Future of Advertising
The average person living in a city can be exposed to up to 5,000 ads per day (source: New York Times). What was once referred to as “breaking the clutter” now seems to be more like “whispering in a room full of screams.”
Today, advertising can be anything from the major force behind pop culture to something as ubiquitous as a passing car. What holds for the future of advertising can be attributed to two important factors: keeping the heart of the message relevant to the audience and staying creative, innovative and engaging.
As advertising campaigns come and go, campaigns that stick in the mind of consumers are ones that strike a chord within them. There are brands that have been able to stay true to their identity, while developing new ways to disseminate their message. Kleenex’s “Share the Softness” campaign lets you send a box of Kleenex to someone you care about, in which they can pay it forward by sending a box to someone they know. Their site has a “map of sharing” to see the chain of boxes that have been sent. All in all, this clever campaign has been true to the message that Kleenex will provide you with comfort, which you can pass along to those you love.
Bigger, better, faster, is the mantra of today’s society. Audiences know that if a blockbuster hit comes out in the summer, by winter there will be a film with bigger and better explosions-most likely in a visual format more eye-popping than 3D. On the morning run to Starbucks, the decision to make that grande cappuccino a venti with two extra shots of espresso, is easy when the looming thought of answering the 50 e-mails that gathered in your inbox overnight comes to mind. When people are bombarded by messages, distractions and constant entertainment, how can a campaign stick to the consumer mind?
The newest campaigns are pushing the boundaries of digital engagement and entertainment, which include art installations, live cat and mouse games , and places users in their own augmented reality experiment. Audiences are looking to be involved, wanting to be included in the message, rather than being a simple bystander. Brands are spending big bucks on these type of advertising campaigns because they know that with a few tweets, status updates and blog entries, their message can be broadcast to millions.
When it comes down to it, what determines the future of advertising can be found in campaigns that have stood the test of time, all of which are remembered for: the work, the work, the work.
