S9.P1 - TOPIC 6 ADVERTISEMENTS FOR TELEVISION.
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Explain the features of television advertising and its advantages
and limitations;
2. Discuss the elements of television advertisements and how they
influence advertising effectiveness;
3. Identify the types of television advertisements;
4. Identify the main process in producing television commercials; and
5. Discuss important issues and challenges facing television
advertising.
INTRODUCTION
? People do not buy from clowns (Hopkins, 1923).
? Good copywriters have always resisted the temptation to entertain (Ogilvy, 1963).
? I have reason to believe that ... humour can now sell (Kotler, 1982). Source: Rossiter (1982)
ADVERTISEMENTS FOR TELEVISION
Television has a long reputation of being the main advertising channel to the
masses. It is considered a convenient and flexible advertising medium, due to its
widespread popularity and the ease with which a message can reach millions of
viewers nationally or internationally. Television advertising allows advertisers
the flexibility to use various approaches and different combinations of audio,
video and text to make advertisements memorable and emotional, depending on
the product, service or the target audience.
As television has the ability to communicate with a large audience, companies
are willing to spend a lot of money to create high-quality television commercials.
Advertising on television offers a number of benefits to businesses by
incorporating sound, images and movement to make the whole package
interesting for consumers. Television advertisements work well to attract
attention, generate awareness and establish preference for products and services.
ACTIVITY 6.1
Think about television commercials you have watched lately and select
your favourite one. Write in your journal about your favourite
commercial. What product or service is your favourite commercial
trying to sell? Who do you think are the target audience and how do
you know it? What happens in your favourite commercial? Why is this
your favourite commercial?
6.1 TELEVISION ADVERTISING
A television advertisement or television commercial is a short television
programme generally produced and paid for by an organisation or company. It
typically communicates a message to the public to promote their products and
services. A main objective of television commercials is to show and state what the
product is, what its main features are and what advantages it has. It tries to
persuade the audience to purchase or take some form of action regarding
products, ideals and/or services.
Today, television advertisements appear on every channel and they can be an
effective way of product promotion and marketing. Most advertisements are
shown between programmes or during programming intervals. Advertising on a
particular channel or programme can help create a link in the viewersÊ minds
between the programme and the sponsors of those programmes. Choosing a
right channel or programme is important because it allows the popularity of the
programme to establish an interest in the product or service being advertised.
The run-time of a television commercial lies typically between 15 and 60 seconds
in length, depending on the content and purpose of the advertisement.
Television advertising can also include sponsorships and product placement
within television shows. Though user habits are rapidly changing, television
advertising has long been considered the most effective mass-market advertising
format. Television advertisingÊs important moment are sports matches such as
the World Cup, Olympics or Super Bowl where companies debut their very best
television commercials, effectively putting them in competition with all of the
other television commercials. With the cost of television spots during the popular
sports matches running into the millions, most companies opt instead for
running their television advertising in time slots that best match their advertising
budget.
The cost of advertising on television is twofold:
(a) The cost of producing the commercial The production cost depends on
the format and talent used as well as the techniques. With HD cameras and
computer technology, commercials can look professional even without a
large budget.
(b) The cost of airing the commercial Television advertising rates vary greatly
based on the market they run in and the time the spots are aired.
Considering its ability to reach a mass audience at one time, television
advertising rates remain competitive, depending on the network, time of
day and popularity of the programme and channel. Through ratings and
demographic information compiled by research companies such as Nielsen
Media, potential advertisers can select where and when to place their spots
to get the most benefit for their advertising spending.
Advertising on television can be done through three sectors:
(a) Traditional commercial channels This includes terrestrial, cable and
satellite television channels. More television signals now are delivered by
means of communications satellites and received by satellite dishes and set-
top boxes. Satellite channels provide a wide range of channels and services,
often to areas that are not serviced by terrestrial or cable providers.
(b) Multichannel advertising Advertising delivered through television
networks that offer numerous different channels.
(c) Online television advertising Advertising through the Internet Protocol TV
(IPTV) or Web TV. Online television is the transmission of a programming
grid through the Internet and telecommunication phone lines.
The major buyers in the television advertising market are private sector companies. However, governments and NGOs are also investing in television advertising.
While television has been a popular medium for advertising due to its many
advantages, it has also some limitations. Here is a summary of advantages and
disadvantages of television advertising, as shown in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1: Advantages and Disadvantages of Television Advertising
Advantages Disadvantages
? Reaches large audiences usually much larger than the audience local newspaper reaches, and it does so during a short period of time.
? Commercial has to compete with the viewer's
? Viewers may never see the advertisement because the message
? Television audience is divided into comes and goes or during commercial
much larger segments, which enables breaks when viewers are not paying
advertisers to reach a larger, yet, more attention or go elsewhere.
diverse audience.
? A minimum amount of airtime provides limited length of exposure and ad clutter.
? Has the ability to convey messages with sight, sound and motion, and can give a product or service instant validity and prominence.
? Multiple exposure is required to achieve message retention and consumer action.? Can easily reach targeted audiences due to television programming may have little or no loyalty to specialised audience such as children, housewives and parents.
? Viewers for the station itself since television brings dozens of viewing alternatives into the home.
? The relative cost is higher in terms of airtime and production.
6.2 ELEMENTS OF TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT
A television advertisement uses audiovisual elements in the forms of visual,
verbal and aural impressions in the creative presentation of its messages. It
appeals to multiple senses through its combination of text, images, sound and
motion.
The visual element has long been considered as an important and superior
component in advertising. The audio element usually consists of spoken words,
music or sound effects. Many studies have shown that different forms of audio
tracks such as voice overs, background music, lyric-adapted hits, originally
written music, memorably rhymes, slogans and mnemonic devices significantly
influence advertising effectiveness. However, these effects depend on gender, the
heaviness of the music, consumersÊ involvement, age and music familiarity.
6.2.1 Visual Content
Television is the ultimate pictorial medium in that all television advertisements
contain pictures. Television advertisements also present not just one but multiple
pictures to the viewers. The pictures in television commercials, as in magazine
advertisements and other forms of advertising often convey meanings that
cannot be expressed as well, or at all, through words or music.
Advertisers guides about how to produce effective advertising make many
implicit references to visual imagery. Thus Hopkins in the pre-television era
(1923) referred to „the power of pictures‰; Burnett (1947) advised copywriters to
use "picture words"; and Ogilvy (1963) became famous when he introduced the
"brand image" school of advertising. It is acknowledged that pictures have a
well-known superiority over words when it comes to learning which is very
important for brand awareness and brand beliefs. It is also recognised that
pictures generally result in a visual representation as well as a verbal one,
whereas words are less likely to result in the former (as cited by Rossiter, 1982).
Another reason why visuals are considered to be superior is because of their
ability in accurately communicating emotions. According to Rossiter (1982),
emotions drive the basic motivations that energise behaviour and this may be
one reason why television, which captures the full emotional range, is so effective
in influencing purchase behaviour.
6.2.2 Verbal Element
The superiority of visual content does not mean that verbal content is not
important. Research has examined how information presented in this format is
remembered, or how such information influences the evaluation of ads or
advertised products. Verbal information about a product is, in fact, very
important when we want the consumers to recognise the product and associate it
with good attributes.
The verbal message chosen by the advertisers is so important that it could
determine whether the entire advertising campaign succeeds or fails. The verbal
content could determine if the campaign is attention-getting, and able to
influence consumers to take a positive attitude towards the product advertised.
6.2.3 Musical Element
The use of music in advertising was developed in the 1920s and 1930s by linking
brand names to distinctive musical and dramatic themes. The first 30 years of
post-war television advertising in the US and UK featured jingles, specially
composed songs and musical stings as the cost of licensing original music in
copyright was prohibitive. By the late 1980s, when licensing costs started to fall,
the use of contemporary music increased rapidly so that, today, an estimated 90
per cent of international television ads feature a musical soundtrack.
A number of researchers have found that the musical component in television
commercials plays a significant role in the creation of consumer attitudes
towards the advertised brand. Music can affect our emotions. It calms us, excites
us, saddens us and soothes us. We are fully capable of memorising thousands, if
not more, musical pieces in our life, including song elements such as lyrics,
melody, tempo, rhythm and even pitch. It is also recognised that people can
remember music they have heard for a lifetime.
From the literature, it shows that music represents an important element to grab
the attention of the audience, increase the persuasiveness of an argument and
enhance the retention of the information. It has also been shown that the right
song or musical soundtrack in an advertisement can:
(a) Make an advertisement more likely to be noticed, viewed and understood;
(b) Enhance enjoyment and emotional response;
(c) Aid memorability and recall;
(d) Induce positive moods;
(e) Forge positive associations between brands and well-loved tunes through
the processes of classic conditioning;
(f) Enhance key messages; and
(g) Influence intention and likelihood to buy.
Different Types of Background Music
There are several different types of background music that can be used in
television commercials. Three main types are explained next:
(a) Instrumental background music without vocals Any musical
compositions without voice or lyrics. Most commonly used when the
verbal or visual content is very important or when advertisers want the
attention of the viewers to focus on something particular in the
commercial.
(b) Popular hit songs Any popular and well-known songs, recorded by
(famous) singers or bands, which is generally well-liked by the average
person. Sometimes music from somewhat unknown artists is also used.
The songs can be from any musical genre, depending of course on
whether the genre fits the content and purpose of the television
commercial. This type of music is employed when the advertiser wants to
"[/] create an association between the song and the [advertised] product
or service" (Allan, 2006).
(c) Jingles Short musical compositions that are normally written especially
for the brand and/or the product that is advertised. Generally, they have
a catchy tune and lyrics and are used repeatedly in different commercials
and promotions of the company, so as to encourage consumer recognition
and retention. Well-known jingles include "I'm lovin" it's from McDonalds
and "Intel Inside" by Intel.
Literature on Effect of Music
Music playing in a television commercial usually affects us subconsciously, but
it has a great impact on how we perceive the product that is advertised and the
commercial in general. There are different kinds of background music in
advertisements, such as jingles, original music pieces that are written especially
for the commercial and even popular hit songs.
Study 1: A study by Alpert and Alpert (1989) found that music had a significant
influence on the consumer's emotional state and mood, which is an important
concept in the establishment of attitudes, since mood states lead to bias
judgments and opinions in the same direction as the mood state. They
discovered that happy music produced a higher average mood than sad music.
Sad music, on the other hand, was more effective in influencing purchase intent
than was happy music or silence.
Study 2: In a more recent study, Oakes (2007) found that when the musical
background in an advertisement fits the message and imagery of the
commercial ("congruity"), consumers responded more affectively towards it.
Additionally, people were observed to remember the content of the commercial
more clearly when the background music was congruent with the
advertisement. Oakes also mentioned several other types of congruity that are
vital in the creation of consumer attitudes. These included repetition congruity,
association congruity, mood congruity, genre congruity and musical score
congruity.
Study 3: The influence of different music on how long customers spend their
time on shopping was studied by Yalch and Spangenberg (2000). They found
that customers shopping time was shorter when they heard familiar
background music than when they heard unfamiliar music. However, when
they asked subjects previously if they would shop longer with unfamiliar
music or familiar music, responders stated the latter, which contradicts the
research outcomes.
Study 4: Whereas famous jingles can induce brand repetition because the
viewer has most likely heard the jingle before and associates it directly with the
brand, instrumental music generally affects the viewer more indirectly,
influencing the viewers mood and emotions towards the advertisement.
Study 5: In their research, Mai and Schoeller (2009) found that positive
attitudes were positively correlated with understanding of the commercial.
Television commercials that were perceived as being more pleasant, more
appealing and more entertaining seemed to be better understood.
6.3 TYPES OF TELEVISION ADVERTISING
This subsection discusses advertising categories and advertising formats.
6.3.1 Advertising Categories
Schellenberg (2011) notes the existence of five different types of television
commercials: political advertising, promotional advertising, infomercials and
television commercial donuts as well as sponsorship advertising.
(a) Political Advertising
Political advertising includes advertising about a political party, political
candidate, political issues or issues of public interest. The sponsors of
political advertisements are the government, political parties, lobby groups
and other interest groups. The aim of political advertising is to reach the
audience to obtain their vote or their acceptance. In some countries political
advertising is prohibited or not encouraged.
(b) Promotional Advertising
Promotional television commercials represent the largest amount of
commercials shown on television broadcast media. These commercials
market and promote products and services from different companies. The
aim of promotional advertising is to attract the attention of customers and
subsequently persuade them to purchase the product. It is a way of
communicating the benefits of a companyÊs products to its target audience.
(c) Infomercial
The infomercial is a form of television advertisement that acts as a stand-
alone programme, and typically lasts longer than a regular commercial. It
provides complete and lengthy information and explanation about a
particular product through the use of experts or celebrities and it gives a
company more time to present a persuasive call to action. It is also called
teleshopping advertisement or paid programming and this falls under the
category of direct-response advertising, in which the commercial asks the
viewer to call or write-in to place an order.
Infomercials employ a hard-sell approach that highlights product features
and benefits, often with hyperbolic language, while minimising limitations.
Infomercials can range in length from a few minutes to a half-hour. This
advertising approach works best with physical products that are new to the
market. Infomercial is generally shown at unusual times of the day such as
very early in the morning or late at night. Typically, viewers can order the
advertised product by calling the telephone number shown on the screen
during the infomercial.
(d) Television Commercial Donut
This is something like a commercial template, which has all the necessary
components of a normal, finished commercial but is missing the actual
product, pricing or logos to be advertised. Companies that do not have the
resources, skills or the necessity for a fully produced commercial use these
kinds of commercial donuts. It is named, somewhat humorously, after the
donut, a pastry with a hole in the middle. Generally, television advertising
is expensive and time consuming to produce.
As a result, many smaller advertisers have chosen to take advantage of the
"free" or low-cost production services offered by many television affiliates
and local broadcast stations in exchange for purchasing airtime. Because
most of these stations do not intend to make a profit from the actual
production, it is not in their interests to go to the extra expense of custom
3D artwork, extensive camera work or animations for these commercials.
As a result, many local commercials do not look very appealing compared
to ads made for nationwide companies and chain retailers.
(e) Sponsorship Advertising
Sponsorship advertising aims to link a brand or a company to an upcoming
event. Examples are such as Adidas for the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and
Coca-cola for the Olympics in 2012.
6.3.2 Advertising Formats
There are many different formats used in television advertising. The Leo Burnett
advertising agency believes that there are many types of television
advertisements. Some of them are in the form of comparisons, unique personality
properties, shows the need or problem, symbols, analogies, exaggerated graphics
or problems, demonstrations, exemplary formats, testimonials and parodies,
borrowed formats, benefit causes stories, characters and celebrities as well as
associated user imagery. Generally, some of the main formats are identified and
explained briefly next:
(a) Humour
Humour is often used to capture attention as it has high recall rates since
consumers enjoy advertisements that make them laugh. Humour
advertisements tend to be memorable too. However, humour is culturally-based and therefore, it is not easily transferable between different cultures.
(b) Sex Appeal
Advertisements use sex, nudity, partial nudity or a more subtle
presentation of sexual cues, suggestions and innuendos. Some
advertisements use elements of sensuality. This approach is used to make
the product seem more sensuous by suggesting sexual activity. This is to
promote products that have sexual connotations like clothing or perfume.
In several countries this approach is either banned or discouraged as they
invite criticism.
(c) Rational Appeals
More emphasis is placed on providing factual information and specific
details about product benefits. This is the presentation of logical reasons
and basic product information on why a certain product or brand is
superior or should become the choice. This type of advertisement is
suggested when consumers are already interested in the product or brand.
Some of the tactics typically used in advertising that is framed upon the
logical approach include the listing of product benefits, rather than product
features; and the use of convincing proof which is based upon the premise,
"seeing is believing" which sometimes takes the form of a product
demonstration.
(d) Emotional Appeals
This is promotional activity aimed at highlighting emotional factors such as
looks, status value and popularity of a product instead of the logical or
practical factors. Emotional appeal communicates through design and
colour, motion, music and tonality while the rational mind acts on logical
relationships. Very often emotional appeals are considered as the key to
brand loyalty as they are connected to emotions to make a compelling case
for the product.
(e) Scarcity Appeals
This is an offering that suggests limited availability of products or brands.
Two types of scarcity appeal may be identified namely, quantity scarcity
and time scarcity. In quantity scarcity customers are informed that a
promotional scheme is applicable to a restricted quantity such as „only on
limited quantity", "till the stock is available", "one per customer" etc. In
time scarcity, customers are informed that the products are available to
customers for a restricted period of time such as "offered price is valid for
seven days only" and „limited period offer‰. Therefore the term "scarcity"
refers to those consumers sales promotions schemes and activities which
provide restrictions in availability of offer either as quantity restricted offer
or time restricted offer.
(f) Animation
Animation is a simulation of movement created by displaying a series of
pictures or frames. Characters can be humans, animals or product
personifications. With the advancement in computer graphics animation
comes very popular advertising techniques. Animation is often used as an
execution technique for advertising targeted at children.
(g) Slice-of-life
This approach presents common experiences, focusing on problems people
encounter in daily life such as dirty laundry, dirty kitchens, smelly toilets or
dirty hair. A solution is then introduced to solve the problem.
(h) Dramatisation
This approach is similar to slice-of-life, but with a greater drama leading to
a suspenseful situation, climax and resolution. Dramatisations often use the
problem and solution approach as they show how the advertised brand can
help resolve a problem.
(i) Testimonials
Testimonials provide word-of-mouth recommendations by talking about positive experiences with a product. The protagonists are normally everyday people who speak on behalf of the product or service based on his or her personal use of or experiences with it.
(j) Spokespersons
This makes use of the image of prominent spokespersons to transfer his or her characteristics to the brand itself. This helps the brand to establish the desired image and creates emotional bonds with the products advertised.
(k) Authoritative
This type is characterised for example by an expert talking about a certain problem and its solution.
(l) Demonstration
In demonstration, the execution is designed to illustrate the key advantages
or benefits of a product or service. This is done by showing it in actual use
or in some staged situation. It shows how a product works or should be
used. It is a very effective method to communicate product properties.
(m) Fantasy
This appeal is often used by showing an imaginary situation or illusion
involving a consumer and the product or service. The aim of a fantasy is to
enter a dream world.
ACTIVITY 6.2
Some experts argue that popular songs should be generally avoided, as the consumer will focus his or her attention on the song rather than the advertised brand itself. Others argue that people have already developed an affinity with famous songs and therefore, may draw that emotional affinity to the advertised product. Debate the issue and identify which side you are on.
ACTIVITY 6.3
In one advertisement on a household cleaning product, a rational appeal is used by presenting and showing the product in use and then offering an explanation of how it cleans twice as well as competing rands and costs less. In another advertisement, the same product is promoted with an emotional appeal that emphasises the ease of cleaning, the hassle-free experience and the environmental benefits it offers. Discuss the use of rational and emotional appeals. In your opinion, which one is a more effective approach?
6.4 TELEVISION ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
Production methods have now become more sophisticated but the process for
television commercial production basically remains the same. It needs careful
planning and consultation, production and post-production.
6.4.1 Production Process
During the consultation process, the advertising agency talks to the client about
what the client wants to say in the advertisement. Production companies write all
of the necessary points down and pitch ideas to the client based upon the
information. The pre-production process includes scriptwriting, location
scouting, prop collection, hiring actors, equipment renting and creating shot-lists.
At this stage the schedule is established.
In the production stage, the actual filming takes place. It may take a day or
several days of shooting, depending on the length of the commercial and the
intricacy of the script. Once filmed, the director sends the film, tape or video files
to the editor for post-production. The post-production process includes all video
editing and sound editing. Once completed, the commercial is exported to
videotape or hard drive, depending on the needs of the television studio.
Producing A Television Commercial
There are three main phases of television commercial production and several
parts of each phase. If you are creating a television spot from scratch, these are
the general steps you should take.
Phase 1 Pre-Production
(a) Consultation In a series of meetings between a qualified producer from the production company and key representatives of your organisation, a creative approach for your television spot should be defined and agreed upon. Then, costs should be quoted by the production company and deadlines set.
(b) Scripting The most important part of the pre-production process is the
script. Scriptwriting for television is different than writing print copy and
serves as a plan for the actual production work. It is not something a
salesperson should do in 10 minutes. Your writer should write and
rewrite drafts of the script, complete with detailed audio and video notes,
until you are satisfied with the scriptÊs content and understand how your
commercial will look and sound when it is completed. It is at this stage
where you can separate your commercial from all the others out there.
(c) Casting If you are using on-camera talent for your commercial or if you
are going to use a narrator, your production company should have access
to a wide variety of actors and voice specialists for you to choose from. If
you need to see or hear demo tapes, they should be provided to you by
the production company.
(d) Rehearsal Your actors and voice people should have copies of your
script well ahead of their performance dates. Talent should be well
rehearsed before they are asked to perform. Rehearsals can cut
production time by as much as 50 per cent. This can mean huge cost
savings for you.
Phase II Production
Shooting Your production company should assign a qualified video crew to
record all required materials outlined in the video and audio portions of the
script. Make sure the crew assigned to your project has a history of working
together and finishing jobs on time.
Phase III Post-Production
Editing With today's non-linear editing systems (computer-based editing)
most production companies are able to combine what was once two separate
processes: offline editing and online editing. Offline editing involves creating a
rough cut of your finished project. The purpose of this first cut is to make
decisions on timing, scene sequence and shot selection. The rough cut might
not contain music, audio sweetening or fancy effects. In the past, this was done
using simpler pieces of equipment or less sophisticated technology. Once the
offline edit is complete, you would move into the more expensive online edit
suite with all its bells and whistles.
The online edit, or the final video, would contain all of these things and any
other visual specifications that were outlined in the script. In some cases these
steps are still employed but for the most part, with todayÊs computer based
editing, production companies can skip the offline process and create
something much closer to a final version (if not the final version) while
retaining the flexibility of easily making changes. This saves time and loads of
money.
Phase IV Delivery
Duplication Your production company should be able to deliver the final
version of your commercial in whatever form the television station or cable
company requires.
Source: Adapted Apperture Studio (n.d.)
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)
6.4.2 Television Advertising Script
Television commercials are not like advertisements in other media, such as print
or websites. Viewers browsing a website have plenty of time to absorb
information. They can even reread copy that is interesting or informative.
However, television commercials happen in real time. Most local spots run for 30
seconds. That is all the time you have to tell the viewer about whatever you are
selling. When it is over, it is over. Of course, an advertiser will run commercials
more than once, so viewers may be able to see the advertisement several times.
However, the number of times it runs is out of your control. So you should not
rely on repetition to get your message across. It should be clear and complete
even if seen just once.
ACTIVITY 6.4
Your task is to create a creative brief, a script and a storyboard for a
television advertisement. The objective of your advertisement is to
increase awareness of your chosen product with the target audience of
school-going young people.
Follow the following steps to create your television commercial:
(a) Write a simple creative brief based on the information given earlier.
(b) Brainstorm some ideas for your advertisement, always referring back to the creative brief.
(c) Write a script and produce a storyboard based on your script.
(d) Show the creative brief, script and storyboard to your class and make a presentation.
(e) Get some response from the class.
How to Write A 30-Second Television Commercial Script
There are many ways to structure a television commercial, but for our
purposes, let us stick to the standard „voice over‰ spot. This means that an
announcer reads about 30 seconds of copy accompanied by synchronised
video. (Technically, a 30-second commercial is 28.5 seconds. You lose about one
and a half seconds to fade the video up at the beginning and down at the end.
So you will write a script consisting of two elements: the audio (announcerÊs
voice over) and the video.
Most writers use a specially formatted television script template for this, a page
with the Audio on one side and the Video on the other. If there is anything like
a formula for writing a local 30-second TV script, it's this: Say it. Explain it.
Repeat it.
SAY IT.
With only 30 seconds to work with, you do not have much time to build a
mood or be clever. You must get to the point with the first sentence. Come right
out and say what the spot is going to be about.
"Save 50 per cent on all living room furniture at Finley's Furniture!".
"Sun Bank offers you the lowest rate home equity loans in town."
"Buy your dream car at Nolte Chevrolet for just one dollar down!"
The lead sentence in a commercial is like the headline in a print ad. It must get
the viewer's attention, select the appropriate audience for the message and
make the viewer want to know more. Along with the announcer speaking this
lead sentence, you will need to show a visual to go along with it. If the
commercial is about saving 50 per cent at Finley's Furniture, you could show
an attractive set of furniture with the words "Save 50 per cent" on the screen.
Words on a television screen are generally called „chyron‰ or „CG‰ for
character generator. So when you write the announcerÊs first sentence in the
audio column, you will also write instructions for the video and CG in the
Video column.
EXPLAIN IT.
After you SAY IT, you need to EXPLAIN IT. If your lead sentence is successful,
you now have the attention of the viewer and must spend a few seconds
sharing additional details. If your lead sentence is "Save 50 per cent on all
living room furniture at Finley's Furniture," you could show various brand
name pieces of furniture with audio that names each one. Or to keep it simple,
the audio may be nothing more than "Save 50 per cent off traditional furniture.
Save 50 per cent off modern furniture. Save 50 per cent off sectionals, tables,
and lamps". And so on.
REPEAT IT.
Finally, after you SAY IT and EXPLAIN IT, you should REPEAT IT. Remember
that your audience is not necessarily a captive one. Attention spans are very,
very short. With remote controls and hundreds of channels to choose from, you
can also expect many viewers to come into your spot late. They may be
interested in what you are talking about, but if you do not repeat your
"headline," you run the risk of loosing a sale. Often you just need to repeat the
idea in the lead sentence and, since you are probably urging people to show up
at a store at a particular time, give the location and time. Like this: "Save 50 per
cent on every piece of living room furniture in the store. This weekend only at
Edwin's Furniture. 123 Jalan Kebun, Petaling Jaya." On the screen, you could
show "Save 50 per cent" plus the date and address, along with a picture of the
outside of the store.
Source: Rieck (2010)
TV Script
Date:
Company:
Title:
|
Video
|
Audio
|
|
(LS) Car pulls off side of
jungle road
|
(SFX) car pulls to
stop
(MUSIC) Slow but
scary
(Narrator: male,
elderly)
|
|
(CU) Hand turns ignition
|
(SFX) car trying to start
|
|
(CU) Gas meter at empty level, lights bleeping
|
Alone in the middle of
nowhere
No one to help
(SFX) Dog barking
|
|
(LS) Car with headlights approaching
|
At first, you pray that someone
will come to help.
(MUSIC) louder and
scarier
|
|
|
But then you
think what if someone does come and
stop?
|
|
(MS) Car pulls over, man get out and walks towards car.
Bright lights
|
Do not go out there alone without a phone (name of
phone brand)
|
6.4.3 Storyboard
A storyboard is a written or graphical representation of the elements that will be
included in a television advertisement or commercial. The elements of the story
are arranged in the storyboard in the chronological order in which they will
appear in the story and this allows the developer to organise and rearrange the
content for maximum effect.
As an outline of a story, a storyboard is a shorthand version of the final product
that can be used to plan ahead. A written description and graphical depiction of
the elements of the story, such as images, text, narration, music, transitions, etc.
are added to the storyboard. The storyboard is usually created before actual work
on creating the advertisement begins. Advertisements work with limited time
frames that are often no longer than 30 seconds. The storyboard breaks down the
commercial shot by shot, so we can determine how much time to spend on each
shot to keep the commercial within its time constraints.
Storyboarding is a planning convention used not only in television advertising
but also film and cartoons. It is the part of the pre-production process in which
artists draw comic book-like representations of what the advertisement will look
like. It comprises a series of panels that represent the planned shots that will
eventually be filmed. In advertising, storyboarding is not always a necessary
step, but it may prove useful when reaching the production stage of filming.
Storyboards are also used as a visual reference guide throughout the filming
process. Each frame of the storyboard represents a shot in the advertisement. We
can refer to the storyboard to ensure two things:
(a) The first is that we get each shot that we need for the commercial without
accidentally leaving anything out.
(b) The second is that we frame and shoot each shot as planned. We are able to
determine ahead of time how we will frame the subject, capture any
movement and move the camera.
The storyboard serves as the following:
(a) A final opportunity to review the concept and make any changes before
production happens. After the storyboard is approved, changes can still be
made, but doing so during the filming process may cause delays.
(b) We can ensure that we have everything we need, like props, set dressings
and on-screen talent, as well as ensuring that the advertisement message
comes across strongly through the visual storytelling. It is a way of
visualising the final product before going through the motions of actual
production.
Despite their common use, storyboards are not always required for a project.
Also, even when we produce storyboards, there are no set rules regarding our
methods or how elaborate it is. Our storyboard may be as simple as a few simple
stick figures and arrows. As long as it gives us the information we need, we can
prepare our storyboard in any way we see fit.
Creating a Storyboard
A storyboard is a story told in pictures, like a comic book. A storyboard helps
to bring focus and organisation to an idea or concept. Follow these directions to
create a storyboard for your commercial. Keep in mind your commercial
should be 30 seconds in length.
(a) Choose a product you would like to advertise in a commercial. Write a
script that has a clear beginning, middle and end. When developing your
script, make sure that you consider your target audience and consider the
message you are trying to convey to them. In addition, do not forget to
include the setting (time and location of the commercial) and any
dialogue that may take place.
(b) As you create your storyboard, please keep the following in mind:
(i) Main idea of the commercial is made clear.
(ii) Dialogue and/or written explanations are placed where appropriate
(slogans, captions, etc.).
(iii) Storyline includes a clear reference to product and purchasing
information.
(iv) Sequence of events is clearly illustrated.
Source: "Creating a Storyboard", n.d.
The following are some of the terms and abbreviations for shot and storyboard
descriptions:
? Angle on Subject for focus
? Another angle Same subject, more than one shot
? Cut to Switch to
? Dissolve to One shot fades into the next
? Fade in Usually fade from black
? Fade out Usually fade to black
? Moving shot Camera follows action
? Pan Turn the camera left to right
? Tilt Turn the camera up or down
? Insert Insert shot, action, music
? CU Close-up
? XCU Extreme Close-up
? LS Long shot
? Over the shoulder Camera positioned behind and on the other side of subject.
? Point of view Scene as viewed from
? VO Voice over
? MO Music over
? SFX Sound effect
? Music Under Background music
? Superimpose Overlay a graphic or video
? CG Character generation (used for overlaying text on screen)
? Title Text superimpose over scene
? INT Interior
? EXT Exterior
? Reverse angle Reverse focus or shot
? H & S Head shot or Head or Shoulder Shot
? MS Medium shot
? ZOOM also called pull. From telephoto to aide angle or vice-versa, slow or fast.
6.5 ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF TELEVISION ADVERTISING
As indicated elsewhere in this topic, television is the most frequently used media
in our daily lives. However, due to the Internet and the digital technology, the
business model of the television industry needs to be transformed. The primary
problem facing television today is the inability to guarantee large audiences with
desirable demographics. This decline in audiences and advertising revenues
represents a fundamental problem not only for the broadcast television industry,
in general, but also for the television advertising industry.
The past decade has seen a massive technological change. Both media content
and distribution have become digitised. Today, consumers produce their own
forms of content and they are able to distribute it widely through the Internet.
Professionally-produced content that was previously available only on a single
platform is now available online, on portable media devices. They can also be
available on portable communications devices such as cell phones as well as on
television. The effect is that media becomes fragmented in terms of audience,
content, consumer time and attention.
At the same time, traditional advertising agencies are struggling to remain
relevant to advertisers. Marketers are competing in an ever more cluttered media
environment. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages on every
device, every platform and in every facet of their daily lives.
There are three major causes for this problem (Gluck & Sales, 2008):
(a) More Options for Audiences.
New technology has fundamentally changed the entertainment experience
and is increasingly providing audiences with more entertainment options.
Cable and satellite television as well as the Internet and mobile platforms
have opened up a wide range of possibilities that were difficult to imagine
several years ago. As a consequence, the cable and satellite television
viewing audience have been increasing steadily since these technologies
were first implemented.
The telecommunication technology has introduced applications or apps
called "Second Screen" that revolutionise television. "Second Screen" refers
to the use of an additional monitor (such as a tablet or smartphone) while
watching television. It allows the audience to interact with what they are
watching, whether it is a television show, video game or movie.
(b) More Digital Tools to Empower Audiences
Audiences have more control over what they watch than ever before. More
homes now posses digital video recorders (DVRs), which enable viewers
not only to time-shift viewing, but also to easily fast-forward through
commercials. They prefer to view programming on their own schedules.
(c) Changing Advertising Metrics Models
Digital advertising is measurable, and thus accountable for its own
success or failure. In a digital environment, advertisers are expected to be
able to accurately measure campaign performance, know precisely who
is interacting with their ads, and track ad exposure to online purchases.
This is in contrast to traditional media campaigns where performance
measurement was minimal, and optimisation was almost non-existent. The
promise of accurate measurement by digital technologies has raised
expectations from advertisers, causing them to expect greater accountability
from their media partners and agencies.
Television Advertising Issues
There are several trends causing both excitement and dismay in the industry:
(a) Firstly, are technological innovations and their implications. Technologies
allow for greater viewer control over ad exposure, whether they take the
form of personal video recorders (PVRs) and video-on-demand (VOD), or
interactive television. Their threat to traditional viewing habits is quite
clear. VOD refers to the ability of networks to provide programming to
individuals at any time, rather than at a specific scheduled time for a
mass audience.
PVRs are devices that allow individuals to easily record programming
and avoid undesirable elements (such as ads). Interactive television will
allow viewers to interact directly with producers to influence specific
aspects of programmes. VOD's threat pertains to its ability to provide
easy access to alternative programming such as movies. Networks
worry that such greatly expanded programme choice, and particularly
commercial-free programme choice, will siphon away viewers from their
advertising-supported programming.
The threat of the PVR is in its ability to easily avoid traditional ads.
PVRs allow users to record a programme in digital format, store the
information on a hard drive, and play back the programme at the usersÊ
convenience. Moreover, this playback can occur in real time such that the
user can pause a live event and start playing it again without missing any
programming. Most importantly, from the network and advertiser
perspective, PVRs allow for very quick and efficient skipping through
recorded segments such as ads.
It seems clear that these new technologies have the very real potential to
change the way we view television. A viewer can give a programme
(such as a sporting match) an hour head start, then tune in and fast-
forward through uninteresting parts. However, the new technologies also
allow advertisers to adapt to their advantage. For example, interactive
television, which will allow viewers to interact with the show, request
information, and even change endings will also allow advertisers to
provide very targeted, customised ads to individual viewers. This type of
technology should greatly enhance the efficiency of ads and media buys.
These devices allow viewers to avoid ads within and between recorded
noncommercial programmes with remarkable ease, and much of the
concern in the industry pertains to how to deal with this presumably
inevitable loss of ad viewership. At the same time, advertisers are excited
about the prospect of interactive television, which should allow for
customised and direct contact with the viewer. The trend is towards
product placement, or, more broadly, product integration.
(b) The second issue is product integration which involves weaving the
product into the "fabric" of the programme, usually through a
combination of such techniques as product placement and immersion,
blurring the lines between entertainment and promotion. This is, in many
ways, a response to the issue on technologies mentioned earlier. Given
that many industry analysts believe that technology that allows viewers
to avoid ads surely means that viewers will do so, these alternative tactics
are an outcome of strategies to reach viewers through the programmes
themselves.
Product placement, which involves having the brand visible in a scene,
such as XXX in a kitchen or a character drinking Coca-Cola. Until
recently, product placements tended to be more prevalent in films than in
television. Product immersion refers to the process of weaving a brand
into the forefront of a story rather than into its background. Thus, for
example, a national television channel has incorporated Revlon into one
of its soap opera plots, and it has been reported that another channel will
integrate a new Avon cosmetic line into three episodes of its soap opera.
(c) The third area of concern revolves around the issue of advertising clutter.
Advertising clutter refers to the proliferation of advertising that produces
excessive competition for viewer attention, to the point that individual
messages lose impact and viewers abandon the ads (via fast-forwarding,
changing channels, quitting viewing, etc.). Two particular trends in
television have clearly emerged:
(i) more television time devoted to ads and
(ii) shorter ads.
These two trends translate into a huge leap in the
number of ads shown in any given time period. Industry professionals
worry about two consequences of clutter: less ad effectiveness due to
cognitive overload and loss of viewers due to their annoyance with the
barrage of ads.
Source: Lowrey, Shrum & McCarty (2005)
ACTIVITY 6.5
I. Describe the Commercial
1. What product or service is the commercial trying to sell?
2. Where was the commercial set? Describe the setting(s).
3. Who was in the commercial? Describe the people in the
commercial.
4. What objects were in the commercial? Describe the objects.
5. What happened in the commercial? Provide as much detail as you
can.
II. Analyse the Purpose of the Commercial
1. Who is the target audience of the commercial? Explain how you
know.
2. What is the message of the television commercial? In other words,
what do the commercialÊs creators want the target audience to
believe about the product?
III. Analyse the Techniques the CommercialÊs Creators Used
1. What visuals techniques do the commercial creators use to
convince us of their message? Pick two and explain how they help
support the message.
2. What aural techniques do the commercial creators use to convince
us of their message? Pick two and explain how they help support
the message.
SELF-CHECK 6.1
There are many different formats used in television advertising. For the following format, explain the strategy in one sentence and provide your examples of a commercial, real or imagined which uses the mentioned format.
. . . . .
Rational appeal
Emotional appeal
Animation
Slice-of-life
Testimonial
Spokesperson
Demonstration
Fantasy
Scarcity appeal
Fear appeal
Humour
SELF-CHECK 6.2
Explain the following process in the production of a commercial by
focusing on the keywords of each stage:
Pre-production Script; storyboards; production schedule; location plans;
shooting script; risk assessment; crew; actors.
Production Cameras, tapes, tripods, microphones, lights; shooting;
lighting; sound recording; health and safety.
Post-production Edit suites, mixing desks; tape logging; edit decision lists;
editing; audio mixing.
? Television has a long reputation of being the main advertising channel to the
masses. It is considered as a convenient and flexible advertising medium, due
to its widespread popularity and flexibility to use various approaches and
different combinations of audio, video and text to make advertisements
memorable.
? Advertising on television offers a number of benefits to businesses by
incorporating sound, images and movement to make the whole package
interesting for consumers. The visual element has long been considered as a
superior component as it often conveys meanings that cannot be expressed as
well, or at all, through words or music. The audio elements which usually
consist of spoken words, music, or sound effects influence advertising
effectiveness significantly.
? Generally, television advertising may be grouped into different categories
based on its content such as political advertising, promotional advertising,
infomercials, television commercial donuts as well as sponsorship
advertising. In terms of its strategy, television advertising can be categorised
in various formats such as demonstration, slice-of-life, animation and so on.
? Television production methods have now become more sophisticated but the
process for television commercial production basically remains the same. It
needs careful planning and consultation, production and post-production.
? Television is the most frequently used media in our daily lives. However, due
to the Internet and the digital technology, the business model of the television
industry needs to be transformed. The primary problem is the inability to
guarantee large audiences with desirable demographics. This decline in
audiences and advertising revenues represents a fundamental problem not
only for the broadcast television industry but also to the television
advertising industry.
Audience
Logo
Aural techniques
Promotional advertising
Informercial
Storyboard
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Creative media designed to promote, educate, train and entertain. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aperturestudios.com/
Gluck, M., & Sales, M. R. (2008). The future of television: Advertising, technology and the pursuit of audiences. Retrieved from http://learcenter.org/pdf/FutureofTV.pdf
Lowrey, T. M., Shrum, L. J., McCarty, J. A. (2005). The future of television advertising. Retrieved from http://faculty.business.utsa.edu
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