Advertising Is Content
from the let's-try-again... dept
This has been an ongoing theme around here, but it looks like slowly, but surely, TV execs are realizing that advertising is content. For too long, many people assumed that content was what brought people in, and advertising was the annoying stuff they put up with to see the stuff they wanted. When you begin to realize that advertising itself is content (and that any content can be used for advertising), it opens up a whole new world of possibilities, where things like TiVo and unauthorized downloading aren't scary. In fact, they're so not scary that they start to look like wide open opportunities. E-Media Tidbits is noticing the fact that commercials are apparently starting to become entertaining enough on their own that there's now a whole TV channel devoted to them. I don't think this is really that new. For years, there have been successful TV shows playing "the funniest commercials." AdCritic was hugely popular in attracting visitors (though, never came up with a good business model) years back showing that people wanted to watch commercials. In fact, it seems like a TV show of commercials is actually a step backwards, making people sit through random commercials, rather than letting them pick and choose, such as at AdCritic or one of the sites that have tried to do similar offerings.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
shoot your tv
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Viral Marketing
The really interesting thing about this strategy is that all the advertisers' resources can be devoted to production. Distribution is paid for by the consumers. Quite a clever system :)
Interestingly, it's cleared the way for people with not much money but lots of passion. Rememeber that 'Meatrix' forward? With the cow, called 'Moofius'? Those guys definitely had an agenda, but it was entertaining enough so that people wanted to forward it!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Repetitious ad
I'm willing to watch commercial breaks *if* the commercials are much more varied, e.g. I don't see the same ads again and again (and again).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Repetitious ad
I came to work today and ONLY because of one reason: ADVERTISING !
Last month I was stuck @ my SO's home sick with the flu ... outta sheer boredom I started counting the commercials for " advanced education schools " between episodes of Ricki Lake & Jerry Springer ... You know, ones for crap like Barbizon & one's that tell you you can make the big moola drivin' the " Big Rigs " in just three SHORT weeks ...
Well from 8:00 am ( when I officially started counting ) and 5:00 pm ( when thankfully, my SO got home and forced me to turn off the tube ) I counted 53 " school " advertisements !!!!
This does NOT even include ANY of the OTHER approximately 200 commercials my glazed over eyes viewed during that excruciating time.
This morning, while pulling on my pants ( both legs @ once mind you ) I briefly, BRIEFLY contemplated calling in sick to spend the day fucking off ... that is
UNTIL I SAW A COMMERCIAL FOR GETTING MY DEGREE !
My God, if I worked 3rd shift and chose to watch TV during the day I would have to assume from all the commercials for education that I saw that I must be a complete idiot.
ADVERTISERS: If I don't buy your product after the 1500 first commercials, you can assume your ad 1. Sucks 2. I will never deal with you 3. Your ads appeal to monkeys.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]