Similar to the integration for television advertising, including a URL in a print ad is the base level of integration that doesn’t require much effort. Still, while 70 percent of print ads included a URL, the mean masks a broad range in execution.
At the upper end of the integrated print ad spectrum, urban male-focused magazines such as VIBE and Dub had nearly 90 percent URL inclusive advertisements, while fashion had just 20 to 30 percent URL inclusion. Fashion advertising has been late to adopt interactive, but its low URL inclusion rate is compounded by poor execution.
An example of clear URL integration is this GM ad with its bold font, unique color, call to action and reiteration in the body of the text as well as in the lower right corner where the reader’s eye naturally follows the page.
Clear integration
As an industry-leading direct marketer, Dell is typical of a brand that has an ecommerce website with the ability to call a reader to action. With the brand represented within the URL as the hero, the font size is extreme but also does its job to make Dell top of mind for those consumers considering which computer to buy with a specific purpose in mind-- gaming.
Bold and effective
What to avoid:
- Font/type is too small to notice or read
- Placing the URL near or in the center crease of the magazine
- A font color of the URL that is too similar to the background color of the ad itself