We’re used to seeing things like sugar cereals, fast food and toys featured in TV commercials aimed at kids. New on the screen scene: ads featuring apps. Check out this spot for Scribble Hero, one of the app-ads currently running on major kid networks:
What’s different between advertising for an app and advertising for other traditional items? Immediate, affordable gratification. There’s no “Mom can we go to the store” or “Maybe you can save up your birthday money” to contend with. At 99 cents per download that can be up and running in literally a minute, it’s a quick easy purchase that costs less than fries on a dollar menu. And just like that, advertisers have removed obstacles to purchase. Add in that parents are used to downloading apps for themselves on a regular basis – and that apps take up zero physical space in the house – and they’ve also removed the over-indulgent guilt feeling (or at least diluted it sufficiently).
If only they could figure out how to let parents donate their purchased apps to others once their kids are no longer interested in playing with them, although that would undermine sales…
~ @AdvertGirl
