Dan Marshall, adconnection writes .. The Guardian posted an article this week proclaiming the death of the 30 second TV advert, (30 seconds in this context is in reference to all length adverts viewed in real-time on TV sets).
The article suggests that culturally, the 30” ad has no place in today’s society, and that it’s “doomed to be relegated to the dustbin of 20th-century artefacts, right up there with cassette players and dial telephones.” This is not the case in the UK, in fact, it’s far from it.
‘The art of the 30 second TV advert is far from dead’. A write up from our TV Manager, Dan Marshall: http://t.co/IJoL8pQwgI
— adconnection (@adconnectionUK) June 24, 2015
This level of mass hysteria surrounding TV is far from uncommon in today’s digital world, with many assuming the rise of digital has come at the expense of TV. The misconception that nobody is watching live TV, let alone interacting with it, is now commonplace. But the fact remains that 88% of all TV viewing is still made up of live TV. Whilst the likes of 4oD and BBC iPlayer, along with subscription services such as Netflix, NOW TV and Amazon Prime, are well established, the vast majority of TV viewing still takes place as it has always done – in the living room and live.
US TV commercials are aired more frequently
The article also suggests that viewers “want to fast forward through adverts”, quoting studies in the US as evidence. Let’s be clear – if we’re talking about UK TV viewing, any comparison with the US television markets are obsolete
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US TV commercials are aired more frequently, with 25 minutes of advertising per hour in the US compared to just 12 minutes in the UK. This level of ‘in your face’ advertising has led to disillusioned American viewers who regard the standard ad break as a far-too-frequent annoyance.
UK TV viewers expect advertising, it comes as no shock or surprise. Yet, when viewing online content, the constant pop-ups, screen takeovers and random messaging are a constant pain. TV ad breaks, on the other hand, are often incredibly engaging and entertaining, as was the case with The Lego Movie’s ‘Dancing on Ice’ break takeover in 2014.
What’s more, the power of television advertising in the US is hampered by various time-zones, something the UK takes great advantage of. A perfect example is the use of ‘live episodes’ during anniversary episodes of the big soaps, something both EastEnders and Coronation Street have done to great effect in recent years. TV Set Graphic by Shutterstock
TV reaches 94% of the UK
Although we live in an increasingly technological world, TV remains far and away the most powerful and effective medium for brands. Within a week, TV reaches 94% of the UK – approximately 60 million people.
Although it seems every man and his dog now uses social media, in fact Facebook has around 32 million UK users, with just 60% of them visiting at least once a day. Twitter has just 15 million UK users. What’s more, 60% of Twitter users tweet about live TV programmes. Without such a powerful subject for social media users, registrations would no doubt fall dramatically.
Social media relies on TV for user interaction and engagement, as is apparent with more and more age groups dual-screening, making the 30” advert more powerful than ever before.
It’s also interesting to analyse the new kids on the block. The likes of Amazon and Netflix have attempted significant in-roads to attract viewing away from live TV in recent years, and how have they attempted this? Through the power of live TV. Netflix in fact kick-started their UK launch with a TV advertising campaign, with a 30 second commercial to boot. Another case in point is Google, who attempted (and failed) to launch its Chrome product in the UK through online, before seeing the error of their ways and turning to TV. The difference in response rates was staggering, allowing Chrome to overtake both Firefox and Internet Explorer in becoming the UK’s leading internet browser. All thanks to good old fashioned TV advertising.