Remember the first time you saw this ad? It’s hard to look at it, it struck a cord, you wanted to help.  They first started running this 10 years ago on television.

Today, I saw the above ad as a banner, and didn’t even flinch.  This proves that consumers are becoming totally immune to traditional advertising.  This ad worked on TV the first few times we saw it, but fell of quickly after that.  TV provides a captive audience, who are forced to watch commercials.  Of course we usually mute them, talk during them, fast forward them with tivo, or change the channel.

Banner ads are even worse!  Nobody is immune to a snapshot like that, but with all the garbage on the internet, we drown this stuff out.  This ads effectiveness is wearing off because:

1. I’ve seen it before
2. I don’t look at banner ads, my attention is focused on the content of the page
3. It’s hidden amongst the clutter off my monitor, under im windows, popups, streaming stock quotes, skype conversations and itunes.  TV ads are fullscreen and you have nothing else to look at while banner ads are the last thing you look at.

Check out the difference, when you maximize this commercial below:

Traditional advertising is dying.  We are immune and the non profit behind these ads needs to rethink where they are spending their funds.  They should steal a page out of smoking’s Truth campaign creative advertising…

Why not have volunteers go to Times Square wearing masks to raise awareness and hand out fliers.  Video tape onlookers reactions and put it on YouTube.  Arrange for news crews to cover this. This type of advertising is less expensive AND get’s people talking…I hope this post does too.

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