Commercial Lengths

Advertisers have debated the pros and cons of using different lengths of commercial messages for decades. This debate has largely been fueled by rising media costs.

During the 1950s, the standard TV commercial length was 60 seconds. But then media inflation surfaced and the 60-second spot was forced to contract. Shortly after came the birth of the 15-second spot. Spots that are shorter than 30 seconds can benefit from having a surprise effect and are often over before viewers can avoid them. Today's media mix can support anything a creative mind can dream up. But no matter what length of commercial an advertiser decides to use, the goal is to make a meaningful impression on the audience and to make the brand real, or wholly present in the mind of the consumer.

5- and 10-second commercials:

Pros

• Over before audiences can avoid them
• Still long enough to make a brand impression
• A good way to support campaigns already airing longer TV spots
• Can run with lots of frequency across multiple stations and networks
• Budget friendly
• Reach large consumer audiences for less than the cost of a :30
• Recall averages of :10s can be 78% as effective as :30s

Con

• May be too short to be effective

15-second commercials:

Pros

• Media cost of 60-80% of a 30-second ad
• Roughly 80% as effective in terms of recall and likeability as a 30-second ad (Journal of Advertising Research, March 2010)
• For branding, the performance of a 15-second spot is equal to that of a 30
• Can be 80% as effective in terms of recall (Journal of Advertising Research, March 2010)
• Greater dollar value than a 30-second spot in terms of recall and persuasion
• More focused and rational in execution (i.e. more product information)
• Good for easy-to-explain messages and campaigns
• Suited to modern attention spans
• Great for products that already have high brand awareness
• Good for quick product demonstrations
• Can air with more frequency
• Long enough to be noticed even in fast-forward mode
• More shareable; 15-second social video ads are shared 37% more often than 30-second or one-minute ads. (BizReport)

Cons

• Not all brand stories can be told in 15 seconds
• Can be difficult to convey complex propositions and emotions
• Not suited to image-shaping campaigns
• Lower probability of gaining viewers' attention
• Spots with lots of visual clutter may have reduced effectiveness
• Half the time to convey a marketing message vs. the more popular 30-second spot

30-second TV commercials:

Pros

• More time to tell a complete brand story
• Better for brand building campaigns
• Good for humorous campaigns
• Viewers prefer longer ads
• 75-80% the recall of 60-second spots (TV Dimensions 2008)
• Less expensive than 60s
• Spots that use entertaining elements of humour, cute and kids earn higher recall
• More memorable that its shorter in length counterparts

Cons

• Format may be longer than needed for campaigns that have simple messages and limited budgets

60-second TV commercials and longer:

Pros

• Higher recall than 30-second spots
• Plenty of time to tell a brand story and build persuasion
• Longer messages allow viewers time to understand, empathize with, and like the commercial

Cons

• Can be too long for some products and messages

Online Video

• 54% of repondents to an online poll conducted by Poll Position said it was acceptable to have 15 seconds of pre-roll advertising. When the run time extended to 30 seconds just 12% approved. Just 4% found 45 seconds of ads acceptable.