GLOBAL, FEBRUARY 2011 – Advertising gives people the power of choice. Now the challenge has been thrown back to advertisers as well. Consumers and corporations are being challenged to talk about ads they believe make an impact for the greater good, versus ads that they think should be “deleted”. The initiative, launched by media and marketing firm Haberman before Super Bowl XLV, is called ADD or DELETE.
In its mission-vision, the Add or Delete movement asks consumers to consider the figures in ad spending: “If 5% of global ad spending was re-directed to global good, what difference could it make? It’s a small step. But it would mean $25 billion annually to help people and help our planet.”
The movement wishes to inspire marketers to look at the legacy their work is creating. More than annoying hard sell or an unrealized concept, the qualifications for deletion lie in an ad’s lack of positive value.
Super Bowl has come and gone, but the movement is still in its infancy. Add or Delete has a following of less than 350 on its Facebook page, and no major company has taken action yet. There is still hope, however. Next up for discussion, the Oscars, with 30-second spots worth $1.8-M each. Perhaps then we’ll see if 5% is still too much for the industry to give up.
