Digital Advertisers: Same Old Evil, Now with Jetpacks!

what does advertising dynamics have to do with digital rhetoric?

Wow, what a question--what doesn't digital rhetoric have to do with advertising? Advertisers are very, very good at finding new ways to reach old and new audiences, and to reach them more effectively, and more often. The digital divide works in the advertisers' favor, as well, since advertisers can be fairly certain that the majority of their online and gamer audiences have the wherewithal to afford computers and video game systems, and, therefore, might have a little more disposable income they'd be willing to spend.

Digital environments--especially the World Wide Web, and, as the readings this week showed, video games--offer advertisers prime territory to make their case to any number of demographics as subtlely or as obviously as they'd like. Also, digital advertisements can come in the form of those annoying pop-ups, or click-through add windows that hold your desired page hostage until the advertisement has loaded and you've-- presumably--looked at it, but can also be integrated more or less seamlessly into your digital experience. Top and side banners, sponsored links, product placement in video games, bloggers paid to talk up products, movies, music...even consumers who have perfected their ad-blinders could be taken in by this new approach.