Attention-Getting Ads

Ads constantly grab my attention: when I’m reading news articles, driving on the highway, scrolling on Instagram, along with every moment of my life that I’m exposed to them. Because I learn so much about ads in my classes, I like to think about their intent and audience. I try not to click on the ads that pop up on my Instagram feed because I’m cautious about the algorithms. That’s not to say ads don’t influence every aspect of my life and my purchasing decisions — because they do.

Ads especially grab my attention when I have just spoken about an idea or product and see it on my timeline moments later. They grab my attention not always because I’m interested in purchasing that product, but out of concern that my phone is constantly listening to me. On the other hand, there are times where I’m searching for an exact piece of clothing and cannot find it on any website I visit. Suddenly, I scroll and right in front of my eyes is the exact thing I was looking for. The amount of times that I’ve mentioned a specific shoe or piece of jewelry or skin scare product and it instantly appeared on Instagram is countless.

Beer commercials always find a way to tap into my emotions. First, for my love of beer and second, for my love of animals. Budweiser did an ad several years back called “Best Buds” with the storyline focused on a puppy and a horse. It told a story of their companionship and ended with the Budweiser logo. I find these so appealing because when you watch these commercials, you almost forget that it’s a beer ad.

The other ads that grab my attention and sometimes make me laugh are car commercials with celebrities in them. They tend to make me laugh because I’m fully aware that multi-millionaire, high-profile celebrities will not be driving around in a Toyota. However, I’m still always interested in their purchasing impact and how they can appeal to regular citizens.

All in all, Instagram ads and commercials will forever grasp my attention and influence my purchasing decisions. Ads on Instagram are perfectly tailored to my interests, whereas commercials involve music and angles that make me think differently about a brand.