This banner, here ,though and their marketing in general I do respect.

The banner allows you to play with the size of the banner, moving bits of furniture around to create new rooms. How more IKEA can you get? Like it. It works for me and it succeeded in me showing my wife.

Interestingly, the comments on the blog showcasing the ad criticise the lack of a logo on the initial banner. Makes sense I thought. My wife agreed there should be a logo on it. But then again she loves IKEA. I don’t so I wouldn’t have clicked on the ad and then shared with my wife.

Maybe they didn’t put the logo up-front for a reason.

Related posts:

1. IKEA guerilla cinema projectionist ads have no place online
2. Bank of America, GUESS what? Your ad needs tweaking
3. I’m so attached to Gmail

I’ve had the pleasure of a few conversations with Dave Trott, a great ad man, and one thing I always remember is him comparing an ad to a martial arts punch.  You are aiming to hit a point just beyond the target so that when it hits the target it is at maximum impact.  I’m probably misquoting here but you hopefully get the point.  Ads need to cut through a world where every day there are thousands of competing messages and where more then ever we are multi-tasking and using multiple media at the same time.

Take a look at the Doctors of the World online display ad. Click here.

The African mother, huddling her child, with the only movement the sun flickering through the tree’s shade on their sleeping bodies is somehow compelling. Particularly when it is set against the headlines and pictures shouting for attention on the typical website.  The Elle site here is a great example with images of Lady Gaga et al and talk of her “stress”.   A mouse over the ad and in just 12 words the point is hit home really hard.   “Ah. Someone who pays attention to those the world tends to forget”.  You’re already beginning to feel a better person just by noticing the ad and the desire to click and actually contribute has been sparked.

If everyone is shouting there’s no point trying to shout louder.

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3. Bank of America, GUESS what? Your ad needs tweaking

Before you take a look at the ad, highlighted on the Oz site “bannerblog”, some hints:

(1) Clicking on “Get Started” is required but you won’t leave the page – all activity happens within this web page.

(2) You need to click on the “tool” that flies across the screen and appears in the ad, then hover it over the GUESS banner ad at the top of the page.

(3) You then see the possible cash savings on the GUESS products through the Bank of America relationship within the “window”.

Click here to see the ad.

This is pretty smart. I love the idea and the tool. They could make it into a desktop app for use when you visit sites in the Bank of America scheme. Or even an augmented reality app on a mobile phone for in-store use.

However let’s not run before we can walk.

I’ve a big gripe. The fact that I had to provide the above hints is a real shame. They should have made the copy in the ad far more informative on what you are meant to do. Tell people where the GUESS ad is and what they’ll see. Tell people what “Get Started” will do. They will have lost clicks from people who don’t want to risk leaving the page, who didn’t know what to do with the device or where and what the GUESS ad is.

Bank of America, users are spending seconds looking at your ad. Don’t make them work so hard! Tweak the copy, make it obvious for the user and you’ll see your results improve.

Basic marketing principles never die no matter the medium.

Related posts:

1. Doctors of the World ad doesn’t have to shout to hit hard
2. Ever spent 7 hours shopping in IKEA? And still clicked on an ad?
3. Tamar expose World Cup sponsors for scoring own goals in search – then score one themselves