Jim Yaghi

Photo or Drawing – Which Ad Would You Click?

Pictures of people are proven to help increase clicks on advertisements and sales on websites. Do photos or drawings get more attention?

Advertising experts say that if an advertisement depicts a person, it's twice as likely to be clicked than if it depicts some other object, regardless of whether it's a photo or an illustration.

But which is better; Photo or Drawing? 

You choose...

 

Click the ad below that you feel most attracted to…

  • PHOTO of a Person

    a photo of a personSushi Restaurant
    Best Japanese Food in
    Town. All you care to
    eat. Book now…

  • DRAWING of a person

    a drawing of a personSushi Restaurant
    Best Japanese Food in
    Town. All you care to
    eat. Book now…

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  1. Here's one reader's opinion - Do you agree?

    9 Nods

    really? b gets me because it catches my eye with the contrast between the person and the white background.

 

 

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    40 Responses to Photo or Drawing – Which Ad Would You Click?

  1. Dwayne Huggins
    4 Nods

    A – Feels more real.
    Drawings in my opinion are good when the contents of the post are not easy to capture with a camera. In most cases there will be an illustration which you can find that will suit (research required). Or if your content is comical.

    dh

  2. Rasheed
    Drawing
    2 Nods

    I like the drawing… just stands out imo.

  3. Rich Riley
    Photo
    1 Nod

    The picture simply seems more intimate and therefore more appealing.

  4. Melanie
    Photo
    Nod

    Somehow the photograph conjures up a more believable and welcoming “sushi experience”..can’t explain it more than the drawing is not convincing and seems somewhat inappropriate. Just a feeling really!

  5. Lee Siah Chong
    Drawing
    1 Nod

    In this particular photo, there is no eye contact and so the picture with the face looking at me attracted me more than the photo with the face looking downwards.

  6. shecky
    Drawing
    Nod

    I like the drawing better. It has more “white space” just like a good display ad.

  7. Ellyn Bussey
    Drawing
    Nod

    Normally I prefer photos, but I like the more artistic nature of the drawing, as long as it’s good!

  8. Shereen Massaud
    Drawing
    Nod

    B- I think sushi is sushi..no matter what display pic, but B was more colorful and A- could have been a good facial ad!!!

  9. Dave
    Photo
    2 Nods

    Drawings are fictional. They are from somebody’s imagination and are up to the artist’s creativity. If the product is of something serious, I would prefer a picture. Otherwise, I would wonder what the person is trying to hide by not posting a photograph.

  10. Marty
    Drawing
    1 Nod

    I think the drawing catches the eye because of how it was layed out with the white back ground a different photo my do the same thing. Unless the are exactly the same it is hard to tell if it because of the drawing aspect…

  11. Azar Colter
    Photo
    1 Nod

    The photo captures the feeling of intimacy and enjoyment

  12. Calvin
    Photo
    1 Nod

    I like the photograph better. More real. And especially when you are attracting the eye, a photo of an attractive woman is always going to be more eye-catching than a drawing IMHO.

  13. Milla
    Photo
    Nod

    Feels more ´real´. I´d like to see that kind of girl if I really go to that restaurant ;)

  14. Husam Yaghi
    Drawing
    1 Nod

    Drawing tend to catch my attention more than photos because they express talent and personality of the creator. Though creative photos (non-portraits) are just as eyes-catching.

  15. Moses
    Drawing
    Nod

    Just find it more appealing

  16. JAMES JOHNSON JR
    Photo
    1 Nod

    Photo of a person look more real than a painting

  17. tom tobey
    Drawing
    1 Nod

    Not a fair comparison, because the person in the photo is too close. The composition should have been identical.

  18. Eric
    Drawing
    1 Nod

    I like B (drawing) because I saw the eyes. Pic A is looking downward. That caught my attention

  19. Althea
    Drawing
    Nod

    I was more drawn to that picture. Probably because of the detail.

  20. Darcy
    Photo
    2 Nods

    the real picture definitely had more pull for me, but perhaps if the drawing was better I would have clicked on it instead. It just seemed uninteresting.

  21. Eric
    Photo
    1 Nod

    Photos, definitely. Drawings remind more of cartoons, and not to be taken too seriously. Unless, the ad is for something photos don’t depict as well, or the ad is trying to sell fun and whimsical over the more seriousness and credibile of a photo.

  22. Jay
    Photo
    1 Nod

    The emotion on the face connects with me better using a picture. Drawings look fake.

  23. Simon Guilliard
    Drawing
    Nod

    Normally I would say a photo, but I just went with the picture that caught my eye the most. I think it was more about the colours and the contrast than it being a picture or photo.

  24. Drawing
    Nod

    the drawing of the person sticks out of the page as a PERSON whereas the photo in this particular example stands as a box. meaning, the “person” recognition which the eye picks up before focusing is more likely to be fired in the drawing than in the photo.

  25. Daphne Unsted
    Photo
    Nod

    Depends on what your advertising. There it is where real
    people go to dine. I think for that a photo. If the resteraunt
    is called Green Dragon as in British pub names than a picture
    would be appropriate.

  26. Tammy
    Drawing
    Nod

    The makeup and flowers appealed to my eyes. More attention grabbing to me.

  27. Tony
    Photo
    2 Nods

    She is real in the photo makes me want to go meet her at the sushi restaurant

  28. Jeanette
    Drawing
    Nod

    Maybe being an artist, I like the drawing better.

  29. denise
    Photo
    1 Nod

    showing the food is more appealing than what looks like a cigarette(yuck!)

  30. Zakary Frank
    Drawing
    Nod

    the white space seemed to catch my attention more

  31. ewan
    Drawing
    Nod

    ima go with the drawing…. i think its waaaay cooler

  32. Alecia
    Photo
    1 Nod

    drawing is fake looking

  33. DENVER
    Photo
    Nod

    contrast between the person and the white background.

  34. Nicola
    Drawing
    Nod

    Looks more enticing. The girl in the picture doesn’t appeal.

  35. David Duckett
    Photo
    Nod

    more personal

  36. Clive Bygrave
    Photo
    1 Nod

    I prefer the photo as it is easier to imagine yourself actually there in the restaurant.

  37. Denise
    Photo
    Nod

    Photos on the net as u know can be deceiving as you already know. Many don’t use a photo of themselves, etc. The first pic is more realistic if you wanted me to make a choice for marketing purposes. The more realistic and honest the ad is, the more sales you would make since most are now looking for honesty and truth more now than ever on the internet. In that respect, I believe a pic of a real person would work better. That is only my opionion of course. I am not an internet genius and I figure you already know the correct answer, don’t you? Thank you for brightening the email list of mundane marketing sales. Good day to you sir.

  38. Andrew Murray
    Drawing
    Nod

    A drawing is more primal.

  39. John Rucker
    Photo
    Nod

    The drawing looks to be a bit to cartoon to be marketing sushi. just an opinion.

About Jim Yaghi

Jim Yaghi is an advertising consultant and traffic expert, with a background in Artificial Intelligence.
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