This Ad is brought to you by...

I must be short today unfortunately, so I will be choosing a rather simply topic. Sponsored ads. Now I could describe these ads and exactly how they work, including screens shots and funny pictures, but I am much to lazy right now. So instead you will perform an experiment. Step one, go to www.google.com (I am not linking it for you type it in yourself), if you have a Google bar that will also work. Now, step two, search for a product, maybe something like edible underware or your future, almost anything will work. Step three, this is the hard one, look at the right side of the screen when results are displayed. Do you see the list of links labeled "Sponsored Links", now you know what a sponsored link is, congratulations.

It was not too long after the creation of the search engine that big business America got the bright idea that they might be able to use it to sell you things. So, whenever you search for a key word in one of the major engines it also searches all its sponsor pages to see if you search coincides. Now I have to praise this as being one of the very few forms of E-vertising that does not attempt to hurl its self at you like and over zealous lemming off a high rock. Each ad sits quietly and unobtrusively off to the left of the screen and waits patiently for you attention.

And it works, it serves its purpose well. Naturally since most searchers are not actively seeking to buy something the majority of the links go unclicked, but every so often I find my self price hunting and actually click through (ok, not entirely true, I usually google search the sponsors site to avoid spyware, but the effect is almost the same). Now since I absolutely hate clicking on any form of ad, anywhere, ever, this is something of an accomplishment.

Well...thats it, thats all I have to say. Good medium, no major changes in sight, nothing new or innovative, unless you consider the fact that for once the industry has something that perfectly serves its purpose and yet they haven't tried to "improve it". Well played sponsored links, two thumbs up.