Advertising: From Billboards to Buzzfeed
Remember the days when someone would point out a car window to an amusing billboard? If you’re like me, those days are vague and fading. Advertisements no longer hold my interest as I’m not seeking an injury lawyer, local specialized business, or, rarely, the next fast food stop off the interstate. I do remember the days when the Chick-fil-a cows painted eat mor chikin that would build a chuckle under my breath. However, many brands know now that people are looking in a different direction and if they want to be seen, it better be on a screen.
Understandably, our heads are stuck in computers, tablets, cell phones, and anything in between that can connect you to the online world. This is the space we work in, go to school in, socialize, buy, sell, procrastinate, build, learn…. the list could go on but the idea is clear. Thus billboards were transformed into banners, pop ups, videos, google sponsored searches, and anywhere else you could fit a call-to-action. However, the face of banner advertising is shifting again. Why?
The answer in one word: Millennials. By now, this should be drilled in. Companies, especially Starbucks, understand it. They not only understand, they have made themselves part of the millennial identity. From joining Snapchat to creating a Twitter account for pumpkin spice lattes, they have created a belonging within the millennial generation. Things have to be simple, easy to click, easy to remember. Things like 1800 Car Wreck, or Groupon, or a quick gif could catch the eyes of these ever-clicking millennials.
Starbucks, however, is not the only one learning to adapt and creating new ways to advertise to us. Nesquik, Geico Insurance, and the Discover Card are trying to find their way into the popular circle. When was the last time you saw a Nesquik commercial? What about an advertisement with the trademark rabbit on Facebook? Well, depending on your recent search history, it may be possible that you have. More likely, have you seen Buzzfeed’s “10 Epic GIF Mash-Ups That Are True Works Of Art?” The article is filled with funny gifs with simplistic humor. What you may have overlooked until the very end is that the article is brought to you by Nesquik raising awareness for their Girl Scout cookies flavors. The end features a tie-in with a commercial and the side bar, one suddenly notices, is a feed from their twitter.
That sneaky rabbit. He’s not the only one. Plenty of companies, including the ones mentioned above, have brought you these entertaining quizzes, lists, gifs, videos, and articles. Today, it is so easy to avoid looking at the advertisements on the side or bottom of your screen and click the x on the box that pop ups on a new page. Millenials want content, entertaining and sharable content that we can pass along or revisit. These Buzzfeed pieces are engaging to a new level that the billboard could not bring us. The logo and purpose of a company is not flashing in our face and waving their products as has been the face of advertisers to do since the dawn of ads.
With the winter season on its way, I’m sure I’m going to be enjoying many warm beverages. Whether I make it myself with powdered goodness or a barista is serving it up in a red cup, I will go searching for it myself. I know your brand and the product(s) it produces, millennials hopefully know your brand too knowing that we are referring to big names. So, please, less plastered posters and more gifs.