TV Commercials have shaped our culture for decades. Whether it’s Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign or Budweiser’s “Wassup” commercial, everyone has a list of memorable TV ads that have stuck with them for years. Since the mid-20th century, TV ads have made people laugh, cry, and dance to a new jingle.
Speaking of the beginning, when did commercials get their start? You’d be surprised to know that TV advertising had quite a humble arrival, with a short 10-second ad as the first commercial to grace the screens. In this article, we’re going to dive into the evolution of TV commercials and find out how they became what we know today. Keep reading if you’d like to know the history of TV advertising.
The Start of TV Advertising: TV’s First Commercial
Let’s go back in time to July 1, 1941. Imagine this: it’s a summer day in New York City, and your household owns one of the 4,000 television sets in the city at that time. You sit down with the family to watch the Brooklyn Dodgers face off against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, before the game starts, something never-before-seen takes place—the first TV commercial airs on national television. It’s a 10-second advertisement presented by the Bulova Watch Company with a simple graphic and live voiceover stating, “America runs on Bulova time.” It’s over before you know it, and the Dodgers and Phillies baseball game starts.
This simple commercial aired on NBC costing Bulova only $9 at the time. What many didn’t predict is how this short ad would change the course of history and create a multi-billion dollar market known today as TV advertising. Over the next decade, the TV commercial industry grew exponentially. Companies began sponsoring shows, TV networks started selling advertising time in segments, and television took over radio for the role of home entertainment in the US.
The Golden Age of TV Commercials
In 1946, 8,000 US homes owned TV sets, and by 1960 that number increased to 45.7 million—so began the Golden Age of TV advertising. Brands started to push the boundaries of commercial marketing and tried out jingles, storytelling tactics, celebrity endorsements, infomercials, and comedic relief. Here are a few memorable TV ads released during the Golden Age of television:
- Pillsbury Doughboy Introduction (1965): The infamous Pillsbury Doughboy was first introduced in the mid-1960s and would go on to become the brand’s ambassador. Lasting less than 30 seconds, this commercial features Pillsbury Doughboy introducing himself and voicing, “Here’s a poppin’ fresh idea!” before cutting to the product itself.
- Classic Tootsie Roll “How Many Licks” Ad (1968): This well-known ad presents a young boy asking a variety of animals, “How many licks does it take to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop?” Running a minute long, Classic Tootsie Roll’s “How Many Licks” campaign delighted audiences from the get-go.
- Oscar Mayer Jingle (1973): In 1973, the Oscar Mayer “My Bologna Has a First Name” song made its debut on national television. Featuring a young boy holding a fishing rod and sandwich with Oscar Mayer bologna inside, this jingle charmed viewers for decades to come.
The Golden Age of TV advertising challenged companies to personify their brand, and America ate it up. Leaving behind the simple voiceover and static graphics, commercials started telling stories that audiences looked forward to.
One commercial in particular changed the game when it came to storytelling by way of TV advertisements. In 1984, Apple released their famed “1984” Super Bowl commercial during Super Bowl XVIII. Directed by Ridley Scott with themes from George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, this advertisement pushed Apple into the limelight and made the annual Super Bowl the most highly sought-after advertising opportunity for years to come.
Streaming Changes the Game
Starting with the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989, technology rapidly improved over the next few decades. While commercials continued to evolve, so did the way they were received by the worldwide audience. One monumental shift was the introduction of TiVo in 2000. With DVR technology, TiVo allowed viewers to pre-record shows and opt out of advertisements altogether. Brands had to quickly adapt so their TV ads would still be seen by viewers. YouTube’s video streaming site and Netflix’s video-on-demand took the stage in the early 2000s, and ad-supported streaming services were introduced to the public. In 2010, AppleTV developed TV sets that were connected to the internet, and the era of smart TVs was born. In the same year, Roku also came out with its set-top box that could transform any TV into a smart device. By 2015, Amazon and Netflix were the top dogs of streaming services. At this point, households started ditching their cable plans for the more flexible method of streaming.
With smart TVs and the introduction of additional streaming services (Hulu, Disney Plus, Max, Peacock, etc.), over-the-top advertising (OTT) and connected television (CTV) became the new strategy to show TV ads to viewers. OTT advertising started to deliver ads to TVs, tablets, phones, computers, and gaming systems. CTV marketing similarly used the internet to blast commercials to viewers on a TV set using smart TVs or via streaming devices such as Firestick or Roku. With these new methods of TV advertising, companies were able to reach specific audiences with targeted campaigns, and it opened up a world of possibilities for marketers worldwide.
What’s Next for TV Commercials?
Ever since the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, TV advertising has drastically shifted to CTV and OTT marketing techniques. With everyone stuck inside, the popularity of streaming services and smart TVs grew rapidly. Ad-supported streaming is now the way to go. In 2022, streaming officially surpassed cable television, and the TV advertising industry continues to ebb and flow with each passing year. So what’s next for TV commercials? It’s impossible to know what’s to come from TV advertising. However, we do know a few things about the future: powerful storytelling will always be the central theme of TV commercials, and we’ll consistently learn new ways to portray these stories to viewers. As we venture into the future of TV advertising, the real question we need to ask is, “How will I make the story I have to share one that will stick with audiences for decades to come?”
3 Interesting Facts About TV Ads
Want to know more about TV advertising? Here are 3 fun facts about commercials:
TV Commercials Are Loud for a Reason
Picture this: you’re watching your favorite show when it suddenly cuts to an ear-deafening advertisement. You practically jump out of your seat while frantically searching for the remote to turn down the volume and give your ears a break.
This is a common occurrence for TV viewers. If you’ve ever wondered why TV commercials are so loud, there’s a reason for the increase in volume. In 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the CALM Act requiring commercials to match the average volume of the shows during which they play. With shows constantly mixing soft and loud noises, advertisers have found a sneaky way to make commercials louder. Marketers can match the entire audio of a commercial to the loudest part of your favorite show. In other words, the audio of a commercial could be set to the level of an ambulance siren. Yeah, that won’t be so easy on your ears. The commercial will certainly catch your attention, though; and that’s the point!
Commercials’ Runtime is Over 15 Minutes in An Hour of TV
If you’re still committed to cable television, you may feel frustrated at the amount of commercials interrupting your broadcast. New data shows that A&E Group boasts the highest amount of commercials averaging 17 minutes and 46 seconds of ad time per hour on national TV. Viacom and Discovery Communications follow closely behind with 17.26 and 17.14 minutes respectively. While the length of each ad varies, the total runtime of commercials grows each year.
Music Makes Commercials More Memorable
Ever watched an ad with a catchy tune and found yourself humming the song a few days later? There’s a reason music is used in TV commercials. Studies have shown that the part of our brain that’s used to deal with memory and emotion is the same region that processes music. No wonder you can’t seem to get that jingle out of your head! Advertisers use music to not only emotionally connect with their audience but also to make viewers remember their product when a certain song plays. Think of Maxwell House Coffee’s commercials featuring Madness’s “My House” or Volkswagen playing “Pink Moon” by Nick Drake in the background of their car ad. Audiences sing along as these advertisements play, making musical ads unforgettable. That’s the power of TV advertising!
Make Your Story Stick with Avalanche Studios’ Commercial Advertising Services
What’s the secret to creating a commercial that sticks with your audience? It’s partnering with an experienced video production company that knows exactly what they’re doing. With Avalanche Studios’ TV ad services, you’ll earn a commercial that engages viewers and expands your company’s reach. From pre-production to post-production, Avalanche Studios’ crew takes care of everything you need to film and execute a show-stopping commercial.
When it comes to TV ads, we’re not afraid to step outside the box and try new things. Whatever story you want to tell, Avalanche Studios is here to help you do just that. Request a quote from our team of award-winning team, and we’ll partner with you to produce a top-tier TV commercial that perfectly encapsulates your brand.
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