An advertisement— ad for short—is any announcement or persuasive message placed in the mass media in paid or donated time or space by an identified individual, company, or organization. [1]
Ad copy refers to the spoken or written words that make up the substance of all advertisements. It does not include artwork and graphics although in more recent times copy is often used to mean the finished work. [2]
Artwork (or art) refers to any illustration (including design elements, drawing, painting, photography) used in the production of ads. An art director holds overall responsibility for the visualization of advertising ideas.

bangtail envelopes
A tearsheet (also called advertiser’s copy or checking copy) is the entire page on which an ad appears, which is torn from a newspaper or magazine and sent to an agency or advertiser as evidence of insertion. [3]
A bangtail is a detachable, perforated advertisement or order form on a reply envelope. These are commonly included with mailed credit card statements and telephone bills. [1]
An affidavit of performance is a signed and notarized statement from a television or radio station to the agency or advertiser that confirms the advertising ran as scheduled. [3]
A blueline is a print of an ad, brochure, or other advertising materials produced on photosensitive paper (hence the blue color). This process was once used to confirm the location of all artwork, headlines, graphics, and text components before printing. This term is largely obsolete, as blue-lines have largely been replaced by other processes such as printers, copiers, and use of electronic devices. [1]
A galley proof is a printed or electronic copy of the individual pages of an ad, brochure, poster, or other printed material used for final proofreading of the text before publication.
See Also
Advertising
Ad awareness
Online marketing
References
- American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.
- Doyle, Charles. A Dictionary of Marketing (Oxford Quick Reference).
- Govoni, N.A. Dictionary of Marketing Communications, Sage Publications. (2004)