#04072019

John Green’s podcast, The Anthropocene Reviewed, is perhaps the podcast with the best ads. I listen to more podcasts than anyone whose full-time job isn’t listening to podcasts should, and for the most part, I either skip or mentally tune out as soon as the ads come through.

Gimlet tries to do interesting things with the ads on their shows, and every now and they, do manage to hit something. But then they repeat it and it’s not as effective anymore. Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries does something similar, and like Gimlet, the effect wears out once the repetition starts. But with John Green, it’s almost that I can’t wait for the next ad to come up just to see how he’ll weave whatever story from history into the ad.

Of course it’s much harder and less efficient to run John Green type ads, but maybe that’s the price of engagement.