Interactive advertising class - period 1

Might as well get into this whole blogging thing. INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING CLASS! round 1. *ding*

"What comes to mind when you think of interactive advertising?"
Student responses:
-multidimensional: several components. multi-sensory. two-way communication.
-direct to consumer advertising
-ads on the internet: adobe flash
-viral: blogs, emails, youtube, pass-alongs === WOM
-consumer participation, involvement -- smellable perfume ads, scratch&sniff
-entertainment element
-not traditional, not conventional
-provides details
-banner ads (Prof asks "who likes banners/pop-ups
-new media
-points (coke rewards)


Kid behind me brings up Goldy Gopher and Bucky Badgers, mascots as a form of interactive advertising.
uh oh. prof says, "Let's go back to what is advertising?"
-a message w/ "clear persuasive intentions" and and identifiable sponsor.
Prof is VERY against the idea that Goldy Gopher is advertising.

I tend to disagree. I feel like Goldy meets many of the criteria of advertising. The main argument against Goldy being advertising is that there is no medium, or, if there is a medium, say Goldy on TV, then the medium is not paid for by the University, rather, ESPN chooses how to control the medium.

One might consider if Goldy himself, is in fact the media. His message is "Hate Wisconsin and Iowa Sucks." He is the ultimate form of interactive. The crowd yells "SPIN YOUR HEAD!" and he spins his head. He has a facebook profile and shows up at all sorts of events.

Clear persuasive message: check
Identifiable sponsor: yup
Paid: more or less

Prof says "face to face" is not a media. But Goldy isn't "real," so is it truly face to face which would be considered sales? What's the difference between real Goldy and a virtual Goldy online where you can tell it what to do? One is real, the other is a website. Both are interactive, but one is real so it doesn't count as advertising? I don't buy it.