David Ogilvy knew a thing or two about how to tell a story.
As an executive who gave birth to Ogilvy and Mather and the advertising industry, he was a peculiarly honest adman.
One of his favorite techniques for capturing attention and drawing people into an advertisement was to use photographs that arouse a reader’s curiosity.
Something out of the ordinary. Something a little odd, a tad strange, magical.
Something unexpected that opens a back story, or suggests a narrative to in a reader’s mind. Something that can only be satiated by reading the copy.
Don’t give everything away in a photograph or a headline. Entice a reader’s interest first and then reward them with valuable copy that sets the story straight.