Growing up, I loved drawing and making collages. I wanted everything to be colorful, white space in the background meant I wasn’t finished. Even when taking notes in class the white space was calling me to be colored in. But is white space actually a good thing when creating eye-catching ads? My younger self would’ve said HECK NO, but now I have a completely different viewpoint.
All through college, there was one advertisement that was mentioned in every advertising class I took (I’m not joking, I can quote the whole thing). Can you guess what it is (THINK SMALL)? That’s right, it was the Volkswagen Think Small campaign. The whole ad was made up of a Volkswagon off centered with a white background; the bottom had some text about the car and why you needed it. That was it. This advertisement changed the whole game.
So what’s the deal? Why did this change everything? It’s really simple, the white space! Our eyes are actually attracted to the white space because it gives us something to focus in on without any other distractions. It also adds a luxury and elegance to the product (thanks to the think small campaign). The next time you find yourself needing a new ad, think small. You never know how big it can grow.