Let’s Stop Pretending Commercials Are Innovative

Commercials are an annoyance that we’ve learned to tolerate.

Commercials are annoying. Sure, every once in a while there’s a commercial that does a fine job of storytelling, capturing viewer attention and even becoming part of the cultural fabric. But these types of advertisements are the exception.

Commercials are intrusive. They’re fast-forwarded through—an excuse to run to the bathroom. Commercials are an annoyance that we’ve learned to tolerate as television viewers/radio listeners. We’ve been conditioned to believe that this invasive style of advertising is a necessity that must be endured in order to enjoy quality content.

As the capabilities and speed of the Internet and related streaming multimedia technologies advanced, a new paradigm began to emerge: Instant Content Gratification. Of course, some websites existed as commercials unto themselves, and banner advertisements became the latest advertising medium to be despised, ignored, even blocked. But ICG showed the promise of being able to consume media without needing to sit through numerous commercial breaks.

Now a new batch of Marketing Geniuses aims to bring the meddlesome and derided commercial into the palm of your hand:

Analytics firm Flurry has just announced a new video advertising network called AppCircle Clips which aims to bring a ‘TV commercial’-like experience to mobile applications and games.

Who thought this was a good idea? I can tell you this, it wasn’t anyone who gives a damn about the user experience. It’s yet another example of trying to shoehorn an outmoded and unwanted medium into a new form factor—a new way of consuming content altogether. It was undoubtedly conceived by some old school marketing/advertising type who refuses to understand or adapt to the way people are willing to receive marketing information.

Dear old school ad guys, shoving an ad in my face doesn’t make it relevant—even if it’s on my iPhone. Do. Not. Want.

Posted in Digital Marketing, Marketing Geniuses, Technology | 5 Comments »