Ambient Advertising

Ambient advertising consists of advertisements that appear in unexpected places, usually causing more people to notice and be affected by them than the normal ads that can be found in magazines and on television. Guerrilla marketing is the most extreme form of ambient advertising, with its elaborate, aggressive, and invasive tactics that are executed with or without permission.  I think ambient advertising is the best way to reach Otterbein students because it seems to encourage curiosity in people better than more traditional types of marketing strategies. Most college students lead very busy lives, and they often don't care to explore the messages they see in magazine ads. Other students don't watch much television due to their busy schedules, so they don't see the commercials that are trying to reach out to them. Of course, ads  can be found in numerous other mediums, but these traditional types are so common and have been around for so long that many people aren't curious about them. However, ambient advertising entices people to come and explore them since they appear in unexpected places and catch us off guard. Ambient ads often are interactive, too, which attracts more people to them and allows for active involvement, unlike traditional ads that are only meant to be read or heard. I think ambient ads will attract a lot more interest from Otterbein students, and ones that are interactive will probably be the most influential because they help us better establish connections with them and experience a sense of empowerment that allows us to see that we do have a say in decisions that are being made. Below are two good examples of ambient advertising:

The first ambient ad is located on a city sidewalk and is in the form of a vending machine. This vending machine contains live chickens that are all trapped in small cubicles with numbers  labeled underneath them. The words "Egg Machine" are printed on the top front area of the ad, and a message located below the chickens explains that "60% of all chickens are treated like egg-laying machines." This ad targets all those who carelessly purchase eggs from large corporations that mistreat their livestock. I chose this ad because I love animals and I hate to see any kind of animal treated as if they are nothing more than an object to be used and abused. I like that the ad encourages people to respect all living creatures instead of believing that humans are the only ones who should be entitled to just treatment. This ambient ad is effective because it is placed on a sidewalk in the middle of a city for everyone to see. It's location doesn't allow it to easily go unnoticed because so many people use this sidewalk and will have to walk past the vending machine to get to where they are headed. It's also effective because it involves the use of real chickens, which are much more likely to attract people's attention than a simple picture posted on the wall. 

The second ambient ad consists of a garage that is filled with a mountain of different items, including boxes, containers, and sporting equipment. The shape of a Volkswagen can be seen in the mass of objects sitting in the garage. This is advertising the new Tiguan model that has a park assist feature. The ad targets all those who are thinking about purchasing another vehicle and who may also prefer one that is capable of helping them park well in tight spaces. I chose this ad because I thought it was a very creative way to show its viewers how precise the Tiguan is able to park itself. I also chose it because quite a few people have garages that are overflowing with items, and they struggle to park their vehicles in these tight spaces without running over an object or scratching their cars. Many end up having to park on the driveway or in the street because they are afraid to park in the garage. This ambient ad is effective because it provides an interesting and attention-grabbing way to encourage people to buy the latest Tiguan model. It gives everyone an idea of just how precisely this vehicle is capable of parking when they are afraid they won't be able to successfully park the car on their own.