How do you design advertising with branding guidelines?

1 Understand the brand

Before you start designing any advertising, you need to understand the brand you are working for or with. What is its mission, vision, and values? What are its goals, target audience, and positioning? What are its unique selling points and benefits? How does it want to be perceived by the public? These questions will help you to align your advertising with the brand's core identity and message, and to avoid any confusion or inconsistency.

2 Follow the style guide

Most brands have a style guide that outlines the specific elements of their visual identity, such as logo, color palette, typography, imagery, icons, and graphics. The style guide also provides instructions on how to use these elements correctly and consistently across different formats and platforms, such as print, web, social media, and video. Following the style guide is essential to design advertising that is coherent and recognizable, and that respects the brand's identity and standards.

3 Adapt to the context

While following the style guide is important, it does not mean that you have to use the same design for every advertising campaign or channel. You also need to consider the context and purpose of your advertising, and adapt your design accordingly. For example, you might need to adjust the size, layout, or resolution of your design depending on whether you are creating a billboard, a banner, or a flyer. You might also need to modify the tone, language, or content of your design depending on whether you are targeting a local, national, or global audience, or whether you are promoting a new product, a special offer, or a social cause.

4 Be creative and original

Designing advertising with branding guidelines does not mean that you have to be boring or repetitive. You can still be creative and original, as long as you stay within the boundaries of the brand's identity and message. You can use different techniques, such as contrast, hierarchy, balance, alignment, or white space, to create visual interest and impact. You can also use storytelling, humor, emotion, or surprise, to capture attention and engagement. The key is to find a balance between consistency and creativity, and to design advertising that is memorable and distinctive, but also relevant and appropriate for the brand.

5 Test and evaluate

The final step in designing advertising with branding guidelines is to test and evaluate your design before launching it. You can use different methods, such as focus groups, surveys, or analytics, to gather feedback and data on how your design performs and how it is perceived by the audience. You can also compare your design with other similar or competing ads, and see how it stands out or blends in. Testing and evaluating your design will help you to identify any strengths or weaknesses, and to make any necessary adjustments or improvements.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?