The Future Of Website Advertising?

So I just happened across this link to a Forbes.com story about my former boss. When I went to the page I noticed a slight flash as I started to read the article. All of a sudden, Steve Forbes walked out onto my taskbar and started welcoming me to Forbes.com and asking me to click on a box to view some website. I can't help but wonder if this type of in your face advertising is the future of website marketing.

The concept certainly isn't new. It is essentially the same technique as pop-up ads which started back in the 90's and still seem to evade even the smartest pop-up blockers. I think what's really happening is that as Internet users get smarter they begin to tune out all the stale ads that they see on page after page; all in the same predictable places with the same general gag to try to get you to click on them. So, marketing groups have to get more and more savvy to capture our attention. Unfortunately, I think these types of ploys are just going to upset more people rather than excite them. I really just wanted to read the article, but instead I was forced to listen to Steve's boring voice tell me how great this other website was.

So is this the future of website advertising? Maybe. But first they will have to get rid of Steve and put in someone a little more visually appealing.