Advertising Small can be beautiful

Look again. In 2003 agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky dominated this page in The Atlantic with a small space ad for the Mini. To do it they simply got permission from three other advertisers to include them in the ruse, bringing extra attention to them too.

Like most (all!) readers and viewers, I take great offense at advertisements that pop-up unannounced or otherwise interrupt my media experience. But unlike most I'm also a huge fan of small space ads, and have been since I was a magazine loving kid. How else would I know the there is a small, very portable kayak called a Poke Boat, even though I don't want one today? But someday I might, and because I've seen these relatively inexpensive ads hundreds of times they will be top of mind if I do. As publishers and platforms get stricter about more invasive forms of digital advertising, it's time to think of otherwise unobtrusive tiles as small space ads. They're not designed to stop everyone. They're there only for the readers and viewers who care. A new book shows how it was done in the age of print. Article: New Book Highlights How Much Graphic Designers Can Learn from the Small Ads of Yesteryear