MarketingInsideOut.com

So you come in to work at P&G one morning and you’re given your assigment for the day. You are to put on a toilet costume and go stand in Times Square and encourage people to use the Charmin bathroom.

OK… so they probably hired actors instead of using employees (imagine including “I was a Toilet in Times Square” on a resume). But more and more advertisers are increasingly turning to on-the-ground marketing stunts to capture the attention of consumers.

2007 is expected by many, to be the year of mobile. So of course mobile advertising is expected to surge as a result.

Thus far the amount of money spent on advertising on mobile phones pales in comparison with other advertising avenues, but it has been growing rapidly. In 2005, advertisers spent $45 million, around $150 million this year, and according to Ovum Research will reach $1.3 billion by 2010.

According to a story in New York Times, Verizon wireless intends to seize the opportunity and itself become an ad medium.

Beginning early next year, Verizon Wireless will allow placement of banner advertisements on news, weather, sports and other Internet sites that users visit and display on their mobile phones, company executives said.

So now we can be distracted not just by calls, text, games and the mobile web, but also by banner advertising.