6 Real Print Ad Examples, girl reading a magazine

Print ads can be intimidating. Especially if you’re used to the restrictions of digital ad formats, it’s hard to decide what to do with a full-page spread. There are no character limits or image restrictions to guide your creative process.

But having more room to work with empowers you to connect with your audience in new, meaningful ways. As long as you make your message easy to read, choose a clear call to action, and know your audience, print ads can be highly effective.

Still, it helps to know what’s worked for other brands. What does a good print ad look like?

Here are six real examples of print ads pulled straight from Outreach Magazine, along with insights into why they work to give you some inspiration for your own ads.

1. Awana: Youth ministry curriculum

Awana Print Ad

It’s immediately clear that this ad is all about kids. That’s what Awana is all about, too. The imagery in this ad invites church leaders to imagine how they could engage their youth with age appropriate, Gospel-centered teaching.

The people Awana is trying to reach come from a broad range of demographics, theological perspectives, and church sizes, so Awana wants to make it clear that their curriculum isn’t “one-size-fits-all.”

Church leaders also want to be confident that their teaching materials are rooted in what matters most—the Gospel—so that they aren’t just teaching kids stories, but inviting them into a lasting relationship with Jesus.

The call-to-action is simple, trackable, and no pressure. Church leaders want curriculum they can trust. So Awana lets them have some for free.

2. Pushpay: Mobile giving

Pushpay Print Ad

Pushpay used this two-page spread to deliver a one-two punch. The first page uses a single statistic to communicate the problem, and the second page simply states how Pushpay solves it. The font is big, bold, and clear, and the URL they want people to go to is short and easy to remember.

Churches that already have mobile giving will look at this ad and second-guess how fast their giving platform is. Those that don’t have mobile giving may start to imagine a service without the disruptive ritual of passing the offering plate. And anyone who reads this ad should come away associating Pushpay with speed and simplicity.

3. Zondervan: Comfort Print Bible

Zondervan Print Ad

This ad visually communicates the product’s most appealing features. The headline uses a large, clear font with plenty of white space to help the letters pop. And rather than just listing the Comfort Print’s dimensions, the thumbtack gives a tangible picture of just how thin this Bible is. The call-to-action isn’t trackable, but it’s incredibly easy to remember—it’s just the name of the product.

4. Church Mutual Insurance Company

ChurchMutual Print Ad

This ad uses a single elegant image and just four short lines of text to tell a story of perseverance—a story any church would be happy to call its own. Below the image, Church Mutual Insurance Company communicates how their legacy protects yours, and invites you to see your church in the story above.

5. Avia Tours: Tours of the Holy Land

AviaTours Print Ad

Avia Tours’ target audience wants to see the Holy Land. So their ad shows it to them. Between the headline and the image, it’s immediately clear what Avia Tours is offering. They also include an incentive that will appeal to a broad segment of the people who see this ad: “pastors travel for free!” And to cap it off, they create urgency by letting people know that space is limited.

Avia Tours knows who they’re talking to, and they’re making the most of their opportunity to connect with this specific audience.

6. Tony Evans: Digital Bible study courses

Tony Evans Print Ad

Tony Evans wants busy church leaders to think of their phones as a portable seminary, a spiritual escape where they can be filled the way they would in the solitude of the mountains. The course list makes it easy for a wide range of people to find a topic that appeals to them, and of course, it’s very clear who these teachings come from and how they can learn more.

How will you reach your audience?

In digital content, ads often feel like a distraction from what you really want to watch or read. But in print, ads are part of the experience, and they often reinforce the aspirations and challenges that brought you to the magazine in the first place.

Print ads are a valuable opportunity to create lasting impressions of your brand and expose new people to your products and services. Hopefully these examples have given you some ideas for how you can reach your audience through print.