What are the negatives and positives about TV advertising?

I think before starting my planning, it would be useful to know the pros and cons on TV advertising. Why it is so successful and how TV advertisers use television adverts to their advantage. I have done some reading into the book "The Fundamentals of Creative Advertising" which has provided me with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages of TV adverts and how to make the most of producing one. 

Advantages:

• The length of the commercial offers a degree or flexibility  Commercials lasting 30-40 seconds each offer different types of possibilities  There is also the opportunity to 'top and tail' the commercial break with a short 'teaser' advertisements. As the advert I will be making will be around this kind of timing, it is important that I plan effectively and ensure everything in my advert is relevant and the message I am trying to put across to my audience is evident.

• The hundreds of channels on digital TV allow advertisers to reach fairly fragmented and specialist audiences.

• Using the right spots, advertisers can reach a vast audience with the brand's message or advertising concept. Television and cinema commercials have the power to interrupt peoples lives. To ensure my advert will catch people's attention, my advert needs to be original and creative. 

• Commercial can show the product or service in action, thus demonstrating its effectiveness. 

• Television commercials can show 'real' people and portray 'a slice of life' that the target audience can relate to. Equally, the use of famous people or fictional characters has also been a rich source of inspiration for the advertising creative team and provided opportunity for celebrity brand endorsement.

Disadvantages:

• Television is generally expensive to produce, and to buy the space (media). The logistics of making a commercial that features actors, set builds, or a location shoot, special effects and editing involve many layers of expertise. However, this will not be much of a problem to me as my advert will not be airing on real TV. Although, problems such as camera quality and lack of equipment I might need may restrict me from making a more successful advert. Therefore, I need to think about these problems when planning as if I plan to shoot or record something with props or equipment I do not have, it may become an issue.

• The whole production process, from the concept to screening, is relatively slow. The average live action commercial takes three months to produce. 

• There are tighter restrictions on television commercials, compared to press and magazine advertising, on what can and cannot be shown.

Overall, looking into the pros and cons of advertising has proven to be very useful. It is important for me to understand the disadvantages of advertising so that when I am planning, I can avoid making common mistakes. It is also important for me to know the positives about adverts as I now know that creativity and originality is something I need to ensure I have when planning. It has also taught me how advertising is powerful and how to reach your target audience. 

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