The quest? A single big idea that works across every media. An idea that can draw the consumer out and compel them to spend some time with the brand, and maybe even some money. The problem? Millennials apparently hate traditional advertising. This is apparently documented by multiple studies. But, as the largest living adult generation in the US now with $200 B in annual spending, Millennials can’t be ignored.
The Solution? One tactic increasingly being employed is a brand explicitly acknowledging that they are advertising to you — essentially making fun of themselves in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. This feels akin to breaking the fourth wall, the same technique you’ll see in a movie or play when the character speaks directly to the camera, acknowledging that it is a movie or play.
One of the more subtle goals of advertising is to make the brand topical and most importantly a part of pop culture. Social currency and social relevance are integral to advertising today. Another thing that often distinguishes a great ad today is a sly, self-awareness that lets the consumer in on the pitch. This, in the parlance of performance arts, is known as breaking the fourth wall. The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imagined wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes, the actors act as if they cannot. This can be done through either directly referencing the audience, the play as a play, or the characters' fictionality.
The Solution? One tactic increasingly being employed is a brand explicitly acknowledging that they are advertising to you — essentially making fun of themselves in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. This feels akin to breaking the fourth wall, the same technique you’ll see in a movie or play when the character speaks directly to the camera, acknowledging that it is a movie or play.
One of the more subtle goals of advertising is to make the brand topical and most importantly a part of pop culture. Social currency and social relevance are integral to advertising today. Another thing that often distinguishes a great ad today is a sly, self-awareness that lets the consumer in on the pitch. This, in the parlance of performance arts, is known as breaking the fourth wall. The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imagined wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes, the actors act as if they cannot. This can be done through either directly referencing the audience, the play as a play, or the characters' fictionality.
It's a technique best known for its use in films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Fight Club, and American Psycho, breaking the fourth wall goes all the way back to the days of William Shakespeare and ancient Greek theatre. Although it was originally criticized and looked down upon, TV shows like 30 Rock and Netflix’s House of Cards have been using it more and more frequently.
Breaking the fourth wall works because it’s unexpected. Consumers expect brands to be nameless blobs spewing pithy taglines at them, and instead, these brands are acknowledging truths they know about their consumers and thus, trying to feel more relatable. There is no avoiding the fact that they have to advertise anyways, but they have to try to grab attention in a different way. Their business metrics will dictate whether it works or not.
Breaking the fourth wall works because it’s unexpected. Consumers expect brands to be nameless blobs spewing pithy taglines at them, and instead, these brands are acknowledging truths they know about their consumers and thus, trying to feel more relatable. There is no avoiding the fact that they have to advertise anyways, but they have to try to grab attention in a different way. Their business metrics will dictate whether it works or not.
Some examples include:
