What Happened
T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced on Twitter that he’s won the bid for putting a temporary tattoo ad on the right shoulder of track star and two-time Olympian Nick Symmonds for $21,800. Legere is also polling his over 2.4 million Twitter followers for what the tattoo should be. But whatever the CEO chooses to put on the athlete, it won’t be the first ad tattoo that Symmonds has worn, as he already has a temporary tattoo of his caffeinated-gum company Run Gum on his left shoulder.
What Brands Need To Do
It is getting increasingly difficult for brands to get consumers’ attention with traditional ads, thanks to the consistent growth of ad-free services, the rise of ad-blocker usage, and the growing aversion to ads in general. Therefore, it is not surprising that brand marketers have been experimenting with new ad formats to reach their audiences, such as sponsored content and native ads. While this tattoo ad spot may be a slightly extreme example of this sort of experimentation, it is illustrative of how brands are exploring new ways to deal with ad avoidance.
For more information on how brands should leverage interesting branded content to earn consumer eyeballs, check out the Ad Avoidance section of our Outlook 2016.
Source: ESPN