The Interactive Advertising Bureau is rolling out a major marketing campaign aimed at easing consumer fears and suspicions with regard to the tactics being used to target them with advertising messages online.
The "Privacy Matters" campaign hinges on a little reverse psychology, enticing web surfers to interact with banner ads that boast alarmist phrases such as "Advertising is creepy," reports Adweek. When users mouse over such ads, they discover the real intent of the ad in a block of text reading, "Or at least that's what you'd think based on the fact that advertisers are trying to show you ads based on what they know about you. But the information they're using isn't personally identifiable. We have lots of materials and discussions about advertising and data privacy on our site. If that sort of thing interests you, we'd love it if you'd click and help spark the discussion."
IAB members will run 500 million banner ad impressions -- which drive users to an educational IAB website -- through the early part of next year. The IAB expects additional pro bono PSAs from agencies throughout the new year, and plans to raise money to buy premium placements on major portals, Ad Age reports.
Of course, for users who don't mouse over the ads, they'll be left with the message, "Hey, this banner ad can tell where you live. Mind if I come over and sell you some stuff?" But according to the IAB, the ads are deliberately provocative, in hopes that the online privacy discussion can be elevated to a more rational level.
