Ambient advertising: An innovative way of advertising
Ambient advertising has come up as a solution in midst of the clustered world of traditional media. It is innovative, smart and catches hold of the viewer when is just not expected and thus creates a long lasting impact of the brand.
ALMOST HALF a decade ago, to combat the rising clutter in the field of publicity, a new form of advertising got acknowledged; the ambient advertising which evolved as a breakthrough in the jammed world of traditional media of the print and electronics. As consumers became immune to the bombardment of advertising images in traditional media, advertisers were on the lookout for new, more innovative avenues to get their message across and ambient advertisements appearing on store floors, in washrooms stalls, on elevator walls, escalator and stair case, park benches, telephones, fruit, projected on building walls, even pressed into the sand on beaches and many more came out as a solution.
However, as a self-explanatory term, ambient advertising refers to the advertising that is in a person’s ambience or surrounding. Some also define it as an intrusive advertisement found in any public place. However, the term was presumably coined during the peak of popularity of ambient music, a genre with electronic textures that create a mood or atmosphere generally used in restaurants and showrooms. But gradually, the standard meaning of ambient got related to anything and not just music that is in the immediate environment.
Originally known as fringe, buzz or guerilla marketing, ambient advertising is generally directed at a media-savvy audience and due to its generally an unconventional way of communicating, it has been regularly used to target the 16 to 24 market. But now the ad experts say that if it is a great idea, it can work across any age group.
It was always understood that out-of-home advertising was limited to hoardings and banner but the entire framework of OOH advertising changed as ambient advertising kept advancing. One can spot such kind of advertising as messages on the backs of car park receipts and on a cricket bat during a match, on hanging straps in railway carriages, on the handles of supermarket trolleys etc. cars, bicycles, taxis and buses have now become moving commercials. In one of the most bizarre ideas, the Russian space programme launched a rocket bearing a 30-foot Pizza Hut logo. As evident, an ambient advertising has a scope of being placed in any non standard media.
One of the best aspects of ambient advertising is that it has a huge scope for creativity and idea innovation. In fact these parameters act as a platform for ambient advertising to serve its basic purpose of arresting immediate attention of the viewer apart from generating visibility for the brand and pulling them to the point of purchase. The main aim of the advertiser/marketer to allow ambient advertising is basically to introduce the brand to the public at a moment when he/she is relaxed and least expecting an advertisement and not pre-alert to face advertisements like as in the case while watching television or reading a newspaper.
However, it is of utmost importance that the target audience and the utility of the brand are well bridged with the ambient advertisement. The idea should connect with the target audience. For example a height and weight measuring instrument/machine placed in kids section of a retail store or a mall by a health drink company like ‘Complan’ or ‘Horlicks’ will act as a smart ambient ad as the kids are always accompanied by their parents or at least mothers and the aim of the advertisement will be to influence these parents besides the kids thus targeting the right audience at the right place.
However, it is very obvious that ambient advertising contains the seeds of its own destruction because once the approach or the idea is copied and becomes a common-place; it ceases to surprise and no more remains effective. But the huge scope for more innovation keeps the spirit of the creative strategists high. In fact, the category has become so lucrative that specialist companies have emerged that focus predominantly on ambient campaigns. Moreover, some companies have investigated placing advertisements in space that will be visible from earth. Now the challenge of the future may be finding public and private spaces that are free of advertising.
Originally known as fringe, buzz or guerilla marketing, ambient advertising is generally directed at a media-savvy audience and due to its generally an unconventional way of communicating, it has been regularly used to target the 16 to 24 market. But now the ad experts say that if it is a great idea, it can work across any age group.
It was always understood that out-of-home advertising was limited to hoardings and banner but the entire framework of OOH advertising changed as ambient advertising kept advancing. One can spot such kind of advertising as messages on the backs of car park receipts and on a cricket bat during a match, on hanging straps in railway carriages, on the handles of supermarket trolleys etc. cars, bicycles, taxis and buses have now become moving commercials. In one of the most bizarre ideas, the Russian space programme launched a rocket bearing a 30-foot Pizza Hut logo. As evident, an ambient advertising has a scope of being placed in any non standard media.
One of the best aspects of ambient advertising is that it has a huge scope for creativity and idea innovation. In fact these parameters act as a platform for ambient advertising to serve its basic purpose of arresting immediate attention of the viewer apart from generating visibility for the brand and pulling them to the point of purchase. The main aim of the advertiser/marketer to allow ambient advertising is basically to introduce the brand to the public at a moment when he/she is relaxed and least expecting an advertisement and not pre-alert to face advertisements like as in the case while watching television or reading a newspaper.
However, it is of utmost importance that the target audience and the utility of the brand are well bridged with the ambient advertisement. The idea should connect with the target audience. For example a height and weight measuring instrument/machine placed in kids section of a retail store or a mall by a health drink company like ‘Complan’ or ‘Horlicks’ will act as a smart ambient ad as the kids are always accompanied by their parents or at least mothers and the aim of the advertisement will be to influence these parents besides the kids thus targeting the right audience at the right place.
However, it is very obvious that ambient advertising contains the seeds of its own destruction because once the approach or the idea is copied and becomes a common-place; it ceases to surprise and no more remains effective. But the huge scope for more innovation keeps the spirit of the creative strategists high. In fact, the category has become so lucrative that specialist companies have emerged that focus predominantly on ambient campaigns. Moreover, some companies have investigated placing advertisements in space that will be visible from earth. Now the challenge of the future may be finding public and private spaces that are free of advertising.
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