Kellogg’s pulls Nutri-Grain campaign from Ticketmaster over anti-bot pre-roll system
Kellogg’s has pulled its Nutri-Grain video ads from Ticketmaster’s anti-bot system stressing the placement had not been approved by the company.
Nutri-Grain was the latest brand video visitors to the ticket agency’s website had been made to watch in order to reveal a security code that must be typed in before the user could buy tickets.
The captcha system (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) enables a company to prove the user is human and not an automated bot programmed to buy tickets.
Justin Hind, chief executive and co-founder of With Collective, said forcing consumers to watch adverts was “short sighted at every level” and breeds “frustration and resentment”.
A Kellogg’s spokesperson confirmed it did not approve the Ticketmaster video ads and has already taken action to withdraw the content. It is understood the company was anxious to avoid any consumer backlash amid the negative reaction to Ticketmaster’s system.
“This video content was a component of a larger network buy through a publisher. Noting some of the comments that it has triggered, we have since stopped all activity from appearing in this placement,” the Kellogg’s spokesperson said.
Ticketmaster played down the controversy and claimed it was unfazed by negative reaction. The ticket agency told Mumbrella complaints had been minimal compared to the number of consumers who encounter the system.
“It’s been a non-event for us,” a spokesperson told Mumbrella when quizzed on feedback around the use of pre-roll ads in the captcha system.
The ticket firm added it was unconcerned over the potential for consumer backlash.
The spokesperson also dismissed any concern over the decision of Kellogg’s to pull the plug on its advertising, saying campaigns like Nutri-Grain usually last only four to five days. The Nutri-Grain campaign had run its course, Ticketmaster said.
The pre-roll captcha system launched in the UK and the US around 12 months ago before rolling out in Australia last September.
But the practice of forcing consumers to watch ads was questioned by industry leaders.
Hind, from With Collective, said brands should be focused on delivering the “smoothest customer experience and removing friction from the process of driving an interaction”.
That was especially true surrounding a conversion around a purchase, he said.
“Personally I think trying to additionally monetise a customer through a forced advertising experience as part of an ecommerce event is short sighted at every level. It heightens customer frustration and resentment,” Hind said.
“Modern, digitally focused brands should add to a customers experience, make it easier for them to engage and drive satisfaction, not do the opposite. The value of the advertising experience for the viewer would also be very low as well. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
David Easton, co-founder of digital agency Reborn, expressed reservations about such an ad placement and suggested the ticket agency could be doing itself a disservice, particularly for events it does not have exclusive sale rights for.
But he did not rule out the potential for brands.
“It depends on the relevance of the ad,” he said.
Industry observers said the practice of making consumers watch a pre-roll ad before a utility service was “unusual”.
“As a consumer I would be a annoyed if my daughter was wanting Miley Cyrus tickets and I had to sit through a 30-second advert,” one commentator said. “I don’t believe it causes any brand damage and there is no brand safety issue. But I have never heard of a pre-roll before a utility and I wouldn’t have thought there would be much revenue opportunity for a website.”
Another observer said some marketers are content to see their brand on any website “as long as it’s not porn or on an illegal site”.
Steve Jones and Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Duopoly not concerned about customer experience SHOCKER!
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Cost of the ticket.
Cost of the ticket pickup or delivery.
Booking fee.
Now a pre-roll.
Why is there not an ad on the actual ticket? Missed opportunity, guys.
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