What Is Advertising Design? A Guide for Designers

You have an eye for design and a sketchbook full of proof, but how do you turn those into a career? You might have thought about working in branding, illustration, or digital design, but the path from A to B can feel as wiggly as a Dalí print. That’s where advertising design steps in. Ad design turns “that looks cool” into conversions.

Take Apple’s 1984 ad. It looked intense, yes. But it also made people talk around the water cooler. That’s the kind of impact your career can have. You won’t just make things look pretty. You’ll build the pixel-perfect ads that stop the scroll or spark a sale. If that makes you hungry, advertising design might be your jam.

IN THIS GUIDE:

What Is Advertising Design?
Advertising Design Examples
Best Advertising Design Agencies
Start a Career in Advertising Design
How Hard Is It to Get a Job in Advertising Design?
Your Path in Advertising Design

What Is Advertising Design?

Advertising design is the art of making visuals that sell. Designers use their skills to convince consumers to take action. They do it with billboards, product videos, Instagram stories, logos, print ads, and digital ads. Advertising design is the glue that makes brands stick in viewers’ heads.

It matters, because brands live or die by how they look and feel to customers. Done right, design injects brand DNA into people’s minds. It’s the colors, fonts, layouts, and emotions that say, “This is who we are.”

Quick Advertising Design Examples

Using visuals to sell isn’t a new idea. David Ogilvy, the “father of advertising,” used visual storytelling back when personal computers were just a gleam in Steve Jobs’ eye. (If you’ve seen the original Volkswagen Beetle ads from the 1960’s, you know what I mean.)

Great ad designs persuade in any medium. Here are four examples:

• Just Do It: Nike used simple images of athletes to raise its market share from 18% to 43% in 10 years.
• 1984: Apple made a dystopian commercial that sold 72,000 computers in 100 days.
• A Diamond is Forever: De Beers used romantic imagery to boost diamond ownership from 10% to over 80%.
• Coca-Cola, Share a Coke: Coca-Cola’s personalized label design jacked up sales after a slump.

Which one of those campaigns grabs your attention?

Advertising design comes in different shapes and sizes. Each one plays a special part in brand communication.

From display ads to influencer campaigns, below are some of the ways that distinct ad types use design to get results.

Display Ads

You’ve seen display ads on websites, apps, and social media. Companies use them to say, “Hey! Here we are!” or, “Remember us?” These ads repeat core visuals and logos to stick a brand in people’s minds.

Nike’s display ads grab attention like this by using bold colors and popular athletes.

Social Media Ads

Advertising designers use social media ads to get attention in busy feeds. They stop people from scrolling past with arresting colors and engaging formats like meme slideshows. The ads have to feel “native.”

In Instagram, that means they have to look casual, like something your friend would post. Glossier’s Instagram stories use soft tones and selfies to make this happen.

Video Ads

Video ads need to hook the viewer before they can tap “skip.” They often autoplay without sound, so designers use bold text and fast cuts as hooks. Old Spice did this with its “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” spots. The ads looked like one take with no cuts and surreal transitions between sets.

Native Ads

Native ads show up in people’s feeds and mimic other posts. They’re often placed in editorial spaces where they have to follow the platform’s tone and structure. Netflix partnered with The New York Times on a native ad that looked like journalism to promote Orange Is the New Black.

Search Engine Ads

Search ads pop up when someone is actively looking for something. Advertising design for these uses clear type and gives users an easy way to take action. Grammarly’s search engine ads show a quick headline and a green “Fix It Now” button. Their ads feel like a shortcut to solving a problem.

Mobile Ads

Mobile ads have to catch eyes on small screens. They use big fonts and flat graphics, and they have to load fast. Spotify’s banners show a single phrase like “3 Months Free.” The bold type and bright CTA stands out to people who are trying to scroll past.

Email Ads

Email ads land in inboxes that are already full of noise. Advertising design here is about getting seen and clicked in under five seconds. Apple’s product emails lead with the image. They use a clean background and keep the CTA near the top. This makes the email feel like a landing page.

Interactive Ads

Interactive ads work best when the user doesn’t have to think. Designers use them to collect input or teach something to users quickly. Most use swipes or taps to make the process fun. Duolingo’s swipe ads let people translate words in real time.

Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads show up after someone leaves a site without buying. Advertising design here uses memory and timing. Amazon shows the exact product you viewed with a new message like “Still Interested?” and a bright button. It’s not clever, but it does remind you what you almost did.

Influencer Ads

Influencer ads are posted on personal accounts, so they can’t look like traditional ads. The design has to match the influencer’s style, not just the brand’s.

Aerie does this by keeping things soft. They use natural light without heavy text or logos. The best advertising design in influencer content feels effortless, even though it isn’t.

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Best Advertising Design Agencies

If you’re an aspiring ad designer, where should you begin—and who are some of the top design agencies to follow?

The advertising industry passed $676 billion in 2024. More than half of that went into digital ads that lean heavily on design. Of course, if you’re a new designer looking for work, you’re often better off to start at a small shop. In a smaller company, you’ll take control of big projects instead of sharpening the pencils.

Here are five advertising design agencies that lead the industry.

Wieden+Kennedy

Known for big campaigns like Nike’s “Just Do It,” Wieden+Kennedy sets the standard in narrative design. Their work blends visual clarity with bold messaging. Their global campaigns feel personal, urgent, and unforgettable.

Pentagram

Pentagram is the world’s largest independently owned design studio, known for work that’s clean, typographically precise, and conceptually tight. Paula Scher’s identity for the Studio Theater in DC used bold, overlapping type and asymmetrical layout to break theater branding conventions. Their rebrand of Mastercard stripped away the name entirely—letting two circles and color do the talking.

Ogilvy

A full-service agency with deep roots in advertising and psychology, Ogilvy blends strategic thinking with elegant design. Their Dove “Real Beauty” campaign showed how branding can challenge norms and start conversations while staying visually clean and universally recognizable.

Droga5

Droga5 pushes boundaries with work that’s sharp, conceptual, and visually innovative. Their campaigns for The New York Times and HBO use UX principles, sleek design, and editorial tone to drive both emotion and action across platforms.

BBDO

BBDO is known for delivering layered brand messages with subtle design cues. From Snickers’ humor-driven visuals to the FedEx logo’s hidden arrow, their work balances storytelling with smart, often understated, graphic decisions that leave a lasting impression.

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Start a Career in Advertising Design

To get your first job in advertising design, your portfolio needs to show employers you can make visuals that solve problems. But you also need to master key techniques like layout and typography.

Let’s take a look at what’s involved.

Advertising Design Best Practices

Most people can tell when a design looks off, even if they can’t explain it. The best design teams know the reasons. They use proven techniques to make ads that get results. The best practices below can help you use your creativity for clients.

• Understand Psychology. A good design should get people to do something. Mad Men was just a streaming show, but Don Draper spoke the truth: Design is actually persuasion wrapped in visual storytelling.
• Balance Design With Copy. The words and images in an ad should carry their fair share of the message. Think of Spotify’s short, witty headlines like “It’s Taylor Swift’s world.” They add empty backgrounds to make the text pop. Neither element works on its own. They work together to land the point.
• Set Priorities. Before you start on a design, decide if it will serve the brand, product, or funnel. Otherwise, you’ll languish in revisions and nobody will agree what “done” looks like. Start with the end in mind so you can work toward a specific goal, beyond just making it look good.
• Know the Underlying Principles. Even subtle flaws like clashing colors can kill audience interest. Design-first thinking might mean choosing a brand color for your CTA that stands out from the background. You can learn color theory and layout in Thinking with Type, or earn a certificate in advertising design.
• Work With a Budget. Good design takes time and tools. Some companies outsource, while others use in-house teams. The first “Got Milk?” print ads were shot on low budgets with simple black-and-white photography. They still became the most talked about ad designs that year.

Advertising Design Skills

You won’t land the job if your portfolio looks like you only know Photoshop. Employers want designers who can think, plan, and execute. These essential skills separate the hobbyists from the professionals.

Skill	Relevant Job Titles	What It Means	How to Build It
Creativity and Concept Development	Art Director, Advertising Designer	Turning abstract ideas into visual concepts that solve problems.	Study campaigns, sketch daily, and practice turning briefs into visual directions.
Typography and Layout	Graphic Designer, Digital Ad Designer	Using type and structure to guide the eye and deliver a message.	Take typography classes and analyze print and web ads for layout strategy.
Color Theory and Branding	Brand Designer, Marketing Designer	Choosing colors that support brand voice and create emotional impact.	Learn color psychology and experiment with palettes using real brand projects.
Software Proficiency	Production Designer, Creative Team Member	Using tools like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to do clean, fast work.	Complete design tutorials and rebuild real ads to sharpen software muscle memory.
Marketing and Consumer Psychology	Advertising Designer, Campaign Strategist	Knowing what drives buying decisions and how visuals can influence behavior.	Read case studies and watch The Persuaders to see psychology in action.
Collaboration and Communication	Junior Designer, Agency Team Member	Sharing ideas clearly and building campaigns as part of a team.	Get feedback often, practice pitching, and learn how to respond to creative critique.
Adaptability	Freelance Designer, Motion Graphics Designer	Staying current with trends and knowing how to apply them.	Follow design blogs, test new formats like reels, and build quick-turn projects.

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How Hard Is It to Get a Job in Advertising Design?

Landing a job in advertising design can be challenging, but millions before you have done it. The field is competitive, but over 270,000 graphic design roles are projected across the U.S. by 2032. Here are a few tips to shorten your career path.

Competition

Marketing jobs—including those in advertising design—are projected to grow by 8% over the next 10 years. That’s faster than average. AI is changing the way design jobs work, but a sharp portfolio, and real-world experience can open the right doors.

Experience

Roughly 60% of job listings seek candidates with one to three years of experience. Internships, freelance projects, and even school projects can help you build it early on.

Networking

An estimated 85% of jobs are filled through networking rather than traditional job applications. New designers who want strong careers should focus on building relationships. You can build them during industry events and in design communities on online platforms. See our article on finding a mentor for some easy but powerful networking tips.

Careers in Advertising Design

Think about what kind of advertising designer you want to be. Some artists thrive in agencies and others go solo. Whether you’re into motion, branding, or user experience, there’s a path that fits. Here are a few roles that shape today’s advertising design world.

• Advertising Agency Designer: Create campaigns for multiple brands in fast-paced team settings.
• In-House Marketing Designer: Design consistent visuals for a single brand across platforms.
• Freelance Advertising Designer: Work independently, manage clients, and control creative direction.
• Art Director: Lead design teams and shape the visual direction of campaigns.
• Motion Graphics Designer: Produce animated ads and videos for digital platforms.
• UX/UI Designer for Ad Campaigns: Design interactive ads that balance visual appeal and usability.

Tips to Stand Out

• Build a portfolio that shows a range of styles and skills.
• Learn digital marketing tools to add value.
• Stay current with trends like brand minimalism and design tools like Canva.
• Follow icons like Debbie Millman, who explore how design emotionally connects brands to people.

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Your Path in Advertising Design

Design alone doesn’t sell. It needs strategy. Advertising design gives you the tools to do both. Whether you’re starting from scratch or trying to advance, the right program can help shape your future.

Interested in visual storytelling? Explore Sessions College design classes to strengthen your portfolio.

• Advertising Design Certificate: Build skills in layout, branding, and campaign strategy with real-world creative briefs.
• Associate Degree in Graphic Design (AOS): Get a foundation in design tools, storytelling, and portfolio development.
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (BFA): Advance your creative and strategic skills to lead brand and ad projects.
• Digital Media Certificate: Learn motion graphics, video editing, and animation for high-impact digital advertising.
• Photography Certificate: Add brand visuals to your portfolio with technical training in commercial and digital photography.