Online ads

I came across an interesting article, it notes an online game called Evony. An online game of some sort. They started out with a standard ad.



As the article notes it didn't stop there.

They began putting out upgraded ads. (You can see the others at the article site.)

Next has a young woman in fantasy dress, with the text, "Start your journey NOW, my Lord!"

Okay, not so bad. Attractive female getting attention, the car companies approve.

Then the next with two women, dressed and looking alike standing oddly against the other. The text, SAVE YOUR LOVER! Play Now, My Lord!"

Okay...starting to look like the cover of a romance, and not sure how twins convey saving a lover...are they asking?

So onto the next, attractive women on her knees with a sword dangling over her cleavage. The text, "Help! Save the Queen!"

Yeah, basic fantasy trope, queen endanger and all...really the sword seems to be more acting as a pointer to say look here.

Now to the next, with a lady, head back, cleavage out fully, sunlight against here and taking up half the image. Text says, "Play DISCREETLY on your browser NOW!" Then some more text about building an empire and ruling the world.

...The hell! Picture of cleavage, blond with her head back and eyes closed with the word discreetly displayed prominently...Are you getting the trend the ads are going for yet?

And the last one, which I don't think was an add for this game, or any game. In fact I thought it was one of the infinite multitude of dumb ads I see online. In it...a woman's chest in a black bra. The text at the top, "Best Free Web Game". Also written above the bra PLAY. Right beneath PLAY in tiny text, "Evony Free Forever."

Are they fucking kidding us? With the breast sitting there and all the other bold text, I keep missing the bit about Evony. Are they selling the game anymore?

More to the point who is there audience? If I went online to play who would I end up having around me? If I was a parent would I be warning my kids off this? And then again who is coming for the black bra and staying when they see a fantasy game? What is there niche?

I would also note in the trend we see in this line of ads I remembered in reading the article I had seen one other ad. It is like the first of the DISCREET ads. It is pretty much the same, but cropped. The effect is that at first glance that you see little or none of the low cut dress the character is wearing in it, so it amplifies the sense with the word discreet to make you think it is a sleazy ad using unclothed women.

It is all the lowest common denominator of marketing. Why can't we in this day take it up a notch.


Of course, all of this is also getting the game talked up...