Are self-aware ads played out?
Checkout.com recently launched this ad campaign (by agency Thingy & Thingy):
Notice how it playfully refers to itself and the process of advertising.
“You’re reading an advert!” “Great, another advert for a brand I’ve never heard of.” Very meta.
I actually used to LOVE these types of campaigns.
Because they used to stand out! They were unapologetically trying to be clever, and were intrinsically playful.
It was a fun and effective way to “break through the clutter” so to speak.
But sadly, it’s just been done way too many times now.
Here’s a 2018 campaign by RXBAR from Wieden+Kennedy:
Usually I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff, but I just see this tactic used so often now.
Here are some more examples:
You get the idea. They’re not all exactly the same, but they embody the same playful spirit.
There’s even a whole “Graphic Designer Wanted” meme, with the gag being that the ad itself looks like it was designed by a non-designer:
I still have a soft spot for this tactic because it makes people smile. And not everyone is an ad nerd who remembers all these types of meta ads. So maybe they’re still on the table for brand with an irreverent personality to break out from time to time?
In my opinion, the main glaring issue with this trope is that it just doesn’t have enough legs. It’s a joke that makes you smile.
“Haha! I get it! It knows it’s an ad!”
And that’s it. Nobody laughs at the same joke over and over again.
There’s nothing deeper below the surface.
It’s like eating 30 chocolate donuts in one sitting. Yes, it was an experience, but I’m not sure if I want to do that again.
It lacks elegance and depth of story.
The first person who thought of this tactic was brilliant, because it was novel. Nobody had ever seen something like it before.
But as time goes on and more people hear the joke, the effectiveness wears off.
“Oh, this commercial knows it’s a commercial. DoorDash did something like that a few months ago.”
For more ads in this same genre, check out “Make a Parody, Satire or Spoof” section of DeckofBrilliance.com:
