Chapter 13
Creating Broadcast Advertising
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Chapter Learning Objectives
Describe the characteristics and tools of radio
commercials.
Explain the elements and message characteristics of
television commercials.
List other TV and film message forms that use
broadcast techniques.
Discuss the roles of the creative team and explain
the duties of a broadcast copywriter and art director.
Identify the critical steps in planning and producing
broadcast commercials.
Summarize how businesses use the Web to
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advertise.
Radio Commercials
Radio is an entertainment medium.
Most personal of all mass media.
 Use of imagery leads to high levels of attention,
and positive general attitudes towards ads.

Message Characteristics of Radio
Relies very heavily on talents of the copywriter.
 Appeals to special music interests, especially to
teenagers.
 Seldom has all of one’s attention; ability to
remember facts about ads is difficult.

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Radio Tools
Voice
Most Important Element
Since There Are No
Visuals
Music
Creates Moods, Can Be
Original, Syndicated, or
Previously Recorded
Tools Used to
Develop
Messages
Sound Effects
Restraint Usually a Good
Rule When Using
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Station Break
Go to the Radio Advertising Bureau Web site at
www.rab.com and listen carefully to the radio
commercials provided.
What makes for a successful radio commercial?
What do all successful radio commercials have in
common?
Which was your favorite commercial? Why did it
appeal to you?
Note: There are many interesting activities on this
Web site, feel free to be creative with it and
explore.
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Elements of Television
Commercials
Video
Audio
Dominates Message
Perception.
Use Visuals and
Motion to Convey
Message.
Music,
Voices,
Sound Effects
Television Commercials Can Achieve Audience
Acceptance if They are Well Done
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Message Characteristics of
Television
Action
Moving Image That Makes TV More
Mesmerizing
Differences in
Impact Between
Radio and TV
Include:
Emotion
Commercials Can be Entertaining,
Diverting, Amusing, and Absorbing
Demonstration
Seeing is Believing; Credibility
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Other TV and Film Advertising
Advertisers Have Discovered Many Different
Ways of Marketing Communication.
Infomercials
Videos
Longer-Format
Commercials of 2,5,
or 30 Minutes
Used for Product Literature,
News Releases, Direct
Marketing & Training Films
Brand Placements
Movie Trailers
Linking Branded
Products to Films and
TV Shows
Filmed Commercials That
Run Before the Featured
Movie
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The Creative Team (Tab. 13.2)
Editor
Musicians
Copywriter
Creating a National
Radio or TV Ad
Requires a Number
of People Such As:
Art Director
Producer
Arranger
Composer
Director
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Guidelines for Radio Copywriters to
Create Vivid Images in Listeners’ Minds
1. Identify your sound effects.
2. Use music as a sound effect.
3. Build your commercial around a sound.
4. Give yourself time (fight for 60-second spots).
5. Consider using no sound effects.
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Guidelines for Radio Copywriters to
Create Vivid Images in Listeners’ Minds
6. Beware of comedy.
7. If you insist on being funny, begin with an outrageous premise.
8. Keep it simple.
9. Tailor your commercial to time, place, and specific audience.
10. Present your commercial to your client on tape, if possible.
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Television Copywriting
Images must be fused with words to
present not only a creative concept, but
also a story.
Audio and visual message must work
together to develop the point.
Effective TV ads use storytelling both to
entertain and to make a point.
Slice-of-life advertising is simply
instruction is a soap opera format.
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Practical Tips # 2
Jeweler’s TV Guidelines for Successful
TV Commercials
Gain the interest of your viewer at the beginning;
the first 3 seconds are critical.
Look for a key visual, a scene that encapsulates
your entire selling message into one neat package.
Be single-minded. Tell one important story per
commercial. Tell it clearly, tell it memorably, and
involve your viewer.
Observe the rules of good editing. Make it easy for
the viewer to get into the idea for the commercial.
Always try to show the product in close-up at the
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end. 20
TV Production Considerations
(Fig. 13.1)
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TV Production Considerations
(Fig. 13.1)
Length
Most common length is 30 seconds.
 If 2 messages are interdependent (such as cake
mix & frosting), strategy is called piggybacking.

Scenes

What shots will appear in each scene, segments
of action that occur in a single location.
Key Frame

Thumbnail sketch, must determine the what key
visual, which contains the heart of the concept, will
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be.
TV Production Considerations
(Fig. 13.1)
Execution Elements








Where and how to shoot the commercial.
The setting is where the action takes place.
Most important element is the talent, which must be
casted.
Usual roles include: announcers, spokespersons (or
“spokesthings”), character types, and celebrities.
Costumes and makeup may be used.
Props must be appropriate.
Lighting is used for effect.
Speed or pacing tells how fast the commercial will move.
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Television Art Direction
Art directors create the
look of a commercial.
Computer graphics have
pioneered the making of
film art on computers.
Morphing is where the
object gradually changes
into another.
A Crawl is Computer-Generated Letters that Appear to be
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Moving Across the Bottom of the Screen.
Planning the Execution
Scripting
Two to Three Words a Second is Average for a
Commercial; Scripts Are Used for Radio and TV.
Radio Script Format
•Format
•Source of audio
•Audio content
•Production cues
•All caps
Television Script
• Written in two columns, with
audio on right, video on left.
•Storyboard is visual plan, or
layout, of TV commercial.
•Underneath each frame in
the storyboard is a short
version of the audio.
•Upper- and lowercase
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Broadcast Production
Producing Radio Commercials
Radio producer is responsible for commercial’s casting,
recording, mixing, and duplication.
Producing TV Commercials
Very expensive & involves many people; techniques include:
Live
Recording
Animation
Film
Videotape
Stop Motion
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TV Production Process (Fig. 13.4)
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Web Advertising
Ideal is to make the Internet have the visual
impact of TV and the interactivity available on the
Internet.
Goal of advertisers is to make their ads more
involving.
Trend is moving away from banner ads and
experimenting with:




Games,
Pop-up windows,
Daughter windows, and
Side frames.
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Station Break
Go to the Proctor and Gamble Web site at
www.pg.com.
Once there, investigate the company’s popup windows and other interesting ways of
keeping the screen viewer’s attention.
List as many of the attention-getting devices
as you can.
How could you make this site better?
Discuss.
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Web Site Design
Web Pages Can Combine From Different
Media: Print, Film, Sound, & Games
Designed Like a Poster
Eye-Catching Graphics
Simple Type on Contrast Background
Navigation is a Critical Factor
Make it Easy With
“Click Here” Blocks
Interactivity
Feedback is Strength of a Site
Use Feedback in Strategic Planning
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Designing Banners
Copy – use free offers, fear, curiosity, humor, or the
big promise.
Color – use yellow, orange, blue, & green.
Animated banners offer value since they increase ad
space by rotating copy.
Should not take too long to load.
When located in the lower corner, next to scroll bar,
generated 228% click-through rate.
Incentive banners increase click-throughs.
Include company name or brand.
The “Click-through” block is very helpful.
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