Facebook and cinemagraphs – what does it all mean?
Considering we are all so desensitized to advertising on the web, Facebook has decided up the ante by using Cinemagraphs. These “new” ads will be taking your newsfeed by storm with the hopes of hypnotizing you. You’ll be staring at the ad on your screen with vector spirals in your eyes while your brain tells you, “Ooh- shiny, pretty, off to go buy all the things.”
Cinemagraphs have been around for years and we’ve already covered them for you at length and we’ve even shown you how to make them yourself. Late to the game, Facebook. That’s ok, we will still let you play.
Quick refresher on what cinemagraphs are
Here’s a little refresher course for those of you who may have missed it. Cinemagraphs are high resolution photos that have some minor movements going on in them. It’s kind of like combining a photo and a video. You’re thinking- these are just like GIF’s and no big deal, right? They’re actually a little more interesting than that.
Cinemagraphs are like GIF’s with an artsy and sophisticated twist. The technique is pretty simple but the end result is much more visually appealing than your average GIF or flashy advertisement. Videos and GIFs are already autoplaying on our newsfeeds as we scroll through. While Cinemagraphs are just another means to grab your attention, they might actually be less annoying than a GIF or video on Facebook.
So will it be annoying or amazing? We weigh in
One of the Cinemagraphs depicted in Adweek is of a bohemian pixie girl sitting atop an old classic car in a meadow with a white flower in her hand. She’s asking herself, “Does he love me, or love me not?” while picking the petals off. The petals and her hair are the only thing floating in the wind in the photo. It is whimsical and alluring. I wouldn’t mind seeing that on Facebook.
Take our word for it, these photos are artsy, beautiful, and fun to look at. Facebook is keeping mum on the ins and outs of this Cinemagraph roll out. Although, it’s no surprise that they’re trying new tactics to get us to buy from their advertisers. We know they’re going to be throwing these ads at us anyways, so they might as well make them striking.
