Strategically Communicating

As I begin to write this post, I realize I am using my laptop for research, using my ipad to listen to music and my phone to text and check my social media. My attention is divided to say the least. This multitasking and the need to always be mentally stimulated are now the norm and it is what advertisers constantly have to battle. 30 seconds can now seem like a lifetime, and if my attention is not caught within the first 2-3 seconds of an ad, I am changing the channel or checking my phone. In Exploring the Audience’s Role: A Decoding Model for 21st Century, Kenyon et al. explains that one way advertisers are tackling this challenge is by creating ads that are so creative that they have an identity of their own, separate from the product. Immediately I thought of the most recent AT&T commercials. Whether people think the kids are cute or annoying, they are talking about these commercials. The product itself is not mentioned until the end, but with the kids help, we hear about why the qualities that make up the cell phone service are so important. These commercials are cute, they are clever, and they have the ability to make people stop what they are doing and watch, but in they end, is establishing its own identity enough to increase sales at AT&T?