Concept
Click bait is content designed to grab viewers’ attention and persuade them to follow that link. As the term suggests, clickbait serves as a hook for predators preparing to pounce, and before they know it, they are caught up in a deceptive chain of events. Although “click bait” refers to online content, the concept is based on traditional marketing strategies like “bait and switch.”
While it was relatively simple to identify clickbait in the early days of the internet, today’s clickbait has taken on various forms and has become more sophisticated. Clickbait Magazine is a conceptual magazine cover series that features all types of modern-day clickbait, providing them with a platform to receive the attention they desperately want.
Poster 1
Poster 1 Youtube Rabbit Holes
Content ranking algorithms are complex and mysterious beasts that dictates the order in which content/videos appear on the site. And while many people are familiar with YouTube's traditional algorithms (which rank channels based on viewership, likes, and shares), there are other factors that play into video ranking as well. One of these factors is video thumbnail optimization - or making sure your video has attractive thumbnails that make it stand out from the competition.
Unfortunately, this practice has often led to videos being promoted almost purely based on their attractiveness rather than any substantive content they may contain. Even worse, Youtube has become a clickbait farm by promoting videos that do contain useful information but are only made to get our attention.
Poster 2
Poster 2 - Food Porn
One of the most popular online content genres is food porn, which stands out from other media because viewers are less likely to feel like their time is being wasted on it. While it is highly addicting, food content is portrayed as being warm and friendly.
There are two main reasons why food porn attracts so many viewers: 1) It's visually appealing - photos or videos of mouth-watering dishes give us a feeling of happiness that we can't help but indulge in 2) It taps into our emotions - by showing us happy scenes with friends or family around a table filled with delicious food, we can feel close to them even if we're not physically nearby.
While there's nothing wrong with getting addicted to food porn, be aware that this kind of content may have negative consequences for your health! Not only do you risk gaining weight due to emotional eating (eating because you see happy reactions from food instead of making rational decisions), but you might also develop an unhealthy relationship with food. This type of feeding behavior leads to deprivation syndrome (a mental state caused by chronic hunger accompanied by obsessive thoughts about foods), which can eventually lead to obesity and other serious complications. So make sure moderation is key when indulging in all things culinary!
Poster 3
Poster 3 - Private Education
Private higher education in third-world nations, such as Egypt, frequently uses this marketing practice of piggybacking western culture to promote and sell their expensive programs. While the strategy largely succeeds, it is unethical because it plays on the deep-seated inferiority complexes that trace back to colonial times and, in reality, they offer little value for money, only perpetuating the belief that these nations are not capable of providing quality education or deserve recognition from the west.
These institutions are hoping that by associating themselves with western countries, they will be able to attract more students and increase the prestige of their programs. However, this strategy is likely only going to alienate these students from mainstream society further and reinforce the view that educated people should seek refuge in developed nations rather than stay within developing ones.
Poster 4
Poster 4 - Cross selling
Cross-selling is a common approach in e-commerce platforms, whereby customers are shown comparable or complementary items once they enter their shopping basket or are about to check out.
In my opinion, this type of upselling or cross-selling, especially when done dishonestly, diverts customers' focus from their primary flow of purchasing the products they need and leads them to spend extra for goods they initially didn't want to get. Therefore, I believe cross-selling should only be used sparingly and with full disclosure so that shoppers are always in control and can make informed decisions.
Poster 5
Poster 5 - Human Billboards
Social media influencers have become a powerful tool for businesses to use in order to reach more people. They can help promote a product or service without having to invest large amounts of money, and the followers base rarely has any say in the matter. In fact, many social media influencers are simply paid promoters who are using their platforms as tools for earning money instead of sharing their own opinions and stories with their followers.
While this type of relationship is generally beneficial for both parties involved - businesses get exposure and influencers make more money, there is one major downside to this relationship: followers of these influencers may end up feeling deceived and abandoned, as they were not made aware of this potential conflict of interest beforehand.
