When I think about online commercials and embedded spots and advertising in general, I imagine Malcolm McDowell strapped into a chair, his eyes pried open.
I think about volume jacking — TV ads that suddenly blare from my entertainment center speakers at startling decibel levels, prompting me to lunge for my remote to jab the mute button.
I think about blurbs for weight loss pills or wrinkle-smoothing skin cream in sidebars with messages like “Doctors hate her for exposing their secret!” with links to effervescent advertorials — the online equivalent of sponsored magazine stories designed to resemble in-house features. I think about websites with auto-play videos, often tucked away in sideline stacks of imagery, making if difficult to discern one from another as the video babbles away.
|