFC had a serious supply chain issue in the UK back in 2018. As a result, a number of its restaurants had no chicken and had to close. Customers were not very happy and KFC experienced a significant loss of revenue.
The whole thing was a disaster. Luckily, KFC’s genius marketing team decided to turn the sorry situation into a viral newspaper ad campaign.
It rearranged the brand’s name to spell out “FCK” and paired the copy with an image of an empty KFC bucket. There’s an apology below.
The campaign was a success:
- It generated 8.6 million impressions on Twitter (in three days!)
- Brand sentiment increased by 9% in the week following the campaign
- Same-store sales increased
Now that’s FCKing clever.
14. Apple’s magazine ad shows us the benefits
I think this is one of the smartest magazine ads I’ve seen in a long time. Apple’s branding is unbeatable. Everyone on the planet knows its iconic logo and its next-level packaging strategy. So, it created this print ad to showcase the star feature of its new product, the MacBook Pro Ultra Thin.
The ad uses thick paper to replicate the actual dimensions of the laptop.
What I love about it (and all of Apple’s messaging) is that it doesn’t focus on the specs. Instead, it shows its target audience just how light and thin the new MacBook is. There’s something aspirational about it.
In a recent interview with Brand Coach Diana Caplinksa, she had this to say,
“Most don’t buy a Mac for its tech specifications but for its affiliation with the creative class and distance from stuffy workplace cultures. It’s not an overpriced laptop. It’s a communication of your identity (and later on, just something you’re now used to).”
15. Rolex makes us dream big
Ad legend David Ogilvy famously said,
“Long copy sells more than short copy, particularly when you’re asking the reader to spend a lot of money.”
Nowadays, short copy reigns supreme, but I think this print advertisement by Rolex is a great example of just how effective long copy can be.
Rolex has long been associated with our world leaders. In fact, President Eisenhower and Winston Churchill were two of the first “influencers” to don a Rolex watch.
Naturally, Rolex decided to play on this fact with this old ad. It shows a picture of the “Palace Of Nations” (now known as The United Nations Office At Geneva). Below is a picture of a man’s wrist wearing a Rolex watch.
The message is clear. If you want to be a world leader, wear a Rolex.
16. This Chivas Regal ad breaks every alcohol ad rule in the book
In 1988, whisky brand Chivas Regal broke every rule in the book with one of my favorite print ads of all time.
The copywriter behind this iconic print ad, Neil French, explains his thought process:
“In any ad, most people will tell you, there is a minimum of four elements: headline, picture, copy, logo.”
French goes on to say that if you can use only one of those elements in your ad, you’ve got a winner. And that’s why I love this ad. It breaks the rules, uses reverse psychology to draw its target audience in, and perfectly positions the brand as a premium one.
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Readers typically spend 20 minutes or more with a printed publication in their hand. When we compare that to the average visitor to a digital news site, that’s 15 more minutes. The moral of the story? Print advertisements can help your brand get in front of the right eyeballs and stay there long enough to make an impact.
Of course, print advertising is not without its challenges. Environmental issues, longer creative review processes, and higher recall rates can put some marketers off.
The best way to reap the rewards of print advertisements and still meet content demands is with the right tool.
Artwork proofing software like Filestage speeds up the approval process on print ads, helping you spot errors and get sign-off 30% faster.
If you’re ready to optimize your print ad approval process, get a free seven-day Filestage trial today.
