> The closest thing is the ads in podcasts, which tend to be built around a story and are more compelling. I've looked at several of those advertisers and bought a couple.

This is a really good point. The only worthwhile ads I've seen on the Internet have been from podcasts.

Why do you think those aren't ads?

> Advertising (or advertizing) is a form of marketing communication used to promote or sell something, usually a business's product or service.

It sounds like it fits the bill to me.

The biggest difference, in my view, is that ads are forced upon you, whereas you seek out information yourself. E.g. if you browse a clothing magazine and you see a H&M or Zara branded page, that's an ad. But if you're looking through a catalogue of clothes, and there's a section with H&M clothing and a section with Zara clothing, that's information that you explicitly sought out.

Another example are billboards and information boards. If it's in large print, so that you see it passing by, it's an ad. But if it's in small print, so you only see it if you intentionally approach the board to see what's new locally, that's information.