#1 Visual pun
Expose the double meaning of your headline to add a playful touch to your ad.
Step 1: Write down your key message
“Your HR compliance task list just got 90% shorter.”
Step 2: List double meanings
Think of literal interpretations and funny scenarios connected to a word or phrase in your message.
For example, to illustrate the word “shorter”, you could show a shrunken sweater, a flamingo with tiny legs, or a dachshund with a shortened torso.
Sometimes it won't be relevant to your value prop and will serve more as a gimmick, and other times it can reinforce your message beyond wordplay.
Step 3: Keep it obvious
Design around one strong visual subject and keep the delivery dead simple. If it takes more than 2 seconds to get, rework it.
#2 Visual metaphor/analogy
Show the problem, solution, or benefit as something unexpected to stop the scroll.
Step 1: Write down your key message
“Bad reviews hurt your reputation.”
Step 2: Find something unrelated
The goal is to present an abstract message through something concrete and tangible.
Start by identifying the main quality or idea you want to depict, like “hurt your reputation”.
Then, look for that same idea in a different context.
Brainstorm objects, situations, or scenarios, like a stain on a T-shirt or a wrecking ball hitting a wall.
Step 3: Tell the story
Keep iterating the design until the visual lands without explanation, and you're on the right track.
#3 Visual exaggeration
Depict your message at an impossible or absurd scale so it's immediately felt rather than explained.
Step 1: Find your angle
Focus on a real feeling your customer is experiencing, a pain point, or your product’s benefit.
Step 2: Exaggerate it
Go crazy. Find ways to make your key message absurd but still recognizable.
Frustration becomes a laptop through a window. Nagging becomes a megaphone and a banner.
Step 3: Create the scene
Your goal is to emphasize a point, evoke strong feelings, and sometimes even create a humorous effect.
So make sure to design a scene your audience instantly recognizes, feels, and relates to.
