The three frameworks most advertisers reach for are AIDA, PAS and before-after-bridge. AIDA suits products people already understand, PAS suits ads aimed at a problem the reader feels, and before-after-bridge suits offers where the outcome is easier to picture than to explain. None of them is a rule. They are checklists that stop an ad from missing a step.
What a framework is for
A framework does not write the ad. It makes you answer the questions a stranger asks in the order they ask them: why should I stop, why does this matter to me, and what do I do now. Most weak ads fail because one of those answers is missing, usually the last one.
Ad formats also compress these steps. A search ad has a few short lines, a social video has the first couple of seconds, and a display unit has one image and a headline. The framework stays the same, but the number of steps you can show changes.
The three frameworks
| Framework | Steps | Works best when | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA | Attention, Interest, Desire, Action | The reader knows the category and needs a reason to choose you | Can read as generic if “desire” is only adjectives |
| PAS | Problem, Agitate, Solve | The reader has a pain they would name themselves | Over-agitating feels manipulative and can breach the claims rules below |
| Before-after-bridge | Before, After, Bridge | The result is visual or easy to describe | The “after” can become an unprovable promise |
AIDA
Open with something that earns attention, such as a specific benefit or a question the reader would ask. Build interest with one concrete detail, create desire by showing what changes for them, then close with one clear action.
Imagine a Brisbane physiotherapy clinic advertising a first appointment. Attention: “Back pain that returns every winter?” Interest: a line on what the first session covers. Desire: what a normal week could feel like. Action: “Book an assessment online.” That is hypothetical, but it shows the sequence.
PAS
State the problem in the reader’s words, make the cost of leaving it visible, then present your offer as the way out. The agitate step should be accurate, not frightening. A cafe supplier might write: “Coffee orders running late? Every missed delivery is a missed morning rush. Order by 3pm and we schedule the next morning.” The agitation is real and modest.
Before-after-bridge
Describe the current situation, describe the improved one, then explain the bridge between them: your product or service. It suits services where a customer would otherwise need a long explanation, because the contrast does the work.
Match the framework to the format
- Search ads: There is room for a problem and a solution, not a full story. Google’s guidance for responsive search ads says to provide many unique headlines, include keywords, and write the first three so they read well together, because headlines and descriptions can appear in any order (Google Ads Help). Treat PAS or AIDA as a source of varied headline angles rather than a sequence.
- Short video: The attention step must happen immediately. See short-form video ads for TikTok, Reels and Shorts for how that plays out by platform.
- Landing pages: The framework can run top to bottom across the page, as covered in landing pages that turn campaign traffic into enquiries.
Keep the copy true
Whatever the framework, claims have to survive scrutiny. The ACCC says businesses can breach the law even without intending to mislead, and must be able to back up claims with facts and evidence, including reasonable grounds for predictions (ACCC). That matters most for “after” statements and desire-building lines. Prefer “designed to help” and specifics you can prove over absolutes. For more on this, see the ACCC page above, and consider professional advice for regulated products.
A simple testing routine
- Write one version per framework for the same offer, keeping the audience and the landing page constant.
- Keep the call to action identical, so you compare the angle and not the button.
- Give each version enough time and traffic to show a pattern before judging it. Early differences are often noise.
- Keep the winner, note why it won, and write the next test against it.
For search, give the platform varied headlines to work with. Google recommends at least two responsive search ads per ad group with a unique final URL each, and cautions that pinning reduces the combinations that can be tested (Google Ads Help).
Consistency with your voice
A framework gives structure, but your brand voice and tone gives the words. A PAS ad for a calm, expert brand should agitate gently. The same ad for a playful brand can be lighter. If the ad could run for any competitor with the logo swapped, the voice is missing.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Growth & Marketing division works on campaigns, search visibility and strategy, and its Studio produces short-form and social video. If you want help turning one offer into tested ad variations, see /growth or send an enquiry through /contact.
Sources
- Tips for responsive search ads, Google Ads Help
- False or misleading claims, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
