20 Best Print Ads That Took Advertising to New Heights

TL;DR 
These award-winning print advertisements from various industries prove that print ads can still dominate in today’s digital world. From emotional appeals to witty slogans and artistic visuals, these famous print ads use creativity and clever messaging to stay in our minds long after we’ve seen them. So, if you're thinking about creating your next print ad or print campaign, you might want to take some inspiration from these iconic examples.

Print advertising has a long history of delivering impactful messages through simple yet powerful designs. Top best print ads in advertising history have raised the bar by blending creativity with strategic messaging.

From eye-catching visuals to memorable taglines, these top best in ads of all time, best print ads in advertisements, and ads in advertisements campaigns exemplify the power of great design. But how do the best of the best print ads in advertisements and ads campaigns manage to grab our audience’s attention and leave a more lasting impression and memorable impression?

Similar to these stellar examples, INKLUSIVE offers a comprehensive suite of creative services that ensure your designs aren’t just good but memorable. Whether you’re an advertising agency in need of print design, social media graphics, other design elements, or a brand’s commitment to complete branding overhaul, INKLUSIVE makes sure each piece resonates with your target, and audience’s attention, and meets your brand’s commitment and business objectives.

How Famous Print Ads Set New Standards for Print Advertisements

1. Chupa Chups – Ants Eating a Lollipop

This clever twist and playful ad broke the traditional sugary candy ad mold by showing ants gathering around a Chupa Chups lollipop, with the tagline: “Sugar-free.” It’s a simple, effective concept quirky, and clever concept ad that gives the product a fun twist.

2. Kielo Travel – Office Daydreaming

This ad perfectly captured the universal feeling of longing for a vacation while at the office. A stressed worker surrounded by paperwork stares longingly at a beautiful tropical beach. The message is clear: “We know you need a break.”

3. WWF – Save the Forests

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) used a striking image of a tree being transformed into a pencil to highlight deforestation. The tagline: “You don’t have to be an expert to save the forest.” is a powerful call to action.

4. Nike – Just Do It

Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” print campaign has been a gold standard in print advertising, known for its simplicity and boldness. The design, featuring strong imagery paired with a minimalist tagline and bold move, connects deeply with viewers on a personal level.

Just like Nike’s bold and simple approach, INKLUSIVE ensures that your designs convey a clear message with every project. Whether it’s a print ad, a website design, or social media content, INKLUSIVE emphasizes clear communication and striking visuals that make an impact.

5. The Economist – Think Outside the Box

This magazine ad also showed a small, square box with a simple message: “Think outside the box.” The clever visual and witty message highlighted the magazine’s ability to make readers think differently about the world.

6. TAC (Transport Accident Commission) – Texting While Driving

A brilliant example hard-hitting ad with clever visuals and a powerful message: a third ad features a blurry image of a crash scene with the simple tagline, “It’s your fault if you don’t stop texting.” It was a brilliant example hard rock an example of a clever ad and a stark reminder of the consequences of distracted driving, making it one of the most effective award-winning print advertisements.

7. Absolut Vodka – The Vodka Bottle

Absolut’s iconic print ads of all time have become legends in the world of advertising. One ad famously showcased the bottle as a part of the landscape (like a building or mountain), with classified print ads, seamlessly blending the product into artistic visuals.

8. BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine

BMW’s ad depicted the luxury car as the epitome of style and power, with bold fonts and high-impact imagery. The tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine” became synonymous with their brand and a reminder of their superiority in the car industry.

9. Apple – Think Different

Apple’s “Think Different” print ad campaign also tapped into the power of emotional storytelling. With striking visuals and clever messaging, Apple positioned itself as a company for creative minds and innovators.

At INKLUSIVE, we understand that your brand, next campaign, creative ad, or advertising agency’s visual identity is just as important as the message behind it. Our brand design and advertisement design services help your company ad agency or advertising agency craft its unique voice—one that resonates with your target audience and leaves a lasting, memorable impression.

10. Coca-Cola – A World Full of Happiness

Coca-Cola is no stranger to iconic ads of all time. One ad featured diverse people sharing a Coke with the tagline, “A world full of happiness.” The simplicity and joy portrayed in this ad reinforced Coca-Cola’s mission of promoting global happiness.

11. Coca-Cola – Open Happiness

The “Share a Coke” campaign personalized the Coca-Cola experience by swapping the brand name for common names, creating a connection between the brand and its consumers. This brilliant and creative use of personalization turned an ordinary product into something more meaningful.

Similarly, ad agency INKLUSIVE tailors its advertising agency and design services to meet your brand’s unique needs. Whether you need a one-time design or a full suite of creative assets, ad agency INKLUSIVE offers a range of flexible packages to help you scale your creative output—no matter the size of the advertising agency behind your project.

12. The Guardian – 9/11 Memorial

This stunning imagery emotional ad by The Guardian newspaper featured a minimalist design showing a crumbling tower silhouette, with the words “We won’t forget.” It was an ingenious ad that conveyed the raw emotion and commitment of the newspaper to report the truth during hard times.

13. Lexus – The Car as Art

Lexus pushed boundaries by showcasing their cars as moving art. A beautifully lit car surrounded by soft light, paired with the tagline, “Driving Art” emphasized their cars’ sophistication and style.

14. Volkswagen – Think Small

Volkswagen’s “Think Small” print ad from the 1960s revolutionized the automotive advertising world. By embracing the simplicity of its compact car design, Volkswagen created a compelling narrative that flipped the traditional expectations of the automotive industry.

When it comes to INKLUSIVE, we approach each project with the same simplicity and efficiency. Our print design services are crafted to make your message stand out without any unnecessary clutter, ensuring every design element is purposeful and impactful.

15. The Red Cross – Blood Donation

A striking visual ad for the Red Cross depicted a white bandage and a single drop of blood with the tagline: “Every drop counts.” This simple yet powerful design communicated the importance of blood donation effectively.

16. Dove – Real Beauty

Dove’s magazine ad campaign focusing on real women of all shapes, sizes, and colors was a game-changer in the beauty industry. The print magazine ad featured un-retouched photos of women, with the message, “Real beauty is in every woman.” It was revolutionary for its ads of all time too.

17. PETA – Don’t Eat Meat

PETA its next campaign used an image of a woman with the face of a pig and the tagline, “This is who’s for dinner.” The stark and controversial ad was a direct appeal to stop eating meat, sparking conversations and raising awareness about animal cruelty.

18. Guinness – Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Guinness’ ad showing a man waiting for the perfect pint of beer played on the brand’s philosophy of taking time to appreciate quality. With a clever twist on the tagline “Good things come to those who wait,” it became a quintessential example of a creative ad about how patience pays off in both life and beer.

19. Ogilvy – The Power of Print

This Ogilvy ad showcased the power of print advertisements with a bold, clean typography, stunning imagery, and a clever design. The copy-genius ad highlighted how print ads still can communicate messages in a meaningful and lasting way.

20. Volvo – The New Volvo XC90

Volvo’s print ad for their new XC90 model showed a simple image of the car against a clean white background. The tagline “This is just what a luxury feels like” spoke to the SUV’s sleek design and comfort, reinforcing Volvo’s commitment to premium vehicles.

Why These Ads Work: Insights into Print Advertising Excellence

When it comes to the best print advertisements in advertising history, the best print ads campaigns consistently exemplify a unique combination of creativity, clarity, and emotional connection. These campaigns prove that even in an age dominated by digital media, print ads can still stand out, spark conversation, and leave a lasting impact on audiences.

Let’s break down why these top print advertising campaigns work so effectively—and how INKLUSIVE channels the same principles of excellence into its on-demand creative services.

1. Simplicity in Design

One of the key reasons these classified ads succeed is their simplicity. In an era where people are constantly bombarded with information, a clean, minimalist design can help grab attention and make a message more digestible.

Think of the famous Volkswagen “Think Small” ad campaign, a brilliant prime example, which used a simple image of the Beetle against a stark white background. The ad didn’t need intricate details or fancy graphics to get its message across—its strength came from the clear, concise message: sometimes, smaller is better. By stripping away excess visuals, the focus of classified ads is placed squarely on the important message itself.

At INKLUSIVE, we believe in the power of simplicity as well. Whether you need print design, website design, or social media graphics, we ensure that every element serves a clear purpose. With our on-demand creative services, you can quickly get high-quality designs that communicate your brand’s message in the most effective way possible.

2. Creativity and Innovation

The most memorable print ads often feature clever, unexpected visuals or innovative design techniques that make them stand out. Take Absolut Vodka’s bottle-turned-art ad series, for a great example.

By showcasing their product in visually striking and unexpected ways—such as a bottle disguised as a city skyline—Absolut was able to turn an everyday object into a symbol of creativity. This not only caught the viewer’s eye but also communicated the brand’s essence: bold, artistic, and unique.

At INKLUSIVE, we bring the same level of creativity and innovation to every design project. Whether it’s an infographic design that brings complex data to life or a motion design that engagingly tells your story, we push the boundaries of just what it’s possible to deliver designs that are fresh, fun fact unique, and memorable. Let us help you bring your boldest creative ideas to life with our all-access, on-demand design services.

3. Emotional Appeal

Print ads that successfully evoke emotion can be extremely powerful in creating a connection with the audience. A great example is the WWF ad featuring a tree being cut into a pencil. The stark visual of the tree being destroyed, coupled with an eye-catching ad along with the message “You don’t have to be an expert to save the forest,” brought a deep sense of urgency and responsibility to the issue of deforestation.

Similarly, PETA’s controversial ad showing a woman with the face of a pig made an emotional plea to stop eating meat, sparking a conversation on animal rights and cruelty. These emotional appeals aren’t just attention-grabbing—they make the viewer feel something and prompt them to take action.

INKLUSIVE understands the power of emotion in design. Whether it’s a brand design that tells a compelling story or an advertisement design that sparks conversation, our team crafts designs that connect with your audience on a deeper level. We know how to leverage emotional appeal to drive engagement, create lasting impressions, and inspire action.

4. Clear and Direct

Clear, direct mail impactful messaging is at the core of effective print advertising. Campaigns like The Economist’s “Think Outside the Box” and Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” are perfect examples of how a serious ad aims for a simple yet profound message can resonate with a wide audience.

Whether it’s inspiring someone to rethink how climate changes their perspective or encouraging them to experience joy in daily routines and their daily lives together, these direct mail and ads cut through the noise and deliver a message that feels both personal and universal.

At INKLUSIVE, we believe that clarity is key. Our presentation design and advertisement design services focus on delivering your message in the most effective, direct way possible. We’ll help you cut through the clutter, ensuring your target audience knows exactly what you want them to take away from your campaign. Whether it’s a single print ad or an entire branding package, we ensure that your message always hits the mark.

5. Consistency with Brand Identity

The best print advertisements align seamlessly with the brand’s identity and messaging. Nike’s “Just Do It” ad series is a prime example of how consistent messaging over time can help reinforce a brand’s values. It doesn’t just sell a product—it promotes a lifestyle, one of achievement and perseverance.

This consistent brand message helps create an emotional connection with the audience, which is one of the most powerful aspects of effective print advertising.

At INKLUSIVE, we understand that consistency is key to your customers and building a strong brand identity. Our brand design services ensure that your visual assets—whether print ads, website designs, or social media posts—are consistent with your brand’s values and message.

With INKLUSIVE, you can create a cohesive and impactful brand experience across all touchpoints, ensuring that your audience knows who you are and what you stand for.

Ready to Elevate Your Brand?

Just as these top print ads have captured audiences and left lasting impressions, INKLUSIVE can help you create and craft designs that do the same for your brand. Whether you need to create a custom print ad, create a rebranding, create, or ongoing design support, we offer flexible, scalable solutions that align with your creative needs. Our subscription model ensures that your marketing team and customers can access high-quality designs quickly, without bottlenecks.

Whether you’re a small business, a mid-sized company, or a large enterprise, we have the tools and expertise to help you succeed.

Get started with the INKLUSIVE Starter Pack for just $199 and experience the creativity and quality that’s made these ads famous.