According to Forbes, people in developed countries are exposed to up to 10 000 ads every day, and they only actually pay attention to a tiny percentage of these. This means that advertisers have to come up with increasingly innovative and eye-catching ways to grab the attention of consumers.

If you’re considering a career in advertising or marketing, then you’ll be entering a creative field filled with exciting challenges. Check out these 7 inventive methods that modern advertisers are using to change the competitive game of advertising.



1. Live streaming

Over the past decade, social media has been one of the biggest ever game-changers in the world of advertising. Most successful brands are continually taking advantage of new functions offered by these platforms. One of the newest of these is livestreaming. Companies are using livestreaming on Facebook and Periscope to stream everything from events, to tutorials and competitions. Livestreaming has become a great way to increase interaction with customers and to draw in bigger audiences.

2. Creating stories on social media

Social media stories have changed the way in which advertisers can grab the attention of users. Many social media users often go online simply to scroll through their feeds, searching for content of interest. This even includes advertisements, if they are eye-catching enough. Companies have used the story function on Instagram and Facebook to keep viewers interested, taking them on a visual and interactive journey.

3. Using street art

With so many billboards, posters and signs cluttering our cities, graffiti catches much more attention nowadays. Advertisers are harnessing this by creating clever street art to promote their brands. See the advertisement below for an example of how creative this form of advertising can be.

4. Getting consumers to refer you

Advertisers have come up with some very effective ways of getting customers to refer their friends or family. Airbnb, for example, offers travel credits to users who refer their friends. Hundreds of other companies, from online shopping stores to brick and mortar shops, offer discounts if you refer friends. And who can resist a good discount? 

5. Making billboards that truly stand out

To best get the attention of passers-by, advertisers need to make their billboards stand out. And some of them are doing this, literally. 3D billboards are breaking the norms of a standard, flat billboard, and certainly grab a lot of attention! Check out the Peanuts Movie billboard below.

6. Using sponsored quizzes

How many times have you been using social media, when you come across a quiz or fun exercise that you simply can’t resist clicking on? “Find out what you would look like as the opposite sex”, or “How would you die in Game of Thrones?” are two popular examples of these that have popped up over the past few years. Advertisers are creating irresistible quizzes like these as a great way to promote their companies.

7. Getting consumers to promote adverts

When a company creates an eye-catching story on social media, a creative street art piece or a clever billboard, viewers are more likely to share their joy at the advertisement with people they know. They may take photos which they share on social media, greatly extending the advert’s reach beyond the original viewer. Companies can therefore get plenty of free extra publicity.

Want to throw yourself into this ever-changing, exciting world? Check out the advertising and marketing management courses offered at Oxbridge Academy.