Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tough choice for fantasy sports fans



For many men, especially the ones most likely to see the accompanying banner ad, the choice may have been a tough one. The ad appeared—in various forms—on a premier fantasy sports site (rotoworld.com) during the 2006 baseball season. Although I didn’t click-through, I suspect the link was to a market research firm looking to trade (an “opportunity” for) laptops for personal information and demographic details from online sports fanatics.

The ad was certain to get noticed considering its use of the enticing female image and rhetorical question. But doesn’t the ad come close to being a “bait-and-switch” offer in that there is a very subtle, unspoken promise that the viewer will see more of what’s in the ad with a simple click? At any rate, the sexual image in the ad may have provided just enough incentive for men to investigate further. Also, perhaps the checked-flag patterned bikini top was meant to appeal to NASCAR fans.

No comments: