Have you been noticing casino ads on your pizza boxes? Are you getting more and more ads for things that you only mentioned once in passing? The reasons behind this trend may be more alarming than you might think, with social media, browsers, and even advertising agencies walking a thin line between legality and bad taste. Join us as we show you the shocking world of modern advertisement.
Being provocative is the best way to get views, be they online or offline. A beautiful model showcasing lingerie on a billboard is guaranteed to get more attention from passing drivers than an ad about vegan food. While some get annoyed by these scantily clad ads, calling them everything from immoral to annoying, others find a different target: casino ads. These are by far the most divisive, with people either loving them or hating them. However, all press is good press, as they say.
The Rise of Provocative Gambling Ads
New online casinos join the global gaming market on a daily, with a few peeking their heads above the crowd. While offering the best bonuses, games, and other incentives used to work like a charm, it is now nothing more than a cliché. Brands are, therefore, pushing boundaries by trying to go viral on TikTok, Instagram, or national news. The most extreme example of this is takeaway boxes, which plaster free spin ads on your favorite Pizza Hut pizza.
Clever Provocations:
- Meme Campaigns – Nothing gets spread more on the internet than cat pictures and memes. Some online gaming venues have gone all out on meme development, with some integrating memes completely into their marketing. This is especially appealing to the newer generation of punters, those that use memes as a subculture.
- Fast Food Partnerships – Everyone gets fast food delivery every now and again. A clever UK-based casino went all in on putting themselves onto fast food orders by plastering their 300 free spin promotion on Pizza Hut’s boxes. Such a stunt, while widely criticized, is bound to repeat as it was highly effective.
- Reusing News Anchors – Some brands, such as Betano Casinos, have hired national news anchors in countries like Portugal to promote their brand. TV personalities are widely known, with all of their moves being scrutinized. Hiring a news anchor to promote a casino brand is, therefore, a clever and effective tactic.
The Art Behind the Ad
Regardless of how people perceive an ad, it is always a form of art, from the cinematography and skillful photography to the clever catchphrases and catchy tunes. A good ad is nothing short of a masterpiece, with a million and one pieces coming together just perfectly. However, the art does not stop at the level of ad development; it goes much deeper.
Software solutions, such as browsers and dedicated applications, constantly monitor our activity. From caching our searches to simply following our geographic location, they know more than most would want them to. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that ads are becoming increasingly more targeted.
We have all been there. You mentioned something in passing, and a few hours later, you get an ad for it. This is where the real line should be: your privacy. While you can do little to keep all of your information away from prying eyes, you can definitely hide some of your online activities.
Anonymizing Your Ads
If you are tired of getting ads for a hobby, such as placing a few sports bets or the occasional slot spin, you can easily push the ad agencies away. The easiest way to do so is to use incognito mode when browsing the internet and reporting every ad you get as inappropriate. Various advertising algorithms will then be confused as to what you want to see and start showing you random products in hopes of getting a click or two.
Where The Law Stands
But by far, the biggest role in keeping your ads acceptable belongs to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The latter has guidelines that strictly limit what you are allowed to market. It is these government employees that decide what has or would go too far. While some say that ASA is lagging far behind most European countries in terms of strictness, others say that it is too strict. Whatever the case may be, ASA does its best to keep up with the lightning-fast developments of the advertising world. If you want to stay informed on the latest developments in the world of iGaming and how the industry is reshaping advertising, check out informative sites such as OnlineCasinoReports UK, where you will get the latest scoops.
