The Power of Advertisements

Flappy Bird. Do I need to say much more? Whether you have an addiction to the game or missed out on downloading it before its removal from the app store, I have a pretty good feeling you know what it is.

The attention this game has gotten blows my mind. I'm not a huge gamer to begin with but the concept of this game does not peak my interest whatsoever...there's no winning! It seems that everyone around me of all ages is in on the craze and frequently post their high scores on social media showing off to their friends. I often joke to those who play the game that I'm going to play duck hunt with Flappy Bird..... (Possible idea for a new app!?)

With all the hype around the app there's been much discussion on how much money the creator of it was making on ads every day. Ads! Which leads me to thinking about how many advertisements we’re exposed to every day in the media. Use an app on your phone, watch a YouTube video, go on Facebook or twitter, turn on the TV, open a newspaper or magazine- paper copy or online etc…we are surrounded by them. Because they are everywhere are we desensitized to them? Or are they subliminally catching our attention and are the drive behind why we do and buy certain products? Take notice of where the ads are, who they’re targeting and how they’re targeting them. How often have you seen a funny commercial or advertisement and had to share it with a friend? How many stories have you heard from someone ordering something they really don’t need or want based on the commercial “sucking them in”? During the Super bowl, it cost 3.5 million dollars for 30 seconds of commercial time, they are the some of the most watched commercials.

So, just for fun, I want you to take notice of what advertisements pop up around you that you otherwise wouldn’t have noticed, who’s exposed to them, who they’re targeting and how they’re doing it….I’m sure you’ll be surprised!