Ad blockers: we have to do it

The topic of the week on the Internet was undoubtedly ad blockers, those browser extensions that can block advertising banners on websites, pop-ups, commercial videos, and even prevent advertising platforms from using cookies to follow our movements around the web. Ad blockers are not new. According to a study by Adobe and PageFair, around 200 million users browse the web using ad blockers. To put that in perspective, that is approximately the entire population of Brazil, twice the population of all Mexico, or almost four times the population of Colombia. A lot of people use ad blockers. This week's news was that Apple now allows ad blockers to be installed for Safari in the latest version of iOS.

Ad blockers have sparked a major debate. On one side are those who defend them in favor of the user experience, since blocking ads makes web pages load faster, use fewer device resources, and even makes their content cleaner. On the other side are those who argue that blocking ads harms websites whose revenue comes precisely from impressions and clicks on those ads; finally, it also harms brands trying to promote their products. Some even argue that blocking ads on a website is the same as stealing the content because the content is not really free: it is given to the user in exchange for viewing the ads.

I have a strong opinion on this, and I want to express it in the following context: advertising puts food on my table. I do not consider myself an advertising professional; I consider myself a designer. A large part of my work, however, is advertising work because it consists of devising, planning, and developing commercial strategies on the Internet and online advertising campaigns. Even so, I refuse to call myself an advertising professional because I do not like advertising. Do not misunderstand me. I am aware, and I accept, that a certain level of advertising can even be fun, enjoyable to consume, innovative, creative, or even moving. Campaigns at that level, which we might call “good advertising,” are extremely rare. Apart from the occasional Super Bowl ad, viral campaign, or staged activation, there is actually very little good advertising. In fact, I am going to say it: most advertising is very bad; it is garbage. Ninety-nine percent of the advertising we are exposed to every day is an insult to the intellect and the appreciation of aesthetics inherent in the critical thinking of many of us. Products we do not need and promotions we do not want, framed by poor design, bad copy, and bad targeting. It disgusts me to see the city full of advertising. It disgusts me to enter a website and see all those colorful, moving banners trying to steal my attention. Not long ago, I discussed the example of online newspapers, which seem to be more dedicated to advertising now than to informing. Advertising is the enemy.

That is why I do not believe in making advertising; I believe in making content. Therefore, my opinion on this issue is not merely that blocking ads is acceptable. I will go further and say that we have an ethical obligation to block ads. Why? Because we have to save the web from out-of-control advertising. All those ads loaded onto web pages make them much slower, consume our RAM, and drain the precious juice from our smartphone batteries. They violate our privacy by tracking us with cookies to learn about our searches and, according to them, understand our interests so they can serve us more ads.

Make no mistake: I am not a hippie. I am a voracious consumer. I love following the brands I like and buying things; I am more capitalist than Uncle Sam. What I do not want is to endure advertising of such a low standard. So what is the solution? Brands have to evolve, advertising professionals have to evolve, and websites that live on advertising have to evolve. We need new advertising models. I am not talking about an economic model of the future; I mean tools that we already use today. Remember: I do not believe in making advertising; I believe in making content. There are currently more ways than ever to promote a product in ways that are appealing, creative, and, above all, interesting to users. I will give you an example. Today I came across the Twitter account of a sneaker store. I know its Guadalajara branches, I have visited them, and I like the products they sell. When I found its Twitter account, I explored it, realized that its content interested me, and decided to follow it. I am completely certain that in less than three months I will see a new pair of sneakers I like and go buy them. Its Twitter account will have worked to generate sales. Heck, I have an example even closer to home: our LABPROY Twitter account has brought us clients and helped us close projects.

I do not mean that “traditional” advertising has to cease to exist—bear in mind that digital advertising can also be traditional, as with banner ads. It will still have its place and function, but if brands, advertising professionals, and websites supported by advertising want to survive, they will have to find new ways to promote products.

Above all, the most important part of my opinion is this: THE USER EXPERIENCE COMES FIRST. Everything else is secondary. I can proudly say that I have flatly refused requests from clients who want pop-ups on their websites. That is the kind of intrusive, unpleasant advertising that throws away every effort made to design an enjoyable user experience.

So, start blocking ads. If brands do not want to evolve on their own, let us force them to.