The Impact and Length of TV Adverts – People do not always realise all the thought and planning that goes into the creation of television advertisements and promotional videos. Because so much must be conveyed in a short amount of time, every single element included in the promotion is carefully considered—even the timing and duration of the advertisement itself.
At Pushed, we have created hundreds of projects and one of the common questions that we help new clients navigate is how long their advertisement should be. Because this is such a common question—and such an important one when it comes to the success of your marketing—we have created this article to help explain a little bit about the “why” behind the length of television ads.
What is the typical length of TV ads?
Most television advertisements and promotions are about thirty seconds long, and this is an intentional choice designed to target the audience. Thirty seconds is considered the “sweet spot” for length, as it is long enough to deliver a message and be memorable, but not long enough to cause viewers to lose interest. Longer advertisements can become convoluted and lose the energy that they created at the start of the clip, and these pitfalls are dangerous as they create boredom and an emotional disconnect that can be detrimental to your bottom line. Thirty seconds is the optimal time to allow for consumption and to deliver the most impact, remaining short and punchy and leaving the viewers wanting to know more.
However, although thirty seconds is the most common length of advertisement for these reasons, it is not always enough to get the job done and other types of videos and content can be longer or shorter. For example, some promotional videos can be up to forty-five seconds or a minute in length, while explainer videos tend to run about a minute and a half to two minutes long. There is sometimes not an easy answer when it comes to picking the correct timing of your advertisement, and content and target audience must be taken into careful consideration.
What goes into the creation of a typical ad?
When it comes to your typical thirty-second long advertisement, many of the same factors are considered for every single video, no matter the brand or the content. For example, the creators of the animation typically spend a great deal of time carefully selecting the colours and fonts so that they appear intrinsic and holistic throughout, making the video feel as though it all flows together without jarring starts and stops. Additionally, the brand name is carefully orchestrated to appear for several seconds throughout, and then again at the end to reiterate brand awareness.
Another element that needs to be considered is the audio that is used, as audio on TV is very powerful and can play a major role in whether an audience remembers and interacts with your content. This is a consideration that is unique to television, as social media content is driven much more by visuals, since consumers typically view social media with muted audio. With television, while the visuals and animations are what powerfully describe and deliver your message, the message is enhanced by the audio. It is the careful selection of the music, sound effects, and narration style that sets the environment, atmosphere, mood, and tone of the animation—no matter how long the clip! It must be carefully chosen to be aligned with your message and visuals, and effectively chosen audio will help to deliver impact and memorability.
In the end, the goal is to bring all the elements together to reiterate brand awareness and leave a lasting impression that makes your brand easily recognisable and trusted through branding, emotion, and the creation of a lasting memory. If you would like to hear how Pushed can help create this content for you, reach out to us today!
