Yummy, Virtual M and M’s – Blog Post #8

The Barbarian Group is one of the most respected interactive shops in the US. When it comes to creating online interactive advertising, these guys know what’s up.From games, to banners, to the the Subservient Chicken, these guys know about interactivity. However, some might argue that the interactivity of their ads is a myth. Len Manovich claims that in interactive media, “we are asked to follow pre-programmed, objectively existing associations.” (Manovich) His ideas state that although we seem to be in control, we really aren’t. We are following a pathway laid out in front of us by someone else and calling it interactive because we are, “pressing a button, clicking a link,” etc while we don’t have any input. (Manovich) Merely using the ad doesn’t give us control and make the ad interactive. Because we don’t have complete control Manovich believes we don’t get the interactive experience. 

I’m going to explore Manovich’s ideas by looking at the Barbarian Group’s ad: M&Ms World.

M&M’s World allows you to personalize every aspect of your very own M&M. You can alter everything from the color of the M&M to its accessories, giving the M&M its own sense of style and flair. And once you create your M&M, you can then create custom merchandise, which of course is available for purchase, and use your M&M to participate in fun games. All of these aspects contribute to a great interactive ad, and since the Barbarian Group is at the helm, you can be sure that it is purely an ad. While other companies might use an online salesman or shopping cart, The Barbarian Group refuses. At the Barbarian Group they believe “interactive advertising is not people.” Nor is it, “e-commerce.” (Primer) Interactive ads are intended to do what normal ads do, sell a product without a sales representative by creating buzz and interest in a product. I have to say that M&M World markets well by plastering the M&M logo all over the site. Also it helps that you are in fact creating an M&M.  M&M World easily creates a fun environment  for people to visit, especially for those people who’d buy M&M’s. Being among this demographic, I was happily surprised to be taken in by the many choices that are available when personalizing the M&M, and how fun it is visiting the site. The bright colors and cartoonish M&Ms appeals to a younger audience who’d actually eat M&M’s as well those adults who are in fact kids at heart. 

Although the ad is fun, innovative, and effective, its it really interactive? Yes. Although people like Manovich would point out that the personalization options aren’t endless, they are plentiful enough to ensure few, if any, duplicates. In M&M’s World we aren’t being asked to, “mistake the structure of somebody else’s mind for our own.” (Manovich) We are not being lead through a site being told what to do or how to do it, but actually participating in something that yields a creative result. These M&Ms are now even in a gallery on the site, another testament to how users are contributing to M&Ms World. The Barbarian Group has created a world fostering freedom of expression as people create M&M’s that show off a bit of who they are.

Works Cited:

http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2008/11/suri-cruise-m-and-m-store.jpg

http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens2385347module15792672photo_1234572598m-and-m.png

http://s3.amazonaws.com/bzzagent-bzzscapes-prod/m-ms-transformers-resin-ornaments—kurt-s–adler–lrg.png