Stop justifying why no one’s looking at your ads
A Danish art exhibition featuring goldfish in blenders leads Dave Trott to consider the proliferation of dull briefs (and lack of goldfish murder) in advertising.
In 2000, the artist Marco Evaristti exhibited his work at the Trapholt Art Museum in Denmark.
The piece on show consisted of a row of ten kitchen blenders. They were all filled with water and plugged into the electric sockets, ready to use. Each blender contained two goldfish.
“. . . no one ever looks at any of our ads.”
Truth hurts.
Whilst its an accepted truth in adland that ‘no-one ever looks at our ads’, I beg to differ. People do notice things that are relevant to them, no matter how blandly presented. Anyone who’s ever searched for a home knows that. All the real estate ads look the same, use the same style of photography, use the same familiar language. But, if you’re looking for a certain type of home, in a particular suburb, you can quickly and easily tell which ones are relevant to you and which ones aren’t.Therefore, I’d argue that most of the ads ‘no-one ever looks at’ are looked at and work perfectly well – and the money and time spent continuing to create them – is proof of their efficacy. If they didn’t get noticed, real estate agents would’ve stopped doing them years ago.
Bad analogy. In real estate, you overlook the fact that the buyers are looking for you.
Good ads may well be noticed by ‘the target audience’ but great ads are noticed by everyone. That’s Trott’s point.
But people look for lots of things. If I need toilet paper I’ll notice the toilet paper ad, even the crass supermarket retail offer version. So, same principle applies whether real estate or not.
But you don’t live your every moment ‘needing’ a product.
You walk down the street thinking about that thing you have to do, then a funny billboard for a soft drink catches your attention.
You may not ‘need’ it or want it at that moment.
But that funny soft drink becomes something you’re more likely to remember the next time you ‘need’ one.
Dear ‘another cynic’,
Really?
More than happy to hear why you think ‘nup’.
Advertising isn’t just about ‘intent’ or ‘need’, it also helps brand perception.
Prove it
Bugger. You come along and calmly de-bunk the opinion piece.
I can only say one thing, you heartless bastard.
Thanks!
Nice
The problem is the assumption that people not paying attention are “sleep-walking through life”. The reason people aren’t paying attention to adds is that for the vast majority they are concerned with matters far-far more important than your add.
The guy who walks past your billboard without so much of glance probably isn’t a brain dead drone. More likely he is a Dad thinking about how he is going to spend enough time with his kids while also earning enough to keep the house.
Dear Line
Correct, but don’t expect ‘another cynic’ to agree.
No, I totally agree.
People don’t care about ads. They have far better things to do.
That’s why ads have to be compelling to make someone give a shit.
And compelling can mean a great retail offer for something you ‘need’, or an interesting bit of brand building communication that actually makes you pay attention.
No. Ads don’t have to be compelling.
And people don’t have to give a shit about them.
They can be boring, poorly written, poorly art directed – the lot. As long as they’re in front of the right person at the right time they’ll work.