Art of comparison: using the before-and-after approach to grab readers' attention

Entrepreneur, Oct, 1997 by Jerry Fisher

The before-and-after concept, also known as compare/contrast, may be unique for a column on advertising, but it has a long and successful history within the field of advertising itself. Diet programs have used it most effectively in showing the contrast between the way a person looks before and after they've been on the program. Cosmetic surgeons do the same with photos of their patients. Mutual funds show charts comparing their results against the various indices, such as the Standard & Poor's 500.

About 10 years ago, there was a wonderfully creative use of this technique by a radio station in Los Angeles that was promoting its classical music format. The station ran a magazine ad showing a "before" photo of what one might call a culturally challenged individual, disheveled, with a large beer gut hanging over his belt, and next to it an "after" photo of a sophisticated, slim, seemingly culturally elevated listener. I don't remember the exact wording of the tongue-in-cheek headline, but the gist of it was "Look what can happen after listening to WXYZ for just one week." The ad was hilarious and really put the radio station on the map.

There are examples outside advertising as well. Before boxers do battle, newspapers typically run a "tale of the tape" comparison of the gladiators' measurements - biceps, chest, thighs, etc. I find myself riveted to those statistics. Even though it's not advertising, it's yet another lesson that this sort of dynamic is a powerful way to engage the reader. After all, unless you can get readers to hone in on your ad, it's merely part of the passing adscape they barely notice as they flip through a newspaper or magazine. Whether you're comparing what you offer against what your competition offers or you're showing the before-and-after results of your handiwork, this technique almost never fails to grab attention.

Do you run a hair salon? You could show not just a well-coiffed model but also a "before" ad of the same model without the hairdo. It guarantees you'll get more attention. Do you operate a graphic design studio? Show a client's old logo next to the great new one you created. Nothing can better express, in an eye blink, why you should be the choice for a reader's new corporate identity program. Do you perform any kind of repair work that has a cosmetic element? Show how the item looked before - and how it looked after.

* COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Obviously, the point I'm making is that the before-and-after comparison approach has a built-in appeal that will work for virtually any kind of business. That's my message to Diane Serbin of South Bend, Indiana, who wrote recently. Diane and her two sisters, Joanne and Carol Ann, publish a quarterly 12-page newsletter called Happy Landings, a publication that helps people overcome their fear of flying. (See "Travel Smarts," February 1997, for more on this newsletter.) The newsletter has received encouragement from a number of airlines, and Diane has provided viewer tips on CNN's airport network. Now the Serbin sisters are anxious to build on the newletter's small but growing circulation. They've taken a first stab at an ad, and they're ready to take the next step. My suggestion is to employ the before-and-after concept.

The Serbins have a great product for comparison advertising. My idea for the execution was inspired by the ad for the classical radio station mentioned earlier. The headline would read: "The Cure for White-Knuckle Fliers." The visual element would be a cartoon showing a comparison of a person before subscribing to the newsletter and after, with appropriate captions. Then I would offer a few details about the publication. Since this is the only such publication for people with this phobia, the ad doesn't need to be jammed with copy. The Serbins should offer a money-back guarantee. And although they haven't solicited testimonials from "cured" subscribers, those would be great in future ads.