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When ad targeting goes bad

January 5, 2009

I'm a huge fan of Hulu — because it works, but mostly because they are the first company to prove to the ailing/blind entertainment industry that there is an intelligent path to thrive (if they stop fighting the future and start getting smart).

But … they need to do a little work on where they run the ads:

  • Charities like Kiva probably don't want to be featured on the Porky's shower scene
  • Children's shows like Sesame Street should not have ads at all
  • HealthierUS.gov might be OK with their placement on Monty Python's Mr. Creosote.

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4 comments. Read them below or add one. (Trackback)

{ 4 comments }

Piotr J. January 5, 2009 at 10:09 pm

They need to attract some of those google programmers that have been jumping ship over the last few years.
Though in all seriousness, the Kiva ad during the shower scene is slightly ridiculous. Reminiscent of the United online ads that were showing next to the news articles during September 11.

pezme January 6, 2009 at 9:16 am

Seriously- why wouldn’t they? Maybe it is their audience maybe not? Who know who is going to watch Porky’s for free online?

Torley January 6, 2009 at 9:17 am

Oh, glad you caught this. LOLarious but kind of sad.
Hulu ads are boring and I mute them, because they play the same darn ad (or an uninteresting variation by the same company) 4 times throughout a program. That isn’t useful repetition, that’s grating annoyance. I’d prefer to see more varied advertising.
Some of the ads were strangely appropriate, tho: on Heroes with Sylar, the telekinetic serial killer, there was some ad (heh, I don’t remember who it was by) which had a similarly-shot sinister feel to his murder scenes.

Evette January 7, 2009 at 11:29 am

I was watching Bring It On once, on Hulu, and all the ads were for Hungry Man. Disconnect, much?

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