Talking emoji, a passing fad or a golden advertising opportunity?

Emojis are ubiquitous in the modern digital world and they are increasingly being used in our everyday conversations instead of traditional words and phrases. The rise of the emoji is truly staggering, according to the UK’s Guardian website they are the world’s fastest growing language. And in the ever expanding multicultural world in which we all live in they benefit from surpassing language, nationality and culture.

So how long will it be before the advertising world jumps onto this global #trending bandwagon? The cost benefits alone of only producing campaigns in ‘one language’ across the globalised world would save millions of pounds on production costs, both digital and traditional. Proof reading? Nope we don’t need that skill anymore, translator’s? Obscure role of the past. And let’s not forget the all consuming obsession for brands to appeal to an ever increasing younger and younger audience. Yet more importantly as the array of emoji grows which brand could resist not only owning this latest phenomenon generation Z are buying into but the actual language that they use?

The race is one, not only for brands to lead the charge but for them to own this new brave frontier. New and improved, well that’s obviously a unicorn with sunglasses. 50% less sugar? That’s easy, a dancing sunflower. And the the adorable panda flexing its abs obviously means buy one get one free to any Snapchat obsessed millennial.

So will we be seeing emojis promoting our favourite brands as the advertising industry chases the constant lure of modernity, or will it play it safe with tried and tested SEO keywords, eloquently scripted puns and product metaphors? I for one look forward to seeing a laughing turtle in my online ad’s because who doesn’t love a 50% summer sale.

Article links:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/sep/06/emojis-shigetaka-kurita-mark-davis-coding-language