With this being my first time in Manhattan and the focus of this conference being advertising, I had to go check out Times Square to soak it all up. Coming from Chicago, I compare Times Square to being in the Chicago Loop crossed with the lights of Las Vegas, and then juiced u
p on steroids. There are colorful advertisements everywhere and they are all seeking to grab your attention. But are they worth the money?
Brand Autopsy has a good summary of an AdAge article that talks about the numbers behind these Times Square ads. Last night was a great exercise in cutting through the clutter and this morning I tried to remember which brands stuck with me. Turns out I recall Coca-Cola, ABC News (from the basketball game being broadcast), and the Lion King Musical. But the one that I instantly remembered was the animated screen for Toys R Us, which churned through interactive quizzes about Barbie. Even in the billboard world, interactive advertising is the most effective.
Meanwhile over here at the Future of Online Advertising Conference in Gotham Hall, the atmosphere continues to be very positive. The organizers have done a fantastic job with the speakers brought in, and there's a good mix of people. There's quite a few publishers here looking for ways to maximize revenue on their own sites mixed with advertisers looking for the best practices and how to stay ahead of the curve in their own endeavors.
And Gotham Hall is beautiful. With the large pillars and marble everywhere I feel like important things occur here on a regular basis. Sometime today or tomorrow, I'll post some pictures so you can get a better feel for the show.
Hey Mike, I agree with you about facility. You could do this in a stale environment like a hotel that would be the easy way.
Posted by: Matt Haverkamp | June 08, 2007 at 08:54 AM