In my opinion, the next big thing in advertising/public relations is going to be a mix of interactive and viral marketing. Just like the article in the Wired magazine on NIN harped on, the future seems to be heading to more “cryptic” ads instead of the normal, bland advertisements of the past. Interactive websites, flash drives, coded messages, and ARGs will be used to help the entertainment industry get the “buzz” around a certain project. For example, going to the Grand Theft Auto IV website (http://www.rockstargames.com/IV) one can travel around the massive city modeled after New York City and actually view screen shots and video advertisements of the section of the city you choose. This gets the gamer more in tune with the different sights and sounds the city has to offer. Even though these are virtual places, they still create excitement for the game. Guohua Wu defined the first dimension of interactivity as the perceived control over the site navigation, the pace or rhythm of the interaction, and the content being accessed (Wu, 2006). This website is a good example of being a good interactive website. The Internet will be a huge part of the next big thing to happen in advertising/public relations if it hasn’t already.
I believe the trends in advertising/PR that will become fads in the future are the mini-movies that are being used to promote normal, “need” products. Take the Brawny article for instance. It is safe to say that Brawny fell flat on it’s face with the episode of a obstacle course complete with the brand all over it. Like the authors of the article say “We have serious doubts whether anybody would watch such a thing on television; it’s too obnoxiously Branwy-branded, far beyond the most clunky “The Apprentice” or “Queer Eye” product placement.” (Garfield, 2006) Other than that, the future for interactive advertising looks very bright.
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