Let’s say you’re sitting on the subway one day and you get that strange feeling that someone is staring at you. What’s your first reaction?

Our guess is that approximately 98% of people will naturally look in the direction of the stare-er and, even for just a moment, make eye contact. (We also guess that approximately 1% will pull out their phones and nervously send themselves a text message to make themselves look busy. And the other 1% are probably split between diving under the seat in fear and making obscene gestures.)

The point is, when people look at us, it gets our attention. Regardless of whether we’re receiving a friendly look or a scary stalkerish look, the overwhelming inclination is to look back.

Ads That Make You Want to Look

This explains the huge number of advertisements that include pictures of people. One of the main reasons people are so central to many designs is that they can do something that words can’t – make eye contact.

That’s right – models on the covers of brochures and viewbooks and pamphlets are staring at you – and inviting you to stare back. And even though a picture of a person may not be quite as effective as an actual person, it still works very well…and is a lot easier to mail.

Start a Staring Contest

So during your next marketing campaign, including photos of some friendly, happy people in your marketing materials can be a good way to catch your targets’ eyes. And getting their attention is the first step to getting their business.