Ad guys think the solution to media clutter is ... more ads

Today's New York times had an article about what's been going on at the 2006 American Association of Advertising Agencies. Frankly, it sounded fairly snooze-worthy, despite its more than 1,400 people and 104 exhibitors. But only at this event could presenters suggest with a straight face that the solution to media clutter was more advertising:

As one speaker after another scolded the industry for excessive advertising clutter, a few attendees promoted nontraditional venues for advertising. That plain white Chinese food takeout box could be bearing a logo sometime soon. Same goes for paper coffee cups and dry cleaning bags, many of which already do. Video ads are appearing more in elevators, particularly in hotels and office buildings.

The challenge for the start-ups pitching these products is to move past mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants and persuade large companies to accept advertising.

Joyce Shulman, a co-founder of Mangia Media, which sells advertising on pizza boxes, said that the largest companies were generally unwilling to give up their coveted white space.

"I talked to a marketing manager from Domino's last year, and he said they consider it the most valuable real estate to promote their own brands," she said.

Frankly, I think we need a twelve-step program for advertising executives to sensitize them to the tyranny of too much. Otherwise, based on this article, It think we're doomed to consider plain white pizza cartons as "coveted."

Technorati Tags: Advertising, Marketing, Tyranny of too much