Adobe highlights potential for excellence in digital advertising

Many magazine publishers we speak to are resigned to the fact that advertisers are very reluctant to 'buy into' advertising in digital publications.

If you read digital publications (whether that be online or on a mobile device), think back to the last advert you saw. I would hazard a guess that it was static, unexciting and failed to engage your interest.

Yet with approximately a third of UK readers viewing publications in a digital format,¹ and wanting to see a rise in both interactive and social elements, it seems that adverts simply aren't keeping up.

Are you struggling to believe that the advertising industry, renowned for being among the most innovative, could possibly be missing this opportunity? The chart below was created by KPBC for a conference on Internet trends 2014 (see the original slides here) and speaks volumes about just how reluctant advertisers are to invest in digital publications. These are pretty concerning figures. Print publications are often reliant on revenue from advertisers, and digital is no exception.

With many publishers feeling under pressure to produce both print and digital editions for no extra cost to readers, advertisers simply aren't providing the financial backing on the misguided belief that digital simply doesn't pay.

Which is why I was so excited to stumble upon a brilliant advert featured in Adobe Digital Publishing Suite's Showcase Gallery (at just 30 seconds long, I promise this is worth watching). This seemingly ordinary advert of a car becomes something quite special in the context.

Interactive iPad Ad for Bradesco Seguros from the goodfellas on Vimeo.

Released in 2012 to demonstrate the potential of digital adverts, the beauty of this particular example is its conceptual simplicity. By observing the motions readers make when flicking through a digital edition, goodfellas were able to conceive a way of 'shocking' readers into taking action by accidentally crashing the car. Clever and engaging, it would be more difficult to ignore this advert than interact with it.

This advert is a few years old now, and there is still a notable absence of innovation in mainstream digital magazines. Examples such as this are few and far between, and it is likely to be a slow journey to bring the advertising industry up to speed with the vast potential for innovation and creativity in digital publishing. After all, it has taken many years for publishing itself to begin to meet the digital demands of its readers. But where gems like this exist, there is hope...

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Seen any more brilliant digital adverts? Tweet us!

¹ Source: Lekiosk Digital Magazine survey

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