Hark back to the days when the only advertising on your computer came in static box form. It was there, but not calling out to you. It was nondescript and blended into the background. Through the years, as the technology evolved so has the ruthless marketers approach to sell us things.
We spend plenty of our waking lives on computer, normally on the Internet. Whether that be emails or Youtube or Facebook, a vast amount of time is spent online. This obviously opened up a new market for people to sell us things. And when the ad men realised that we were going to sit on computers all day they started getting more clever in delivering products to us online.
First it was the static banners selling whatever they did. They started off as playground inspired designs. Normally just text. Then came the pictures. Normally for porn. Then the gif animation where they would move to catch your eye. Then they’d start calling out to you or make horrible noises. And now they entice you by inviting you to shoot rubber ducks or even play pool.
Next it was the turn of Google. Now anyone could use Google ads to be paid to place ads on their site. And get money for it. So adverts started appearing on even the most humble page.
But at least they’re still banners. They sit there and we get used to them and learn to ignore them. But the ad men realised this too. They needed a new way to sell us things. Useless things that we don’t want.
Now we have quality streaming videos from the likes of Channel 4 we’re made to watch TV ads on our laptops. There’s no fast forwarding, you have to be brainwashed before your brain is rotted by Come Dine With Me. And they hardly change the ad. Watching programs the other day I saw the same Fosters ad about 8 times. I didn’t want to buy Fosters so much as drown anyone involved in its existence.
But this is the way to make money on your sites on the net so it’s only going to get more prevalent. Spotify started the trend, creating a radio station where you choose what music you want to hear and without a narrating idiot. For free, as long as you listen to the ads. And the latest people to do it are Youtube. They may get a billion views a day but it seems that’s how much money they lose too. So they’re adding more ads.
I wonder where we go next. How will the ad men create more ingenious ways to sell us things? Although, as much as I hate the ads, it’s good that the service is is still free!
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