By Laurie Cutts, December 13, 2011
That’s a heady title—the top ten moments of anything are typically the most important, funniest, are game changers or so deeply affect the audience that they become some type of cornerstone or tipping point.
Mobile advertising is certainly at a tipping point. Standards have come into existence, more people are carrying devices that allow for a fully realized advertising experience, and the industry is getting away from banners and other distractions which make the mobile experience clunky, disjointed and obtrusive. Mobile ads are (or should be) experiences in branding, or better—part of the brand themselves. The distinction between the two should be fading. Celtra’s been creating beautiful, engaging and brand-worthy mobile ads for just a couple of years, so it’s extremely gratifying to be featured in this particular Top Ten Advertising Age article via our work for Westin Hotels’ iPad ad running in the new Weather Channel app.
The key here is to match the app’s content and experience-with relevant and specific ad content to extend the app experience, rather than disrupt it, as do clickable banners. From the AdAge article: “The Westin Ad that arrived with the relaunch of the Weather Channel app in September actually exploits the fact that you interact with the content by swiping. If your weather forecast says snow, the screen becomes covered in snow that you can wipe away to reveal a warm getaway destination. Bring on more iPad ads that fit the content and involve some kind of aesthetics.”
We agree, and hope to see our work with Westin become the catalyst to something new, bigger and better in mobile advertising. What other types of mobile ads have caught your eye? Any that you feel are the “future” of the medium?