“Have you heard of the AIDA model?” he asked
I have not.
“You need to watch this.”
WhatsApp bleeped with a link to “Why Horror VHS Artwork Was So F*cked Up” by Entertain The Elk.
“It’s about how those classic horror movies created some of the most memorable covers. I think you’ll find it very valuable.”
He was very right.
The Elk talks about walking through Blockbuster...
…and trying to find a movie to rent on a Friday night. My first thought was remembering how special that felt. The second thought was that was basically YouTube, irl.
VHS are the original thumbnails in the see of videos, each fighting for attention.
The most successful covers used the AIDA model.
The AIDA model frames the steps people take before they click
It’s a proven marketing model. It’s the understanding of the different mental steps someone takes before they make a decision – or, in today’s age, before they click.
It’s the foundation of many of the ads we see today.
It stands for…
To apply this model to a thumbnail, it needs to:
- first, capture the viewer’s Attention
- then create Interest
- then create Desire
- If those three steps are achieved, the thumbnail will be successful and the viewer will Action (click).
How horror VHS covers mastered grabbing attention
They used bold, clean imagery to capture attention and stand out, like big scared eyes or knives uncomfortably close to a face. (Or both!)
Interest is peaked by seeing familiar images and settings in shocking ways, like Santa holding an axe.
That alone can be enough to create desire. But sometimes adding text helps. Seeing a zombie hand next to a doorbell with the text “Ding dong, you’re dead.” can complete the desire and frame the story in a viewer’s mind.
It’s perfect, except…
AIDA is missing one key thing to work for thumbnails - it should be AIDEA
Attention, Interest, Desire, Expectations, Action.
Expectations are extremely important.
It’s why a viewer can look at the cover of April Fools Day and understand that it has comedy elements, and that Halloween will be a slasher film. That can be the deciding factor that creates desire and, ultimately, gets the click.
The final step is making sure that the thumbnail sets the right expectations so the viewer understands how and what they will get.
Are they getting a sketch, a tutorial, a video essay, an interview, a podcast? Is it educational, funny, animated?
Viewers need to know what they’re getting into.
Key takeaways and what you need to do now
Understand this.
- first, get Attention → catching their eye, standing out in a see of covers
- then, create Interest → a topic, situation, question, etc, that piques the viewer’s curiosity
- then, create Desire → creates the need so they have to watch
- then, set Expectations → gives an understanding of what they’re getting and how they’re getting it
- this gets the Action/Click → success!
More next time ✌️
– Corrado
