Instagram’s brand-free utopia, pure of Oreo memes and ads for StubHub, will soon come to an end. Today the Facebook-owned company gave everyone fair warning that since it’s a “growing business” (a.k.a. we need to make money), you’ll see an “occasional ad” within the next few months.
For now, only users in the United States will see the ads. You’ll see “photos and videos from brands you don’t follow,” which is, just, like, the way ads are delivered on social networks. So, no complaining. Anyway, like the gentle lover that it is, it’s going to “start slow” to deliver ads that aren’t ugly and not to piss off users.
The post continues:
Our aim is to make any advertisements you see feel as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of you already enjoy from your favorite brands. After all, our team doesn’t just build Instagram, we use it each and every day. We want these ads to be enjoyable and creative in much the same way you see engaging, high-quality ads when you flip through your favorite magazine.
You won’t be completely bombarded with ads, either. Instagram is giving you the option to hide or provide feedback on ads that don’t feel right. “We’re relying on your input to help us continually improve the Instagram experience,” it says.
That shriek is the sound of social media interns everywhere drafting video plans for their bosses.
