iiNet queried over “subliminal” advertising stunt, but expert says interactive ads should be applauded

Small businesses have been told to emulate the spirit of new iiNet television advertisements that give users a website link where a free offer is provided – but only if they freeze-frame the commercials at a specific point.

While some executives and experts within the advertising community have questioned if the ads cross the line into subliminal advertising, others take a different view and say SMEs should be encouraged by the company’s use of interaction within a passive medium.

Founding partner of Naked Communications and consumer psychologist Adam Ferrier told SmartCompany this morning he “absolutely loved” the idea and suggests these types of methods “are the new wave of advertising”.

“I think iiNet have realised there is no point having passive communication if you can get people to interact with your message,” he says.

“The people that do interact with that message are going to have a much more positive interpretation of the brand than if they just passively took that message.”

The message itself reads, “Wow. Impressive. You not only spotted this in our TV ad, you found a way to read it. That can’t have been easy. This whole page only lasted two frames. That’s less than one tenth of a second.”

“Well done, sir or madam. We’re going to reward your awesome pausing powers with a little gift. Type this link into your browser: iinet.net.au/2framefreebie. And yes, you can tell your friends. But let’s keep it to a maximum of a hundred, okay? And hey, watch for more two frame freebies in our next TV campaign.”

It is understood the Communications Council is considering whether the advertising breaches guidelines, but Ferrier suggests there is nothing wrong with the ad at all.

“There are absolutely no issues with this being subliminal advertising. It’s just the company using a traditionally passive medium in a new age which has a very high emphasis on interactivity. It’s not the first time this has been done but it should certainly be applauded.”

iiNet is already reaping some of the benefits as word spreads over internet forums such as Whirlpool. As many users often skip television advertisements through DVRs, advertising experts suggest putting a message within an ad makes users feel they need to watch it in order to be “in” on the joke.

iiNet general managerof retail Matthew Dunstan says the intention was to “have a bit of fun”.

“Whenever we do our ads, we think we need to be doing something a little bit different. We thought here, how do we take it up a level?”

“There was no intention to do anything subliminal or anything like that, and I don’t think we’ve done that here either.”

Ferrier agrees, and says the incident is a lesson for SMEs.

“You know, with social media and the internet, along with personal technology, being such a huge part of our lives, no media has to be passive anymore,” Ferrier says.

“Why would you just give people passive communication? Why not get them to interact?”