ADdicted: OpenTable's Open Bill

Sep 3

1 min read

Is guilt an effective advertising technique?

Google suggests that it can be, but advises marketers to "keep the call to action small" and warns that "gentle reminders work much better than heavy-handed guilt trips."

OpenTable does both of these things well with this Mother's Day banner-stand ad, which I recently discovered on social media:

OpenTable Mother’s Day poster in a restaurant, styled like a receipt for Mum with loving actions and a QR code at the bottom

A giant receipt that not-so-subtly suggests you'll always have an open bill with your Mom, and a suggestion that an OpenTable dinner reservation is a way to show your gratitude.

I don't think I need to write anything else about this ad: the message is obvious and relatable, and the call to action couldn't be more clear.

Plus, I know my mother reads this blog, and because she'd often (jokingly?) start to sing this song to my sisters and me when we were kids, I already know I'll never hear the end of this.