Expect More Ads at the Movies...That Is, If You Still GO to the Movies...

There's no doubt that advertisers are trying to find us, wherever we make be lurking. But this article from AdAge surprised me a little. It talks about how retailers like Gap are placing more targeted spots in movie theaters, hoping to reach consumers there. Do you think this is a good idea on their part? My first thought is, aren't movie sales shrinking as Gen Y occupies itself with other sources of entertainment?

As we've discussed in class, there are two things that happen with movie advertisements: 1) if you show up on time you are a captive audience 2) you know you can be an extra 15 minutes late and don't see the ads at all.

To me, I find ads before movies incredibly annoying. I mean, I just PAID money for a movie ticket and these media companies are still trying to profit? Irritating. I will say, they do a good job of at least making the ads entertaining. (On a media literacy front, I guess it's better to see the clearly labeled ads at the beginning, as opposed to keeping an eye out for hidden product placement.)

So what do you think? With today's economy and a bleak holiday shopping forecast, are more targeted ads in movie theaters the answer retailers are hoping for?

New Seinfeld Microsoft Ads - Your Thoughts?

Just curious, because you are the "cool" generation and all...

What do you think about the new Microsoft ads featuring Jerry Seinfeld? Apparently, it's an effort to revamp the company's image. I'm sure you are all very familiar with the Mac is cooler than PC ads. Are these supposed to answer those?

I'm going to go on the record here and say that I am thoroughly confused. I do not understand the Seinfeld-Microsoft commercial. You tell me what you think...



Update: Here's a link to another one of these ads, courtesy of Jacob. Again, I'm a little confused. Do you think these are funny? I guess these ads are a series, as this newest one picks up where the above left off.