The AdNews NGen Blog: Digital love

26 May 2014

Surprise surprise, it was raining on Tuesday in Melbourne. Needing just a small opportunity to escape, we decided to watch a movie – more specifically, we watched Her.

The 2013 indie flick, which became a Spike Jonze instant classic (if you believe the reviews), is the story of Theodore, a letter writer wallowing in his heart-break/loneliness until he strikes up an unlikely relationship with his new operating system.

Cue emotional music and a rollercoaster ride of emotions as he struggles to come to terms with what it means to be in love with someone you can neither see nor touch. And conversely, how artificial intelligence battles to construct meaning around emotions it has never experienced before.

But somehow it all just seems too real, too close.

It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that this type of relationship is in the not-too-distant future. Sure, the pants are a little higher, the apartments are a little sleeker, and video games are projections you control with your hands. But in a world where we are all 'connected' online already, do you have to unplug to feel loved?

One can easily argue that 'plugged-in' or 'digital' love has already started. Some people gush over the number of people following them on Twitter, some share way too many details about their personal lives, and some just get downright dirty on Instagram. Hell, Casey Donovan even fell in love with someone she had never met over the phone. We have a love affair with sharing things on our computers and smartphones already – imagine if they could speak back. Imagine if they could ‘love’ back.

The challenge that will be faced by us 'communications kids' is how to ride the wave of artificial intelligence in a way that shows results for our clients. When you have an operating system that meets your every need, then what type of media will you be consuming? You may be free to spend more time away from home, to catch up with friends over a coffee. You may even (and this is every media person's dream) be able to spend more time at the bar. It will become more and more relevant that advertisers are placed in environments that are non-traditional because the technological world is non-traditional.

The most successful advertisers will be those who have been able to insert themselves seamlessly into everyday life. The catch is that we need to continuously develop touch points where we can make these connections, because when we stop looking for new ways to connect with people we will inevitably lose them.

Sheree Gladman
Production Executive
oOh! Media

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