JWT Amsterdam's Creative Use of Retargeting Rejuvenates Ad Banner

Here's one of the most interesting uses of retargeting technology we've seen in a while. For those who don't know, in a nutshell, retargeting allows marketers to, in essence, "tag" you when you visit a particular site (on which they have placed an ad banner) and then show you another banner (retarget you) on another. Most marketers simply show you the same banner over and over again.

JWT Amsterdam approached retargeting a bit more intelligently and used the technology to tell a story.

JWT client, Dutch Customs, wanted to inform travelers it's illegal to bring back fake designer bags and small knifes from holiday destinations around the world. The agency created re-targeting banners in which street vendors attempt to sell the travelers these products and placed them on travel websites.

Using retargeting, the street vendors followed a person around as they visited various travel sites delivering ever more desperate pleas for people to buy their products each time. After several version of the banners were delivered across multiple site, the final message was delivered: it's not OK to bring these items back into the Netherlands.

Check out the case video below. See? The ad banner may not yet be dead.