5 Steps to a Potent Ad -- rid Gets Attention for Reducing Hospital Infection

Take a cue from this powerful ad featured in yesterday's Wall Street Journal. The ad, run by the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (rid), urges Journal editorial page readers to take these 15 steps before hospital treatment (surgery is the focus).

Here's why this ad packs such a punch:

1. The value to the reader is clear, so readers are motivated to digest content -- No one wants to get an infection while hospitalized; while everyone knows someone who has had that experience.
2. The copy is written clearly, accessibly and succinctly, which is quite different from most medical information.
3. The ad is formatted for quick and easy digestion, breaking a lot of information into 15 concrete steps, each of which is a manageable chunk (a great example of chunking).
4. The ad is strategically placed on a page where readers are likely to linger more than on other pages; simply due to the depth of content. So they're more likely to absorb ad content.
5. rid is building its brand by urging readers to "tear this out and save life your life." When they do, they save info on rid.

When you're out on the deck sipping a cold martini on a hot summer's eve, hospital infection isn't top of mind. But then, unexpectedly, it may be. rid's ad is a keeper for that moment.

P.S. Read this in-depth article on getting your pitch across in 30 seconds or less.

P.P.S. Here's the full ad again.

Get the Getting Attention e-news? Subscribe now for key articles and case studies on nonprofit communications.