Review ad files before publishing

Check meaning before polish

Start with the information a viewer will take away. Read the headline without the image, then look at the image without the headline. Do both refer to the same offer? A polished composition can still suggest that a service includes something it does not provide. Compare every price, condition, product feature and availability statement with the actual destination before spending time adjusting minor visual details.

Review the full journey in ordinary language. The ad invites a person to take an action; the next page should make that action possible or explain the next step clearly. If the ad says book, a destination that only collects an enquiry may need different wording. Keep a record of unresolved questions and assign them to someone who knows the offer. Do not hide uncertainty with more persuasive copy.

Inspect each composition

Open each size separately. A good square layout does not guarantee a good vertical or wide layout. Check whether the main subject has been cropped, whether the action competes with other text and whether the smallest important words remain readable. Where a visual has been generated or heavily edited, inspect product details, labels, hands, edges and backgrounds for changes that could confuse or misrepresent the product.

Check spelling directly in the exported file, including text embedded in the image. Confirm brand names, accents, dates and URLs against the approved source. Ask another person to read the small print if possible; familiarity with a draft can make omissions easy to miss. Keep decorative text separate from essential information in your review notes, so that a visually attractive detail does not distract from a missing condition.

Package a usable handoff

Use a short naming convention that includes the campaign, concept and format. Put the approved copy in a separate readable document as well as in the final artwork where appropriate. Keep editable originals separate from publication files. If files are delivered in an archive, open that archive and verify its contents rather than assuming that the expected versions were included. Remove obsolete drafts from the handoff folder.

Finish with a brief delivery note: what is approved, where it should be used and what still needs platform-specific review. Do not imply that exporting a file publishes an advertisement or confirms its acceptance. The person placing the ad must check the current channel requirements and preview the uploaded result. Save the approved version and review date so that later edits can be traced to a clear starting point.

If the campaign changes after approval, reopen the relevant checks. A different price, destination or product image can invalidate an earlier review. Treat the changed file as a new version and make sure the person publishing it can distinguish it from the previous approval.

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