• by Mike Bloxham , Op-Ed Contributor, March 5, 2008

With yesterday's closure of the wall-to-wall TV and online ad channel Firebrand, maybe it's time to conclude that the ads-as-content model isn't likely to sustain itself on a grand scale (maybe more modest attempts can pull it off).

After all, Firebrand looked and functioned beautifully, the content was top-notch, and the initial investment was there.  But apart from those of us who like to spend a short while watching decent ads while channel-hopping in hotel rooms from time to time, the audience clearly was not there -- and it probably won't be in large numbers for any other attempts.

Perhaps prompted by the news of Firebrand's early demise, last night I found myself pondering the TV commercials I could recall from my childhood.  I grew up in the U.K., so practically all of the ads and many of the brands would be unfamiliar to most readers -- but to me the imagery, slogans, jingles and cultural reference points they either drew on or -- in some cases -- came to be, are as familiar now as they ever were.

From household products (Fairy Liquid, Lux, Flash), foods, (Heinz Beans, Milk, Eggs, Nimble bread, Hovis bread, Milk Tray Chocolates and an array of breakfast cereals), Beer (Double Diamond, Heineken, Watney's Red Barrel), through Toys (Hot Wheels, Scalextrix) and no end of others, my mind is benignly cluttered with the residue of my childhood media exposure.

I've said in the past (and maintain the view) that people don't "like" advertising per se.  The stuff they like is that which stands out from the rest, by virtue of its innate creative appeal (frequently comedic), the relevance of the information it offers or some other factor.  But by definition, that which stands out from the rest is the exception.  People don't tune in for advertising and are increasingly able to control their exposure to it.

Having said that, every one of us will have our own back catalogue of favorite ads from years gone by -- and not just those from the years for which we've been professionally engaged with media.  All of us can recall no end of campaigns for a range of products -- some of which no longer use TV and some of which no longer exist.  But their TV advertising lives on in our memories (and on YouTube, for that matter, where you'll probably find any ad you can remember).  Many of these resonate every bit as much, sometimes more, than the programming that ran at the same time.

All of which goes to show that when it hits home, "conventional" TV advertising has the power to resonate over decades, not just the days and weeks that most effectiveness research seeks to address.

But as the landscape changes and the industry continues to search for the means to pre-empt the erosion of the effectiveness of "conventional" TV spots to a point of crisis, I can't help but wonder what the kids of today will recall.

Very likely, advertising will be in the mix, but as 5-year-olds up and down the country master the fast-forward function on the DVR, log onto the Web, watch ad-free DVDs and VOD, play video games and other electronic toys -- and as adults in the family similarly shape and personalize their own viewing experience -- just what will those adults of tomorrow store in their memory vaults?

Will it be viral videos (almost certainly yes), banner ads (almost certainly no), Facebook applications, content in virtual environments, branded entertainment, sponsorship associations, in-game placement -- or something we have yet to experiment with?

Of course, part of the answer to this question will be determined by the extent to which client marketing budgets support any of the options above -- representing as they do yet further fragmentation of audience and opportunity.  If measurement can demonstrate the efficacy of investing in these vehicles and formats, the money will follow and grow beyond the "experimental budget" phase. 

And then we may have something to remember.

So what will tomorrow's media memories be?  Will they be the likes of the Diet Coke / Mentos viral video?  Will they be the New York Times News Quiz application of Facebook?  I don't know - and as fragmentation continues apace, I'm not sure we can expect so many people to recall these things as readily and as enthusiastically as so many of us can recall the ads of yesteryear.

Which ads do you recall from your childhood -- and what do you think our kids will remember from their media use when they look back in years to come?