So What's Next?

So I was poking around on Neatorama, partly because I have 100 things better to do but mostly because Neatorama rocks my socks off, and I came across this Mini Cooper video they posted.



As they point out, it's making fun of viral advertising.

All this got me thinking... I mean, all my textbooks are saying that viral and buzz marketing are pretty much the most cutting edge thing on the advertising market right now. But hey, people are already super aware of it. This makes it far less effective.

So what's next? What's the new wave in advertising?

Would it have something to do with alternate reality games? They're engaging, to be sure, but you have to have pretty high MAO to actually get involved, right? So I'm thinking not.

Would it have something to do with all the shenanigans on Facebook with people becoming socially integrated with different organizations and products? Or would it have something to do with all of the customized, targeted online advertising? I don't know... I mean, at least I really zone that stuff out, plus one has to be a pretty big Facebook user to be really effected by any of it.

Will it be in branded pothole repairs and other privately-funded contributions to national infrastructure? Maybe, but I don't think that'll be great for much more than increasing brand awareness... aside from that, we pretty much ignore everything we see, right?

Well, at any rate I wonder. Advertising has thrown out some fascinating evolutions lately, and I bet the next ten years will see some pretty awesome stuff!