How-to-Guide
(Television Advertisements)
Sang Park
What are Television Ads?
Advertisements is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas, or services. One of the most popular and frequent types of advertising found today are television ads. Television advertisements are a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization or company that displays a strong message. Most ads are shown between programs or during programming intervals. T.V. ads often depict a message about a specific product. Examples include a brand new vehicle that has just been put on the market. Some give out valuable information regarding a delicious restaurant in town with daily specials. Information about recreational areas and activities such as amusement parks, golf resorts, ski lodges, cruises, and sporting events are found in television ads. Movie previews can also be found on television as a form of advertisement.
Today, television ads appear on every channel and try to persuade an audience to purchase or take some form of action regarding products, ideals, and/or services. Television advertising can be an incredibly effective way of persuading an audience to do or think certain objectives.
Today, television ads appear on every channel and try to persuade an audience to purchase or take some form of action regarding products, ideals, and/or services. Television advertising can be an incredibly effective way of persuading an audience to do or think certain objectives.
Essential Keys in Creating an
Effective Television Advertisement
The following keys for success are based on the fact that the average television ad today is about 30 seconds in length.
1. Do Not Forget Your Call to Action
Your call to action is extremely important in trying to persuade an audience. Mentioning important information (dates, time, place, price, phone number, address, website info, etc) is essential to attract the audience to take action. Including an attention getter such as a catchy slogan or saying can be helpful.
2. Stick to Time
The average T.V. ad is about 30 seconds long. It is important to put as much information, but not overloading the ad with too much info within that 30-second time frame to allow the information to get across.
3. Consider Frequency
Advertising during a big event like the World Series or Super Bowl would definitely gain notoriety. However on a local level, it is important to identify the key times the ad will run and buy enough time for the ad to reach the specified audience at least twice. Repetition is good because it allows the information to be digested in the minds of the audience.
4. Think about Consistency
Format and style should be consistent. Use of same font, colors, logo, and slogan allows the ad to be clean and consistent. Using different format and style of the opposing side is obviously imperative to make the advertisement stand out.
5. Put People in the Ad
Putting people in an ad can draw in the audience because people can relate to other people. Having the actors doing something related to the product, idea, or service the ad is trying to convey is helpful. For example, customers would be more attracted to a sofa ad when there are people lying or sitting down comfortably and displaying positive emotions about the product compared to a sofa ad that has a 30 second clip of different sofas while a narrator tells the audience how comfortable the sofa can be.
6. Write a Detailed Yet Short Script
Because the ad last for about 30 seconds, it is extremely important that the script for the people in the ad is at the appropriate length. A short sentence that grabs an audience’s attention is a key component here. Because there is a limited time to grab the audience’s attention, the message needs to be sent out quickly. Short and punchy sentences are a good thing here.
7. The Audio and Video Must Match
This point is common sense. When creating a video ad, the audio and video must match, obviously. Merging the audio and video is a tool to create a powerful message. This is an easy key component to an effective television ad.
8. Plan Out the Video
Organization is important in video ads. Similar to writing an essay or paper, divide the ad into small sections or parts. Creating it piece by piece is much easier than trying to produce the entire ad all at once.
1. Do Not Forget Your Call to Action
Your call to action is extremely important in trying to persuade an audience. Mentioning important information (dates, time, place, price, phone number, address, website info, etc) is essential to attract the audience to take action. Including an attention getter such as a catchy slogan or saying can be helpful.
2. Stick to Time
The average T.V. ad is about 30 seconds long. It is important to put as much information, but not overloading the ad with too much info within that 30-second time frame to allow the information to get across.
3. Consider Frequency
Advertising during a big event like the World Series or Super Bowl would definitely gain notoriety. However on a local level, it is important to identify the key times the ad will run and buy enough time for the ad to reach the specified audience at least twice. Repetition is good because it allows the information to be digested in the minds of the audience.
4. Think about Consistency
Format and style should be consistent. Use of same font, colors, logo, and slogan allows the ad to be clean and consistent. Using different format and style of the opposing side is obviously imperative to make the advertisement stand out.
5. Put People in the Ad
Putting people in an ad can draw in the audience because people can relate to other people. Having the actors doing something related to the product, idea, or service the ad is trying to convey is helpful. For example, customers would be more attracted to a sofa ad when there are people lying or sitting down comfortably and displaying positive emotions about the product compared to a sofa ad that has a 30 second clip of different sofas while a narrator tells the audience how comfortable the sofa can be.
6. Write a Detailed Yet Short Script
Because the ad last for about 30 seconds, it is extremely important that the script for the people in the ad is at the appropriate length. A short sentence that grabs an audience’s attention is a key component here. Because there is a limited time to grab the audience’s attention, the message needs to be sent out quickly. Short and punchy sentences are a good thing here.
7. The Audio and Video Must Match
This point is common sense. When creating a video ad, the audio and video must match, obviously. Merging the audio and video is a tool to create a powerful message. This is an easy key component to an effective television ad.
8. Plan Out the Video
Organization is important in video ads. Similar to writing an essay or paper, divide the ad into small sections or parts. Creating it piece by piece is much easier than trying to produce the entire ad all at once.
The Dos and Don'ts in Creating T.V. Advertisements
The tips for creating effective television ads (dos and don’ts) overlap with the important keys in creating an effective ad mentioned above. The dos and don’ts are listed below.
The Dos
The Don’ts
Television advertisements are a great way to persuade an audience and/or to get a specific message across. Effective ads require the majority of different traits and characteristics mentioned. Following these tips will increase the chances of an audience to purchase or take some form of action regarding products, ideals, and/or services.
The Dos
- Get the message across quickly (remember short time frame).
- Use people along with objects in the advertisement (people relate to other people).
- Be consistent. Consistency is key in attracting audience…consistent style and format
- Incorporate short sentences in the ad. This makes it useful in saving time overall and getting the message across
- Use repetition. Repetition is a good thing in ads because it allows the audience to digest the information easily.
- Schedule the ad during times when the audience is most attentive (popular shows, games, news, etc)
- Make the advertisement exciting. Sights, sounds, and motion are great tools in attracting a large audience
The Don’ts
- Do not add too much information that the advertisement will be overloaded with “stuff”. Don’t want to overwhelm the audience with a boatload of information.
- Don’t get to the end of the ad and leave out the important call to action.
- Do not have a script that is long and time consuming. Remember, there is only a 30 second time frame.
- Do not have an ad with only objects. Add people or actors to make the ad realistic.
Television advertisements are a great way to persuade an audience and/or to get a specific message across. Effective ads require the majority of different traits and characteristics mentioned. Following these tips will increase the chances of an audience to purchase or take some form of action regarding products, ideals, and/or services.
Samples of T.V. Ads
The following advertisements are some of the most effective ads in recent years. All of these ads contain many of the traits mentioned above.
Asiana Airlines 2009 Ad
2010 Snickers Ad with Betty White
2008 Nike One Golf Ball Ad
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