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
Mobile ad giants AppLovin and Unity locked in legal dispute over data collection
AppLovin seeks court order against Unity claiming improper collection of data generated through its business.
The Rundown: Average CMO tenure has shrunk by over a third in 16 years
Client-side turnover is increasing, according to a survey of 13,000 U.S. marketing professionals, and marketers are spending less time in post.
Behind Hoka’s bid to own the NYC marathon’s run-up period
Hoka’s been targeting runners training for the New York City marathon with the aim of creating more shoe evangelists.