Join us Sept. 24 in NYC to connect with execs from Digitas, Claire's, Marriott, Havas and others
IBM is the latest brand to make advertising that is actually useful.
With the help of Ogilvy France, IBM made a series of outdoor ads that are functional and helpful to passersby. One is a poster that swoops out as a bench; another ad forms a canopy to provide shade and shelter; and one ad acts as a ramp over stairs.
The ads are part of IBM’s “People for Smarter Cities” campaign, which is an initiative and ideas sharing platform that encourages people to come up with and share their ideas about use technology to improve their cities.
These useful IBM ads are the latest in a small wave of ads recently that provide actual value and utility to the public. Scrabble recently brought free Wi-Fi to areas of Paris as part of an ad campaign, and Nivea created solar-powered phone-charger ads for people on the beaches of Brazil. Hopefully, this is a trend that continues. In the age of real-time marketing and branded content, beyond entertainment value, it’s nice to see ads that truly are functional, helpful and free.
More in Marketing
The case for and against retail media networks as brand-building channels
Retail media networks pitch brand-building on shopper data, but ROI metrics, costs and budget fights hold them back.
Pinterest unveils new suite of ad tools, including Visual Search Ads, in its pitch to brands
For brands, Pinterest executives said, the opportunity is huge. Pinterest’s user base is growing and, importantly for many companies, young.
Future of Marketing Briefing: Creators are learning to pitch AEO, not just audiences
The next line in a creator’s pitch: I got cited