In the case of new product announcements and press releases, a catchy name or headline can mean the difference between “open” and “delete.” It can also deceive someone into getting excited over
something that turns out to be rather insignificant.
This morning, I found a press release with the following headline: “Disney Online Launches The Magic Banner.” I opened the message and read the
following: “Disney Online announced the launch of a new advertising format that expands upon the traditional banner ad. This new unit, named “The Magic Banner,” engages guests with animated designs in
a single, enlarged ad space at the top of the page.”
The release went on to explain that once a visitor comes to the Disney homepage, the Magic Banner animation
originates outside the perimeter of the ad and draws the visitor’s attention into the ad itself.
Sounds interesting enough, right? So, I went to the Disney.com Entertainment page and within 5
seconds of loading, all my interest turned to disappointment. What I found was a 630x70 pixel Mazda MPV banner (which to the naked eye really doesn’t seem any bigger than the 468x60) on top of the
page, complete with tiny Mazda minivans zipping around it. All this innovation was aimed at getting me to click on the ad and be taken to the Mazda Raceway page, where I could learn about the new MPV
sweepstakes.
To be fair, the one really attractive feature of the whole concept is that there is no clutter from competing messages on the page. But it’s still just an odd-sized banner with
rich-media capabilities on a well-trafficked site. Yes, you could say that I should have known better than fall for a press release headline, but I expected more Magic from Disney.