The Outlook for TV Commercials
Video Recorder Users Show They Just Don’t Like Television Spots
Jul 6, 2008
In a little over a half century, television commercials attracted the greatest audiences, investments and talents of any art form in history. But in 2008 viewers were spending millions of dollars on TiVos and other digital video recorders (DVR) which allow them to fast forward past TV spots so they can see the next segment of such programs as "Two and a Half Men" and so-called actuality shows.
TiVo and DVR owners were reported to be rejecting at least 40 percent of television commercials in programs they recorded. The rejection insults were matched only by the double-digit collapse in their sister institution, newspaper advertising.
Commercials Going to iPod Monitors
While television, its media host, was moving on to digital and wide-screen brilliance, video advertising was struggling for new life on tiny computer screens and iPod monitors carried by teenagers. Even there, the commercials encountered criticism, intrusion complaints and viewers crossing the digital street as they approached.
Their creators, including some of the best minds in the advertising world, sought frantically for new answers. Some gave up and tried embedding sneaky messages within television programs
At times, the industry certainly has taken its television advertising art seriously, engaging fine musicians, writers, photographers, actors, actresses, artists, cinematographers and directors. Like real art, they pushed the legal, ethical and emotional envelopes to the brink and made people laugh and sometimes even think. Television commercials put on their own impressive shows for the Super Bowls and an occasional TV special.
Bored by Pharmaceutical Commercials?
Somewhere along the line, however, viewers lost their tolerance for TV spots. Maybe all those pharmaceutical commercials just turned them off. Maybe advertisers just lost the products to tempt them or the talent to entertain them. Anyway, at their first opportunity, viewers started having affairs with new tech gadgets that can make ads go away like divorced partners.
No, television commercials will not disappear completely, but fast forward buttons appear to have ended their glory years in what is a relatively short life in the art world. Like opera and poetry, their best years may be behind them. Advertising’s best artists will be tempted to go elsewhere to display their art.
But as they sink into the TiVos and other booby traps being set for them in the 21st Century digital world, television commercials leave some fond memories of better days.
Viewers Will Remember Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales will continue to be remembered sinking their huge white hoofs into the snow at Christmas. "I’d Like to Buy the World A Coke" still stirs dreams of world peace. Folks will always feel good when they see Coke’s "Mean Joe Green" commercial.
People will continue to chuckle when they recall Wendy’s "Where’s the Beef" and that frustrated duck in the Aflac commercials. Remember Life Cereal’s Mikey? His "He likes it" commercial was a lovable classic.
Apple’s "Think Different" commercial will always remind viewers of history’s real innovators. And Dove’s revealing spot about the perception of beauty may be remembered as one of television advertising’s last real pieces of art.
Viewers and advertisers appear to be turning their backs on televised commercials and the video ads will have to find new media and formats. But the TV spots deserve respect for revolutionizing the marketing and viewing world in the last century. They leave large boots to fill and heavy footprints for other forms of commercial art to follow.
Upfront Television Ad Commitments
