The fight for attention is over: Why I’m saying farewell to ads
For strategy director and co-founder at brand agency US+US, Jim Ritchie, advertising has become a source of underwhelming outcomes thanks to attention-poor audiences. He reckons there’s another way.
When we started US+US five years ago, I imagined a relationship-led, full-service creative company – a bit of brand, a bit of design, a bit of advertising, a bit of whatever our clients needed.
For the past five years, that’s what we’ve done. And while we’ve forged lasting relationships and seen ongoing success with our clients, advertising has invariably become the fly in the ointment – a source of financial pain, strained relationships, and underwhelming outcomes.
Hey Jim,
It’s me, Gillbert the Goldfish, and I’ve got a bone to pick with you!
You’re spreading some serious fishy misinformation about me and my aquatic pals. The whole “goldfish have a short attention span” thing? Total myth!
We’ve got memories that would make an elephant jealous. A quick Google search will show you plenty of scientific articles debunking this nonsense.
The original claim came from some shoddy pseudoscience in a Microsoft Canada research piece. So, let’s set the record straight and give us goldfish the credit we deserve!
Fishfully yours, Gillbert
@Stephen W, thanks for your perspective. As a former copywriter in London during the noughties, I’m well-acquainted with the brilliance of Levi’s and Nike’s campaigns. Those ads didn’t just sell products; they built cultural moments. However, my point is rooted in today’s reality: the low-attention world we’re operating in simply wouldn’t sustain such iconic work.
The ecosystem that supported those campaigns — captive audiences, generous budgets, and media spaces that allowed ideas to breathe — has largely vanished.
To double down, both Levi’s and Nike are struggling to maintain decades of built equity, which is why both have leaned heavily into retailisation in recent years. Something I’m sure any number of academics would correlate to falling attention.
Build brands, just don’t use advertising as a foundation – these days.
@Josh M, you’re right that some of these challenges – declining attention spans, fragmented media, ad blockers – aren’t new. But comparing marketing strategies from 10 years ago to today is like comparing chalk and cheese. The environment has shifted dramatically, and so has audience behaviour.
Back then, the focus was on grabbing attention through tactics, often with diminishing returns. Today, trying too hard to demand attention from an audience that’s impervious to interruption is an exercise in futility. The reality is, brands, products, and services need to stop treating marketing as a separate ‘pay-to-play’ activity and start realising that the business itself – what it delivers and how it delivers it – is the most effective form of connecting with consumers. And yes, paying for placement – or a touch-point – still plays a role.
Business is your brand.
Product/service is your ‘advertising’.
Experience drives preference.
This is the same stuff that was talked about 10 years ago. Declining attention spans, more fragmented media landscapes, people using adblockers or swiping past to avoid interruptions. Inbound marketing was all the rage. Everyone was trying to “Invite attention” as you’ve put it.
It didn’t work. Not on its own anyway.
Promotion will always be key as one of the four Ps of marketing. Not the most powerful one, but key none-the-less. And paying to put your brand/product in front of people will always be a necessary part of that, for the very reason that people don’t have the time, energy or motivation to pay much attention to brands.
Interesting somewhat self serving perspective Jim.
What you fail to properly acknowledge is that some of the worlds most successful brands transitioned from being just ‘another’ product in category to iconic brand status almost exclusively through great advertising.
Think Nike and work by Weiden & Kennedy
Think Levi 501’s by Bartle Bogle Hegarty
To quote your article
Building a brand is about creating something substantial and lasting, a foundation that consumers trust and choose over time.
The orginal Nike ad ‘There is no finishing line’ ran in 1977…. that’s stood the test of time fairly well…
I like this.
Huh?
It’s a romantic sentiment (advertising was better or easier back in the day), but I think you’re viewing history with rose-tinted glasses.
Yes, it was easier to sell beautiful advertising stories when the 30s TVC was the mainstay of media communication – but that doesn’t mean great advertising ideas don’t have a place. Look at Dove – Real Beauty, Snickers – You’re Not You When You’re Hungry, Uber Eats – Almost Almost Anything, even the work Aldi is consistently delivering in Aus.
You’re viewing brand vs advertising as an “either / or” approach, when it’s an “and / or” style of thinking. Yes, start with brand and what it means within the market and your consumer, then evolve, enhance, and sell through advertising.
Don’t worry, the industry is big enough to prioritise both!
I don’t quite understand the logic. If attention spans are now down to 45 seconds, then surely the ‘momentary attention’ of advertising is what you should be going for, not eschewing. And establishing a ‘constant presence’ through repetition and reach. Seems to me you’re making the case for advertising.
@MarkyMark. The reduced 45-second attention span required to undertake a task, isn’t a media placement opportunity; it’s a symptom of how fragmented and fleeting people’s focus has become. I think we can all relate to how quickly our attention shifts these days. The point isn’t to chase those fleeting moments but to build something stronger—a connection that grows and resonates over time.
@Zach J. I’ll concede that, to a degree, my argument is somewhat either/or. The examples you’ve shared are good, BUT (big but), Dove’s Real Beauty, Snickers, and Aldi’s work thrive because they’re deeply anchored in strong branding. Achieving that level of impact and equity today is harder – especially for smaller businesses or brands. Striving to capture even a moment of attention is an uphill battle. Isn’t that the paradox: good ads need strong brand equity to work?
@GilbertGoldfish, if that’s even your real name! To all goldfish, I humbly offer my mea culpa. That said, ever sat on a train, put your phone in your pocket, and looked up? That non-fishy sea of humanity mindlessly scrolling – now that’s what a lack of attention looks like.
Attention spans aren’t down, all the credible research actually supports the opposite. The amount of rubbish, particularly in Australia, that people mentally opt out of has just increased.