The A.I.D.A. formula is a common format used in the writing of commercials.
- Parts of A.I.D.A. Commercial
- Attention: Get audience’s attention
- Interest: Keep interest expand attention, tell benefits, use “you,” etc.
- Desire: Create desire in audience. Develop some need in the audience members that the product meets.
- Action: Tell audience what to do. Go to an address, go to web site or call now.
Take a look at the following TV commercial script. See the parts of the A.I.D.A formula? What's the need addressed?
A typical commercial script follows a two column format with the video on left and audio on right. The video column describes what the viewer sees in each part of the commercial and the audio column describes what the audio will hear.
Source: Hillman
There are three major formats of commercials and the A.I.D.A. formula best fits the format called the straight sell.
Format of Commercials
- Straight Sell
- Main “character” is a pitchman who tries to sell product to you.
- Testimonial
- A personal story is told to sell the product. “I use the product. It works for me. So,…”
- Dramatization
- Tell a quick story/mini-drama to sell product.
- Get attention
- Create suspense by creating a problem/need for a character
- Solve the problem/need. Very often it is the product that solves the problem or meets the need.
The idea of a product meeting a need is mentioned above a few times. It is important. There are a variety of ways of talking about human needs, but the classic is Maslow's Heirachy of Needs (see below).
We need the things above. With this in mind, how would you write a commercial to sell a product?
Take a look at the following, recent commercial. Does it use A.I.D.A.? What format? What need(s)?
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See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.
, Thomas McPhail defines the CNN effect as "the process by which the coverage of a foreign event by CNN causes that event to be a primary concern for its audience, which in turn forces the federal government to act." One could add to the U.S. government, then as part of its foreign policy, may influence foreign governments/peoples through direct action (e.g., war) or through sanctions. See video clip.
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