Word of caution about "sneaky" ads

[farmboy]

I was reading an online newspaper this morning and saw an AdSense unit. One of the ads read something like this:

NFL Star John Doe in New Show
Former football player appears in new show
on the Widget TV network starting tonight at 9.

Maybe a few people will click, but the reader gets the message without the need for a click.

FarmBoy

[MyNewPC]

What are you cautioning about? If it's just that there is no need to click to get the information they are advertising, it's no different than when an advertiser puts a phone number in the ad.

[Scurramunga]

Yes, I have seen ads along similar lines. Sometimes there is a concise description of a product, a price or an discount incentive and a call to action which might to call on a toll free number.

[indias next no1]

they might be premium publisher and ads might be CPM

[fredw]

It may seem to us publishers that these ads, and ads with phone numbers, are cheating. But, can we know that for sure? What part of your audience, who are fans of John Doe, will click on the ad anyway, in hopes of learning more, seeing a picture, etc.? It's possibly more than you think.

[koan]

Doesn't its price per click increase anyway when an advertiser's CTR is low? and if it's CPM, it still has to compete with other ads in terms of eCPM.