The Power of Emptiness: Why Less Can Speak Louder in Marketing

What do Apple ads, luxury brands and viral TikToks have in common? They all know how to use emptiness as a design tool. 

WHITE SPACE AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL

Alex White reminds us in his discussion of ‘white space’ that sometimes what you leave out is just as important as what you leave in. It’s also called negative space or working white, which is emptiness that serves a purpose and forms an integral part of a design. It clarifies and amplifies the message. 

When space is neglected, design collapses into what White calls ‘visual noise’. The audience is left sorting through clutter and the core message gets lost. 

This isn’t just theory. Some of the most effective advertising campaigns rely on emptiness. Apple’s product ads are well known because of their restraint. A single iPhone on a white background is a purposeful space that makes the product the hero. 

Another example would be Volkswagen’s “Think Small” campaign in the 1960s. The ad places a tiny Beetle in a vast sea of white with just a small block of copy. The emptiness highlighted differentiation and proved that negative space would make a brand stand out by saying less.  

SILENCE IN ADVERTISING 

Emptiness isn’t just visual. Silence in video campaigns can be just as powerful. In a world of noise, an intentional pause forces the audience to lean in. For instance, in my UGC videos, I tend to pause for a beat before revealing the product to build anticipation. 

In a noisy digital feed, silence is what gets noticed. 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR CONTENT

For creators, the principle is just as powerful. A clean background draws attention to the product. Spacing out on-screen text improves readability. A pause builds anticipation far better than rushed narration. This way, emptiness and silence becomes a design choice that builds authenticity instead of distraction. This design mirrors how people naturally communicate online: simply and directly.