The buzz around mobile advertising continued to reach a fevered pitch in 2007, giving advertisers industry growth predictions into the billions for the coming years. At the same time, however, everyone wondered whether mobile would realize its projected potential in the near term or flounder for years to come. But the year wasn't only talk; 2007 saw some very exciting advancements in mobile advertising technology as well as innovative campaigns executed by brands such as Cover Girl, Smirnoff, MINI Cooper, Toyota, Coca Cola and others.
As 2008 unfolds, advertisers looking to dip their toe or take a deep dive into mobile advertising need to keep an eye on emerging trends that will ensure success. For advertisers pursuing mobile opportunities in 2008 and beyond, it is important to reflect on what has already been accomplished successfully on the mobile screen.
Who's doing it right
Taking a look at the top five mobile advertising campaigns that ran on the Ad Infuse premium content network in 2007 will outline some of the industry's best practices to date and will set the stage for success in 2008.
Axe Vice
One of the most innovative and unique campaigns that Ad Infuse ran in 2007 was the Axe Vice campaign. This campaign was exceptional for several reasons.
The Axe Vice campaign effectively targeted a young male demographic both with off-deck publishers on the Ad Infuse Premium Content Network, as well as on-deck across multiple carriers' portals: Boost Hookt, Helio and Sprint. As a result of it running on Versaly's Fast Lane, a mobile TV channel, Axe Vice successfully received placement on Mywaves, a mobile video site that in turn made Axe its inaugural advertiser.
Second, it was a multimedia campaign that included TV, online, cinema advertising, sampling, out-of-home advertising and print, in addition to the mobile components that Ad Infuse enabled. The Axe campaign was truly innovative in that it fully leveraged the capabilities of mobile across multiple media formats, and the reach of the program was completely extended as one of the first on- and off-deck, cross-carrier programs. This single campaign had a broad reach, which bettered the experience for the end user.