Dictionary.com goes ALL advertisement.

And it works.

Dictionary.com is one of those websites that I go to out of habit, even though better options exist. Options that haven't sold their soul for advertising dollars (ahem...ESPN) to the point that they embrace pop-up ads. Thank god they haven't figured out a way to make video relevant on their site. (see previous post on how much I hate pre-roll ads here)

Imagine my surprise when I went to Dictionary.com today and saw that their entire homepage has been turned into a Toyota Prius Ad, and to great effect. I can't even remember what it looked like before, because all I've ever paid attention to was the search bar. Now I want a Prius.

How long before Bing follows suit, and turns your vacation photo backgrounds into full page ads?

Dictionary.com goes ALL advertisement.

things you can do with $1500

I accidentally read an article recently in Outside magazine showcasing this summer's sporting "essentials"...a collection of staff picks with obvious advertising origins (there was a full-page Bose sound dock ad a page before one of the editors suggested it was "essential"). I dig subliminal advertising. Even when it's obvious.

What bothered me was that the Senior Editor found it necessary to include his dog in his Fishing Essentials. His $1550 UK chocolate Labrador...breeder website included...length of waiting list included.

The Humane Society estimates that 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters in america every year. Every would-be pet owner that decides to pay a breeder for the privilege of owning a dog helps keep that number where it is by NOT adopting. The objective of this "essentials" article was to encourage the engaged and trusting readership of Outside magazine to take the staff's advice and invest in the products they suggest. Unfortunately, they not only missed an opportunity to make a positive difference in a lot of dogs lives, but they've probably served to increase the demand for bred animals that are already too highly sought after.

I shared my opinion with the editor, but he seemed offended. Sez he has a rescued dog too. Sez they're gonna delve into the issue of "shelter vs breeder" dogs in their new blog. I'd post a link to it here, but it's lame and one sided, and I'm too responsible for that.

Adopt a dog.

things you can do with $1500

Pre-Roll ads suck and no one likes them

I had an interesting sit-down this week with some of the minds over at Washington Post Digital and the subject of pre-roll video ads came up. Or I brought it up maybe. Either way, I found myself launching into a sort of uncensored tirade about how I despise them, their ineffectiveness, etc.

I've never understood why advertisers seem so enamored with video. For awhile I thought it must be that the assets translated somehow from existing TV ad assets, so it was easy for an agency to get online video assets together. Maybe the analytics methods were so flawed that agencies thought that they were reaching an engaged audience. Maybe there was such a glut of video inventory that content owners were giving that space away.

Personally, I can't think of the last time I've actually stuck around to watch an ad, regardless of how badly I wanted to see the video that was to follow. And apparently I'm not alone. Mashable just posted an article about the increasing frequency of pre (and post) roll ads on YouTube, along with an example of some of the user comments, which seem to be directing their anger at both YouTube and the particular advertiser (CBS in this case). I get that YouTube is losing money, but judging by the response so far, maybe they should consider leaving the video alone, and just wallpapering everything else with ads.

Pre-Roll ads suck and no one likes them

Pepsico listens to the people

Consumers of Tropicana Orange Juice weren't overwhelmed by the recent redesign parent co. Pepsico released, in which the longtime 'orange with a straw' image was replaced by a tall glass of OJ against an otherwise naked background. And they complained about it (I noticed the change myself, and happen to agree with those that thought it looked a lot like what you might expect from a generic store brand). Pespico has announced, as a result, that the old packaging will return. The takeaway here (if you can ignore the massive wasted cost associated with designing, producing, and then canning the 'new and improved' packaging, more on that below) is that the consumer has mad power. And that companies are listening.

Interestingly enough, Pepsico has been redesigning across divisions lately, with new packaging for the Gatorade and Pepsi lines as well. All courtesy of The Arnell Group. The common minimalizm is evident in all three redesigns. While I'm a minimalistic guy when it comes to, say...decorating my living room, none of these passes my sniff test. We'll see if the other two survive.

The cost, by the way...? This Advertising Age release (posted on the Arnell Group website) suggests a million dollar bill just for the agency effort. When you factor in updating ALL marketing materials (think delivery trucks, vending machines, etc) that cost could easily grow to several million dollars.

UPDATE - 04/02/09

This is all far enough in the rear view mirror now that there is some concrete evidence to the damage (and cost) associated with Tropicana's big FAIL redesign. Sales dropped a fairly astonishing 20% after the new packaging hit the shelves, a hit to the Pepsico wallet of approximately 30 million dollars.

Pepsico listens to the people