Identify an internet advertising campaign that you dislike and outline a replacement campaign.

-Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible.

Overview

Internet advertising can take on a variety of forms including banners, websites, buttons, sponsorships, Meta ads, classified ads and email (a.k.a spam) ads. As the net continues to mature there is no doubt that various forms of internet advertising with expand and mature also.

Characteristics

I have chosen to analyse the highly intrusive Chrysler PT Convertible banner advertisement featured on MSN.com (see above) which appeared after I typed the word "Car" into the webpage's search engine. In this instance it is not the advertisements products, features nor messages that I dislike but instead the intrusive form in which it gains the attention of the viewer. William F. Arens refers to these advertisements as "Interstitials" saying that they are: "A way to interrupt users' progress towards the sites they are looking for." (Arens, pg 556) To begin with the large picture of the blue PT cruiser positions itself in front of the news headlines on the MSN page making them inactive.

4-door side view

2006-2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser photographed in Coll...

2006-2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser photographed in Coll...

It then stays there for approximately 15 seconds before it disappears. During this slow and agonising period of time the headlines which one wishes to view remain inaccessible. This lack of usability drives most users' mad (excuse the pun!) And forces them to completely reject the message the advertisement is presenting out of sheer frustration. Therefore it actually has an adverse affect on the majority of its audiences.

Some viewers may feel completely differently about this ad and marvel at the pretty animations and the high levels of interactivity it contains. These customers may even feel inclined to deliberately click on the banner in order to be redirected to the company's website to gain more information. It is my opinion however that the larger majority of people will become frustrated at this adverts "in...