Week 13 Part A: Online Advertising - Analysis of the Marketplace

Advertising that's likeable represents a true dichotomy to me since I find most ads to be annoying. Likeability is the goal for social media advertising nowadays. Likes that lead to an eventual sale is a successful strategy common for Facebook and Instagram ads. 

Currently my Instagram feed is filled with sponsored ads blasting their "Holiday Sales" call to action to an excessive degree. The font is really large, sometimes pulsing, and overshadows the visual image. There's so much visual overstimulation this time of year, that I find less to be more effective.

Parks Project had an ad in my Instagram feed that enticed me to click on their "view shop" link. The ad featured two nature lovers wearing Zion National Park long sleeve tees. I clicked on the "view shop" link which took me to their Facebook business shop. Scrolling through their products, I clicked on one which listed the price, a detailed description, a link to message Parks Project, and another link that took me to their website. The website featured a scrolling feed and an offer code for 5% off my first order. The ad's initial lack of oversell and attractive product reassured me about the brand being committed to preserving our National Parks.

There is an innovative commercial that has started to play during breaks while I'm watching an episode on my laptop. It's Facebook's rebranding launch campaign. The commercial starts with a small group of art students looking at Henri Rousseau's painting Fight Between a Tiger and Buffalo in an art museum. It then morphs into a 3D Metaverse world that uses AR to integrate the students and the painting into a new Metaverse where life is imaginative and fun. It ends with the words Facebook and Meta. The irony of the world depicted in the commercial with the reality of Facebook's brand and that they chose to launch with a commercial targeting an age group probably unaffected by their industry missteps speaks volumes about the company's ideology. 

Advertising has certainly seen numerous changes since the days of catchy brand logos and signage as shown in the picture accompanying this post. My favorite print ad still remains an old Coca Cola ad that features polar bears enjoying a Coke. The graphics are superb and still hold up today. The age of radio brought us clever musical jingles selling products, while the age of television ushered in commercials focused on selling us on a product. In a couple of months the Super Bowl will air and along with it will be a new set of commercials. These coveted commercial spots can run up to 6.5 million dollars for a 30 second ad. Super Bowl commercials have taken on a life of their own and can live on forever if they are featured as one of the top 10 Super Bowl commercials in a Google search. In comparison, a successful ad campaign can be launched on social media for very little money. Despite my initial gripping about holiday ads clogging my Instagram feed, I prefer the ads found on social media. I find their emphasis on showing a product versus the commercial emphasis on selling one easier to stomach. It's also easy enough to scroll past a social media ad, whereas the commercial must run its course before you can return to the show.