Fun advertising is engaging and interactive.
In "Guerilla Advertising: Unconventional Brand Communication," Gavin Lucas and Michael Dorrian discuss different kinds of advertising. Street propaganda, site-specific media, stunts and multifronted attacks are all part of "a new business being born simultaneously, literally all around us. ... engagement, interactivity, participation." Interesting new technologies, experimenting, trying and failing and interacting with consumers in fun and unusual ways are business as usual in advertising.
Interactive Advertising
Interactive advertising engages the audience by prompting some participatory action. Instead of just printing a message, direct the audience to a Web site, a TV program or an event for free samples, the second half of the message or more product information. Instead of a static printed message, put the advertising into something the audience has to open, pull or move to finish reading or seeing the whole ad. Put part of the ad on the front and part on the back of something, such as t-shirts, baseball caps or water bottles.
Not Just for Pens
Logos and advertising messages get printed on just about anything, and the more unusual the place or object, the more memorable and effective it is. Dentists can put their logos on toothbrushes and dental floss. Logos and messages printed on balloons given out at events children attend do double duty by advertising and creating goodwill. Advertising printed on clothing like hats, t-shirts or shorts has a longer shelf life than a paper ad because it gets worn and seen in different places than the original distribution location.
Shape-Shifting
Advertising printed on paper or cardboard in shapes related to the product or message is doubly effective. Print ads for banking products and services on fliers designed to look like dollar bills or shaped like piggy banks. Put the logo and message for a social service organization on hand print-shaped cards to highlight its service to kids or a helping hand mission. Print churches’ messages on fliers in the familiar shape of a church with a spire. Put bowling alley coupons on leaflets shaped like bowling pins.
New Media
Use new media for fun, low-cost and effective advertising. Blogs provide a steady stream of attractive information for your audience. A Facebook presence and active Twitter communication connects your product or service almost directly to users, fans and audiences. Apps for cell phones and other handheld devices are interactive, fun and engaging ways to reach customers and potential customers. You Tube videos are low-cost vehicles that get in front of many more eyes faster than print or even TV ads. Podcasts from local events create exciting live reports to draw in an audience and let them participate when they can’t attend.
Tags: Advertising printed, messages printed, shaped like