Advertising Terminology: Key Concepts & Definitions

Posted on May 27, 2025 in Arts and Humanities

Advertising Terminology

Advertisements (Ads)
A paid notice or announcement, such as of goods for sale, published in newspapers or magazines, or broadcast on radio or television.
Advertisement Revenue
Provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks.
Ad Overlay
A type of advertisement that shows at the bottom of the TV screen, which blocks out some of the picture.
Animation
Often used in advertisements. By using animated characters, an advertisement may have a certain appeal that is difficult to achieve with actors or mere product displays. For this reason, an animated advertisement can be very long-running, sometimes for several decades.
Banners / Logo Bugs
Referred to by media companies as Secondary Events. They may sometimes take up only 5 to 10 percent of the screen, but in extreme cases, they can occupy as much as 25 percent of the viewing area.
Billboard
A very large poster, typically located near main roads or in other public places for advertising.
Brand
The image and abstract ideas which a product or service represents, and which are promoted in advertising.
Budget
An estimate of expected income and expenses for an advertising campaign or project.
Campaign
A course of planned activities designed for a specific purpose, such as a sales campaign.
Catchphrases (Slogans)
A memorable phrase identified with a particular party, product, or idea.
Catchy Jingles
A group of words or a short song with catchy sounds, usually of a light or humorous character, used for advertising.
Commercial Break
A pause in the middle of a TV program, or between programs, during which advertisements are shown.
Copywriter
Someone who writes the words (copy) for advertisements.
Deadlines
The specified time by which something must be finished or submitted.
Fade In/Out
To gradually increase (fade in) or decrease (fade out) the picture or sound of a film or advertisement.
Flyers
Information sheets which are handed out to people, often in public places like the street.
Humor
Advertising agencies often use humor as a tool in their creative marketing campaigns. Many psychological studies have attempted to demonstrate the effect of humor and suggest ways to enhance advertising persuasion.
Logo
A distinctive emblem, symbol, or graphic mark that identifies a company, product, or organization.
Media Campaign
A coordinated series of advertisements and promotional efforts across various media channels (e.g., TV, radio, print, digital) to achieve specific marketing objectives.
Mood/Lighting
The overall atmosphere created by the lighting of a location, determined after the Director of Photography (DOP) has verified possible alternatives.
Nuance
A slight difference or distinction, as in expression, meaning, color, or tone.
Pop-up Ad
A graphical user interface (GUI) display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears (‘pops up’) in the foreground of the visual interface, often without the user’s explicit request.
Print Advertising
Advertising distributed through printed media such as newspapers, magazines, and brochures.
Product Placement
An advertising technique where advertisers pay for their product to appear within a film or TV program.
Query
A question, especially one addressed to an information system or database for data retrieval or analysis.
Reason
A basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, or event.
Real-Life Scenarios
A trend in advertising that moves away from ‘in-your-face’ ads, where the product is the star, towards ‘mini-movies’ or quasi-documentaries that reflect everyday situations.
Screen Advert
A general term for an advertisement displayed on a screen, such as a TV, computer monitor, or mobile device.
Setting
The time and place in which the action of a book, film, or play happens.
Sequence
A series of related things or events, or the order in which they follow each other.
Shorter Commercial Breaks
A strategy to keep viewers more engaged and improve brand recall for advertisers, as well as reducing channel surfing and fast-forwarding past ads.
Shooting Storyboard (SS)
A series of drawings showing the order of images planned for a film or advertisement.
Subliminal Advertising
Advertising designed not to be noticed consciously, but thought to create a deep unconscious awareness of or desire to buy a product.
Summary
A complete yet brief account of things previously stated.
Super (On-screen Text)
Text or graphics that appear on screen, often overlaying video, such as a slogan or product information.
Target Audience
The specific group of people that the advertiser wants to reach with their message.
TV Advertisement (TV Commercial)
A span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message.
Viral Advertising
An advertisement designed for internet users to send to each other, typically because it is entertaining or clever.
Voice-over
In films and TV, the spoken words of a person you cannot see, typically narrating or providing commentary.
Word-of-Mouth Advertising
Free advertising based on personal recommendations from satisfied customers.

Language Devices in Advertising

Alliteration
The use of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together.
Comparison
The act of comparing two things to highlight similarities or differences.
Emphatic Language
The use of strong words or phrasing to show importance or conviction.
Metaphor
An expression that describes someone or something by referring to something else that is considered to possess similar characteristics, without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Personal Pronouns
Words used to replace nouns (e.g., you, we, us). In advertising, they suggest the audience’s identification with the product or a shared experience through buying the product.
Repetition
The use of the same word or phrase more than once for emphasis or memorability.
Rhyme
The repetition of the final sound of a word or words, often used in jingles or slogans for memorability.
Wordplay
Playing with words which have more than one meaning, or with words that sound similar but have different meanings, often for humorous or clever effect.