While perusing the sites of some of my favorite agencies, I stumbled upon this outdoor advertising campaign for Woodland Park Zoo by Wong Doody Crandall Wiener. The “Get Real Close” concept really comes through when viewers notice the kids’ faces in the animals’ eyes.
Clients have a tendency to make things ultra-obvious in their advertising, but when you hold back just a little and let viewers discover these hidden features on their own, the ad gets ingrained in their head. They remember it later. They talk about it with their friends. And they become closer to the brand. Don’t be afraid to let viewers work a little bit to “get” your ad. That doesn’t mean you do something that doesn’t make any sense at all though.