In the digital interactive advertising space, we have an element called the “call-to-action”. We explicity state, and suggest, the action that we hope the audience will take as a result of being exposed to the ad.

Thousands of interactive ads have come across my desk, and I noticed the trend of the CTA becoming merged with the Button–to the extent that we refer to the button as the CTA. Well, I reject the notion that Button and CTA are synonymous.

The call to action is a design element that calls the viewer to action. It doesn’t have to be a button. A call to action can be animated, attractive, it can dance upon the canvas. While a button needs to stay put.

These are call-to action-studies built in Aftereffects, and lovingly converted to GIF. You might be surprised how much push back can come from suggesting the CTA and the Button are not necessarily merged. I guess people can get set in their ways. You’ve heard of “thinking outside the box” and this is no different. Think outside the button!