There is a whole world of investment going on just to get people to pay attention to advertisements.
Actually of course, attention isn’t really enough; they need to achieve emotional engagement. A recent article in the New York Times (which will probably disappear behind the subscription barrier by the time anyone reads this) describes some of these efforts to create and retain customers who are ‘tech-savvy’ enough to view material in a variety of different formats.
“…many networks hope to engage viewers during commercial breaks is by wedging original content into the blocks of advertising time, so that viewers will anticipate seeing something fun if they sit through (sic) a few ads”.
I don’t believe that it’s great customer service to ask people to endure the experience of being advertised at…great ads are fun in themselves.
Today’s invention attempts to achieve a higher level of personalised engagement with eg TV commercials by the new technique of ‘Person Placement‘ (notice the deliberate absence of a stupid little ‘TM’ at the end).
Now that it’s becoming easier to create yourself a little online avatar that really looks like you physically, people could elect to have theirs appear in ads (or a slimmer, more tanned version). When viewing someone driving the new Lextar 400 convertible gliding along on the sunlit freeway, that guy at the wheel in the shades, with the blonde woman -could be you.
Imagine the voiceover saying “How is the new car [yourname]?” Your avatar turns and smiles and lipsynchs direct to camera…” It feels sooo great “.
