The founder of Ello started up the ad-free social network because he felt like the internet had turned into a giant billboard. There are ways to get around that, of course, and the rise of adblocking software is one of the most popular (nearly five percent of all internet users now use such software, up 69 percent on last year, and 18-29 year olds in the US clocked in at 41 percent). Converse is a brand aimed at the younger end of the market, so, in keeping with the trend towards utility in advertising, it created its own solution to annoying banner ads: a downloadable browser extension called The Ticket.
For its latest Converse All Star sneaker collection, it launched a campaign called #SNEAKERSWOULD, which is aligned with its belief that shoes are boring and sneakers aren’t, and as part of that it asked users to download a browser extension that blocks banner ads and substitutes them with info about exclusive parties, raves or events in various towns around Europe (and when there aren’t cool events, it put gifs, films, games images and other stuff in place).
As it says on the site:
One click is all it takes to replace the boring parts of the internet with hundreds of exclusive films, photos, GIFS, gigs and now-or-never opportunities.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Converse Get In & Go Van to grab seats for not to be forgotten nights of music and and amazing adventures. Plus everyday tickets will pop up to the hottest gigs in the UK and across Europe for you Sneakers game enough to drop everything and go.
- As of this morning, the site was redirecting back to the Converse homepage and you were unable to install the software. So maybe something illegal is afoot?
