Digital Advertising: It’s not the steak, it’s the sizzle.

As digital technologies emerge, evolve, and become widespread, advertising tactics have to push the envelope to create uniquely interactive campaigns that captures the audience.

Today’s audience is moving quickly through a vast quantity of information with aid of newer gadgets and gizmos that fit easily in their pockets. People are inundated with hundreds of ads every day on a variety of media outlets ranging from magazines, radio, Facebook, and dozens more. All of these factors make it harder to engage a company’s audience and entice them stop to take a second look at your ad.

These campaigns must be simple. They should have an uncomplicated interface that prompts an immediate reaction from the viewers. If the ad is too complex or long, the audience won’t be able to fully engage with the content and the ad will lose its effectiveness. Similar to a creatively placed billboard, the location and placement of the campaign must fit the theme and allow the overall concept to come to life.

Below is a great example of this interface in action. The simple addition of LCD screens or projectors, combined with a set of cameras to a traditional bus shelter, can transform a traditional ad into a public sensation. Although this is not really an ad, it is fun to see how the audience reacts with the images.

http://youtu.be/lIYjatZ5SkM

There are no real rules, no predetermined framework and definitely no boundaries in creating this type of campaign. And since technology is continually changing, it is up to the advertising and design agencies to come up with a great campaign that challenges the norms around traditional advertising. Here are a few examples to get your juices flowing and thinking in a new way.