Meet That Ad Store

Let me introduce you to That Ad Store, an online-retail platform that specialises in the creation of digital ads and creative ideas.

This year the world has had to adapt and businesses have been forced to join the 21^st century sooner rather than later… whether they intended to or not.

For years the working world has been warming up to the concept of working from home but companies have stuck with the traditional office environment and the desk bound 8-5 worker.

To be fair though, many industries are traditionally not really equipped to be online – like, I would imagine, the advertising and marketing industries: they need team meetings and brainstorming and client meetings. It’s far from the days depicted by Mad Men, a TV series about the advertising world set in the 1960s, but this business still needs an actual agency office, where teams of people get the job done.

Or does it?

Well, Hayley Doron-Weil, the individual behind That Ad Store, has taken her passion and made some gutsy moves online. Starting her career over 15 years ago, working in broadcast, Doron-Weil lead teams at some of the most notable agencies in South Africa.

“Creative storytelling that drives impact, is at the heart of all I do, be it for Coca-Cola, Nokia, Microsoft, SA Tourism, ABSA bank and many more much loved local, Pan-African and global brands,” says Hayley Doron-Weil.

You’d think that after launching her own, proudly South African e-commerce business www.urbanhoundsocial.com in 2019, she’d be done but with her sights set on building the future of digital creativity in Africa and beyond, Doron-Weil launched That Ad Store this year.

So, what exactly is That Ad Store?

That Ad Store is an online-retail platform that specialises in the creation of digital ads and creative ideas. That Ad Store encapsulates the services of a modern digitally-focused advertising agency into an e-commerce framework. It’s online shopping for digital advertising.

How does it work?

The business is built on the power and ease of e-commerce. It works exactly like any other e-commerce platform would, like Amazon, Superbalist, Zando and many others. On That Ad Store you are able to shop for your digital advertising products which are then delivered, in this case, to your inbox and not your mailbox. You also get to co-create and collaborate with us on your unique products that you’ve ordered. Everything is custom made.

What do you offer?

That Ad Store offers all that a digital advertiser needs, from creative ideation and strategy to digital ad campaigns for all social and digital platforms. Each of these is an individual product that you can add to cart and purchase. You can choose any or all products, from a single ad unit to one of our diverse packages, whatever you need from whatever we offer. We partner with incredibly talented makers and creators to create original artwork or amplify existing artwork. Our first partnership is with our friends from Wondermerk who are well known for creating incredible visual content.

Why does That Ad Store need to exist?

To democratise digital advertising for growing businesses around the world.

How did this concept/store/idea come about?

I’ve had the idea for That Ad Store for many years. It came about while I was working as an art director in the industry, rolling out hundreds if not thousands of banners and social posts for a generic chase list for a brand that I was working on at the time. It felt like wastage. Like not enough had been considered and that too many ads were being made and placed in what possibly were the wrong places online. I just felt that more consideration and a more focused approach was needed. Now, with the rise of e-commerce such an approach has never been more relevant.

Why now? What made you take the leap?

There’s never been a greater opportunity or a better time to leap from how things are usually done, to a new way of working, and approaching digital and social advertising. Businesses need smaller teams, agility, cost effectiveness and new, creative ways of working and delivering digital ads for their products and services, and they need them now. This could be an effective way to help kickstart the economy and to assist businesses of all sizes to make digital ads in the easiest and most cost-effective way possible.

If this is the way forward – how will agencies cope?

Agencies will continue as they always have. I’m by no means suggesting that all agencies now need to become e-commerce platforms. There is space, need and opportunity for both of us to co-exist and perhaps even collaborate. I see That Ad Store as a partner to agencies.

As a start-up during this time – what challenges have you managed to face and obviously “overcome”?

The list would be endless if I had to write all the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It’s been a journey and not only because of this time, during a pandemic and lockdown, but because of all the facets that normally go into self-funding, running, promoting, making and creating a business from scratch.

Look out for more on agency life coming soon!