Gambling and Advertising

          From my personal experience, I have seen television commercials for casinos and gambling, however there is always a disclaimer placed after the ad. This feature always perplexed me. Gambling is something that can change lives. It can be seen as an addiction, and protecting people from following a detrimental financial habit is an important responsibility for the advertising industry.
          The ASA or the Advertising Standards Authority is noticing the increase of gambling advertising and ads that are targeted to younger audiences. People that are more vulnerable to acquire a gambling addition, such as young children, are being bombarded with gambling advertisement. This is not just from television, but also from gambling sponsored championships, sponsored t-shirts, and other sponsorship arrangements. According to the ASA's research, children under the age of 18 were exposed to advertising ads 151 times and 5 companies broke the laws regarding advertising to minors. This bombardment of gambling advertisements to younger audience creates a mistrust in the advertising industry as a whole. The ASA through The Gambling Commission is looking for ways to control these ads. It is difficult for them to make policies because they cannot regulate the quantity of ads. The ASA is looking for more funding in order to be able to regulate the gambling industry more effectively.

Marketing Week Article

Is it "jif" or "gif"?

Jif peanut butter has joined in the new age internet debate with a social media campaign. The new campaign insists that gif, short for graphics interchange format, is pronounced with a hard "g" to distinguish it from Jif peanut butter, pronounced with a soft "g" or "j" sound. 

In tandem with the new social media campaign, Smuckers, the company behind Jif peanut butter, has released a limited edition version of their peanut butter labeled "Gif: Animated Looping Images" instead of "Jif: Creamy Peanut Butter" available on Amazon. The ad campaign also partnered with Giphy to release branded gif's on their website to coincide. The entire ad campaign lines up with national peanut butter day on March 1st. 

This ad campaign capitalizes on the debate between how to pronounce the two words in a humorous manner while also taking a stance in the matter. It's a fun and creative ad campaign that is sure to grab people's attention in the internet age. Gif's have become extremely popular, and what better way to launch an internet campaign than to focus on one of the most popular things on the internet?

https://adage.com/article/digital/jif-peanut-butter-finally-incorporates-gif-campaign-what-took-so-long/2240076

Top 3 Advertising Trends for 2020

Advertising is changing daily, with new strategies being implemented frequently to keep up with changing consumer behavior. As our world becomes increasingly more reliant on digital devices, the opportunity to target consumers is becoming more accessible for advertisers. 

“Digital advertising spending is expected to grow to $517 billion by the end of 2023, so you can almost count on it being greater than offline spending,” according to Lexie Lu. 

The way we interact with our mobile devices changes daily, and advertisers are quick to predict strategies on how to capitalize off this engagement. 

1. SEO-focused Voice Search:
   
   
   Recent tends show the popularity of such devices are creating a larger market than was even possible just a decade ago. Our reliance on voice search is growing daily, with Quoracreative stating that, “by 2024, the global voice-based smart speaker market could be worth $30 billion.” It is clear that the market for voice search-enabled devices is only increasing, allowing for major companies to capitalize off the popular voice-activated features.
   
   Advertisers are developing ways to maximize their search presence by rephrasing their keywords  and headlines. Rather than the typical, manual search being “weather,” new strategies include using questions phrases like “what is the weather like today?,” in order to be more voice search-friendly. “We will see an increase in visual search strategies as improved user experience has driven an increase in visual search adoption,” according to Kerry Curran of Catalyst. Marketers are aware of the immense impact voice search will have on SEO and are preparing for a world where the majority of searches are by voice.
   
   
   
2. Increased Ad Personalization:
   
   
   We’ve already become used to the increasing amount of personalized ads we see on social media. Marketers on Facebook and Instagram use web tracking techniques to tailer ads specific to the user. “They don’t know who you are or your address. They can, however, tell which websites you’ve visited and what items you viewed,” Said blogger Laura Lee in 2018. If you’ve recently searched on Google for diapers, expect to see a sponsored Pampers post on your newsfeed. Instagram is extremely efficient in showing promoted posts, based on things you may like or people you may follow.
   
   
                                        
3. Micro-influencers:
   
   
   The use of Instagram and social media influencers has been extremely apparent in recent years. Celebrity or model accounts with thousands or millions of followers frequently make large amounts of money, even for just one post. Kylie Jenner is ranked as the highest-paid Instagram influencer, gaining around $1.2 million for a single post. Luckily, 2020 will see much more influence coming from he average person, and not from billionaires. According to  Rich Honiball of the Navy Exchange Service Command, the age of micro-influencers is coming soon. “the authentic person who happens to have a connection to your brand and also happens to have a social media reach. Finding this group and engaging with them is the evolution of word-of-mouth.”

Works cited:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/237974/online-advertising-spending-worldwide/

https://cleverplugins.com/advertising-trends-expect/

https://adage.com/article/industry-insights/8-advertising-trends-experts-predict-will-die-out-2020/2219946

https://enveritasgroup.com/campfire/why-am-i-seeing-this-ad-how-personalized-ads-work/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/49124484

https://www.emarketer.com/content/global-digital-ad-spending-2019

Detouring Can Be Fun?

Burger King got creative with their “Whopper Detour” campaign which was launched on December 4^th, 2018. They used “geo – conquesting” which relies on GPS technology to create a virtual barrier around a defined area. The strategy behind this campaign was to take customers away from one of their prime competitors, McDonalds, and instead entice them to come to Burger King. In order to activate the offer a smartphone user had to download the upgraded Burger King app.

When the user with the app got within 600 feet of the rival’s restaurant McDonalds the user had the option to continue into McDonalds or order a burger king whopper sandwich for just a penny. How could you beat that price? The campaign was a success considering it generated 1.5 million app downloads during the time the campaign was running. Who would have thought detouring would have been that much fun? 

Jeeps Re-creation of Groundhog Day

Jeep’s commercials commonly consist of showing the variety of pleasures you get when you purchase one of their vehicles. However, they switched it up for their most recent commercial Jeep “Groundhog Day”  which aired during this year’s Superbowl, which happened to be the same week of Groundhog Day. 

            They based the 60 second commercial off of the movie Groundhog Day which starred Bill Murray as the main character Phil Connors. Naturally Jeep wanted to keep the reenactment consistent with the movie so, they reached out to Murray who after some time gladly accepted the role. The commercial shows Murray going through the same steps as if he were once again in the time loop. Only this time there was a catch, the new Jeep Gladiator is waiting for him. He is seen taking one adventure after another with a groundhog riding along side. 

            The Superbowl is a great medium when it comes to advertising, however, many ads can get forgotten because there are so many of them. This was not the case with this ad according to the USAtoday’s ad meter Jeep was ranked number one for the humorous and nostalgic take on Groundhog day. 

Xfinity Has a Question!

In a world filled with countless brands and products, it is important that advertisements stand out. I believe this advertisement achieved that. Xfinity took a unique approach with their most recent commercial “First words”.  The advertisement shows a toddler casually walking around a city exploring shops. Eventually she ends up in front of a Xfinity store. She makes her way into the store and a sales associate hands her the new iPhone 11 pro. As the sales associate explains all of the details of the new phone the toddler appears to then be a grown woman. The women makes the statement “awesome” prompting Xfinity with the catchphrase “what will your first words be?” 

Most of the world is one big advertisement therefore, it makes them less valuable and impactful because there are so many. I am usually desensitized to commercials and skip through ads when given the option, so I thought it was surprising that this ad kept me interested in watching the whole thing. Xfinity was able to keep the concept and message short while also captivating their audience until the very end.

Moe's Once and a Lifetime Opportunity

For some February 8^thwas just another typical Monday, but for Moe’s Southwest Grill it was a day filled with opportunity and chance. A chance for them to win the hearts of Chipotle’s regulars.

The Chipotle doors were temporarily closed Monday February 8^th, 2016 to discuss 

food safety issues following the E. Coli outbreak. It was at this time that Moe’s Southwest Grill and many other fast Mexican restaurants saw the opportunity to reengage their old customers and gain the trust of new ones. Moe’s in particular went so far as to take a full-page ad out in USA today with the statement “We’re open, especially on February 8^th.” If that was not enough, they also posted it on their twitter with the same caption but added an additional offer.

            Moe’s used marketing, specifically advertising, to open their doors to Chipotle’s regulars during their temporary shutdown. Although there is no data proving if the advertisement was effective, Moe’s did gain some attention from this marketing tactic. 

Analyzing Potato Ads

The following advertisements for the Idaho Potato Commission are designed simply and effectively in order to get their message across. The IPC implements numbers that take up a majority of the ad, focusing mainly on the statistics pertaining to potatoes. 

The size of the orange “90%” emphasizes the importance of such a large percentage, visually matching the statistic; “412 lbs” in the second ad also places an emphasis on the large quantity of potatoes sold per second. 

The typography used in both also clearly display the information and are easy on the readers’ eyes. The use of a serif font for the headline and a sans serif font for the body copy is also an effective choice which breaks us the phrases. Orange and yellow are also high-arousal colors, per the lecture slides. The choice to use these colors emphasizes the importance of the large numbers.  

Another clear strength of these advertisements are the use of negative space. Having such a large area of white alloy the both the potato and text to stand out immediately. There is more of a focus on the large colored number which then leads the readers’ eyes to the bottom of the page, where the pop of color appears again. 

Another element of these ads’ design is the potato at the bottom right corner of the page. Placing it on the right allows for the reader to read the headline and body, left to right, reaching the potato image last. The image also features the IPC certification logo, as well as the website directly underneath. This bottom corner not only shows the brand but how to learn more, beyond the printed page.

PacSun: Vacay Packing Mantra

This PacSun advertisement was shown as a 'Sponsored Post' on Instagram.  In this ad, PacSun is using an organic content approach to show some of its popular denim shorts for vacation.  The caption in the ad states, “ Our vacay packing mantra: more denim shorts”.  The advertisement as a whole is very simple when looking at both the image and copy used.  However, this ad is definitely successful in getting its message across. PacSun is targeting this ad to people who have searched its site or a similar site before.  The company wants the audience to look at the ad and decide to purchase the shorts for a vacation or visit the site to shop for other items.  It is important that the post has a “Shop Now” button which allows the consumer to easily purchase the product with only a few clicks.

The simplicity and organic feel of the ad allows the audience to admire the different features that each of the shorts have. In the corner of the photo, there is an outdoor hose which likely is trying to show that the shorts should be worn outside in warm weather. Therefore, the ad’s caption explains that to pack right for vacation, you must get some new denim shorts!

Pizza Hut: What the Crust?

Pizza Hut is known for their famous pizza crusts – stuffed crust, homestyle crust, thin ‘n crispy crust, and more.  However, Pizza Hut thought it was time for a change and created an all new Mozzarella Poppers crust! Can you believe it? Mozzarella poppers could line the whole edge of your Pizza Hut pizza.

This specific advertisement by Pizza Hut is a short video advertisement (shown below). Pizza Hut used a simplistic style when creating this advertisement as most of the video is focused solely on the copy of what the ad is saying. The advertisement’s main message in the video is, “what the crust?”. This was used as a humorous tactic to hopefully get the audience to laugh and be lightened by the idea of a mozzarella popper crust. The end of the video shows that the crust is only offered for a “limited time only”. Thus, Pizza Hut is encouraging the audience to try out the new crust today! The company does not want you to wait to try this new delicious crust. 

This campaign is definitely catching the audience’s attention, because it is a very short video and does not require a long attention span to view the entire message.  Also, the video is very simplistic and easy to understand but shows a deliciously blurred pizza in the background. It even shows people enjoying pieces of the pizza out of a box with the cheese melting out of the sides!

So, what do you say? Would you try out this mozzarella poppers crust??

https://www.pizzahut.com/index.php#/home

I Heart NY

During the 1970s, crime in New York City was at its peak. The city was in such a poor state, that President Ford denied NYC federal assistance, which in turn led to citywide blackouts and looting. Desperate to change their public image, the Department for Economic Development hired the the Wells Rich Greene advertising firm to create a campaign that would motivate people to visit the city.

The agency developed a simple slogan ("I Love New York"), but required a visual to back it up. Milton Glaser, a graphic design artist, was hired to develop the logo. During a meeting with the firm, he removed a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket with a doodle he had drawn. The drawing was simple: The pronoun I, follow by a heart (representing the verb love), and the initials NY. The firm approved of the design, and Glaser got to work, developing the logo further, stacking the characters and establishing the font. In the name of helping the city, Glaser worked for free.

Appearing first in a television commercial promoting the state of New York, the logo immediately gained popularity, and wasn’t copyrighted until later in order to allow the logo to flourish and find its way into popular culture. As shown by the logo’s current omnipresence, this success continues today. The logo experienced a surge of popularity after 9/11, when it became a symbol of unity. During this time, many visitors to New York City purchased “I <3 NY” shirts to show their solidarity. To this day, the symbol endures, not just in New York, but around the world, with various imitations of the design. 

https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/design-history-101-what-you-dont-know-about-milton-glasers-famous-i-heart-ny/

https://www.logoworks.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-the-i-love-new-york-logo/

False Advertising! How Back to the Future romanticized the DMC DeLorean

In the original script for Back to the Future, the time machine was not a DeLorean, but a refrigerator. When the script was picked up by the studio, the filmmakers scoffed at the idea that the film’s central plot device would be an everyday household item. In its place, they settled for the DMC DeLorean. The DeLorean was deliberately selected for its general appearance and gull wing doors, in order to make it plausible that when Marty McFly traveled back to 1955, people would presume it to be an alien spacecraft. 

When the film released in 1985, it went on to be the top grossing film of that year. This of course brought immense popularity to DeLorean, so much that the producers actually received a fan letter from John DeLorean himself, thanking them for immortalizing his car. What the general public did not know, however, was that the movie romanticized the DeLorean, which came to be regarded as one of the worst cars of all time. The cast and crew reported that the cars broke down so often, they would cause delays in production. Wanting to avoid future problems, the producers seriously considered replacing the vehicle in future films. At that point, however, the DeLorean had become strongly associated with the franchise so they decided to keep it. 

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/10-worst-cars-of-the-20th-century5.htm

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classic/back-to-the-future-day-is-the-delorean-as-bad-as-we-think/

Auckland, Meet NYC

Forget about advertising a traditional product or service! 

Adweek explains how Auckland, New Zealand and New York City are advertising the foreign city to their locals as a vacation destination. With NYC's tourism in 2018 being slower than ever, NYC & Company decided to reach out to some of its best customers in the tourism industry of NYC: Auckland residents. 

Not only does this positively impact the travel industry, but also the economy of the cities themselves. With millennials taking up to three international trips a year, advertising a destination is definitely a route to success for any bustling city. Traveling is something that many millennials value. So, the problem and desire already exists within the market - people want to travel, now they just need to be told where to go. 

However, advertising a destination is quite different from advertising a product or service because unlike most products and services, various people could have very diverse experiences in a destination. The promise to one person may be extremely different than the promise to another person.

When it comes to advertising a destination, focus more on the icons associated with the city. NYC does this through using the Statue of Liberty in their images and repeating "New York City" and its slogan "Welcomes You Always." The message is simple, but with repetition the viewers are able to come to their own conclusions as to what NYC can offer them.

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/with-new-zealand-ad-deal-nyc-tourism-extends-partnerships-to-all-regions-of-the-globe/
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/30/millennials-making-travel-a-priority-more-than-previous-generations.htmlthree

Voice Search's (Un)predictable Future

From smartphones and tablets to TVs and computers, voice search is becoming a popular and reliable feature that has impacted users’ search experiences.

In July 2019, Voicebot.ai reported that 33% of users engaged with voice search monthly in early 2019, increasing from 25% in 2018. 

The upward trend of voice search engagement opens the market for companies to develop products specially made to feature this emerging capability. 

The commercialization of voice search technology has skyrocketed in the past decade, with more voice search-enabled products available than ever before. The Google Home, Apple HomePod, and Amazon’s Echo & Alexa are just a few of many new devices that were created specifically to utilize and integrate voice search. 

Last year Statista reported that in 2018, over 34 million voice search-enabled speakers were sold in the United States, with 2019 sales projected at 36 million units. 

Voice search technology and smart speakers are certainly here to stay, but the future capabilities of these devices are uncertain. 

With this increasing number of people using voice search, the possibilities of advertising through these devices are seemingly limitless. The concept of voice advertising is still emerging, and “has the potential to be a lot more intrusive and irritating than visual or text-based ads” according to Rebecca Sentance in a 2018 Econsultancy blog post.

This emerging form of advertising has existed along with smart speaker devices for years, with the Google Home speaker “advertising” the live-action Beauty and the Beast in 2017. Although it was denied as an intentional advertisement, Google received backlash from consumers insisting that they felt it was intrusive. 

When accused of subjecting random Google Home consumers to uncontrolled advertisements, the company responded in saying, “This wasn’t intended to be an ad. What’s circulating online was a part of our My Day feature, where after providing helpful information about your day, we sometimes call out timely content. We’re continuing to experiment with new ways to surface unique content for users and we could have done better in this case.” 

Smart Speakers are putting our personal privacy at risk by actively listening to our conversations.

Jim Cridlin, global head of innovation and partnerships at Mindshare, a media and marketing services company, believes that voice search technology is advancing at an immensely fast rate. 

The ability for these smart speakers, but more importantly advertisers and marketers, to understand consumers’ habits is reaching a new level. Frequently using voice search and allowing microphones to constantly be on is changing our conception of privacy. 

In 2019, “Amazon recently filed a patent for its Echo device that can analyze a person’s voice to understand if they are experiencing feelings of happiness, joy or boredom,” Cridlin said. “With that data, companies can personalize voice experiences.”

As people continue to use voice search technology, the capabilities and personal understanding of our search commands will only increase. 

Regardless of if privacy matters more than convenience, the global smart speaker market will surely continue to grow in the coming years. With the exponential growth already seen with voice search, one can infer the percentage of global users will continue consistently each year, until manual searches become outdated and nearly forgotten.

The long-term effects of smart speaker usage, on people who have become overly dependent is not yet known. Only time will tell how heavily humans will rely on technological advancements for the sake of convenience. 

Works cited:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-yBC9tyyczc&feature=emb_logo

https://voicebot.ai/2019/07/09/new-data-on-voice-assistant-seo-is-a-wake-up-call-for-brands/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/805140/us-smart-speaker-unit-shipment/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/ready-and-enabled/voice-search/

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/3/16/14948696/google-home-assistant-advertising-beauty-and-the-beast