Background - Special advertising formats
Television advertising is moving beyond traditional commercial breaks and redefining how advertising and programming content work together. With the growing significance of alternatives to the 30-second spot and the expanding range of opportunities provided by new platforms, there is an unprecedented demand for television sales houses to offer more integrated advertising products (e.g. branded content, product placement, advertiser funded programme, in-programme advertising) and to co-create campaigns that leverage off fully-integrated cross-media opportunities (e.g. mobile, Internet, print, event).
Due to their creative integration with programmes and their unique insertion outside of the classic ad block, special ads are able to deliver higher ad recall – memorisation of special ads is 56% higher than with classic spots (*).
(*) Source: IP Network
European sales houses can be and are important partners for advertisers aiming to move beyond traditional commercial breaks and to explore new advertising products. Feel free to contact egta’s members for additional information on tailor-made possibilities.
Advantages of special ads (for broadcasters) (*) |
Advantages of special ads (for advertisers) (*) |
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(*) Source: IP Network
The legislation is different in each European country within the single framework provided by the EU directive on “Television without Frontiers” and the future “Audiovisual Media Services” directive. In some countries like Spain and Germany, the national law leave a lot of flexibility to sales houses in order to develop alternative formats. In other countries like France or the UK only sponsorship and games are currently possible in addition to advertising spots. Thanks to their creativity, sales houses in these countries are, however, still able to offer tailored-made solutions to advertisers.
Possible special advertising formats
Sponsorship billboard
Sponsorship billboard A sponsorship billboard usually consists of a 5-7 seconds (4 seconds in Italy : sipra) commercial spot directly attached to the body of a programme, which closely links a brand or product to the programming environment. The sponsor must be represented by a logo and / or mentioned in the voice-over simultaneously or before the appearance of the brand / goods / service in the commercial. The sponsorship billboard can be placed right before (opener) and/or after (closer), and/or in the middle of the programme (reminder). The reminder is broadcast at the beginning and at the end of each commercial break. The first reminder initiates the commercial break advising that the programme will be continued in a short while. The second is placed at the end of the commercial break advising that the programme will be continued now.
Trailer sponsoring
A 5-7 seconds sponsorship spot integrated to the trailer of a programme and broadcast during several commercial breaks throughout the day. Trailer sponsoring provides information about content and air date of the specific programme. The sponsor is represented with his logo and/or an extract from his classic spot.
Segment/ rubric sponsoring
Sponsoring a thematically interesting, editorially independent segment within a programme (IP Deutschland). Because of direct integration into the programming, segment sponsoring provides high reach, especially among the target demographic.
Block sponsoring
Placement of a series of sponsorship spots in a block containing at least two programmes. The sponsor’s message is broadcast in and out of the same block of programmes on the same day or every day as of 1 week. With this ad format, it is possible to build a story and consequently, to create emotionalism across the various sponsoring elements.
Title sponsoring
This special form of TV advertising allows the brand to be optically and acoustically worked into the title of the show, thereby giving it an immediate connection to the selected format.
Context billboard
Unique type of sponsorship billboard the audiovisual design of which is in tune with the programme, part of a programme or programming environment next to which this billboard appears.
Dayvertising
Association of a brand with a special day (Mother’s day, Valentine’s day, Halloween, Women’s day…) through the broadcast of a sponsorship spot (of approximately 10 seconds) on the day of the event and sometimes even on the days preceding it.
Events/ Promo story
Partnership between the channel and the advertiser on the occasion of a special event (Motor Show, Miss Europe,…). Special programming - including billboards, specific sequences, and contests - is set up as well as a visibility of the brand and/or the channel during the event.
Short/ mini programme (branded content)
This advertising format consists in a 1-minute programme sponsored by the advertiser and which focuses on health, decoration, tourism, beauty tips, financial news… (i.e.: a programme about how to take good care of your teeth, sponsored by an oral health care company). This “mini programme” in the commercial break combines the advantages of a programme with branded content with those of a direct commercial spot.
Advertiser Funded-Program
A program dedicated entirely to the advertiser
Product placement/ brand integration
Programme sponsoring through effective integration of a brand into the content of the programme. The product or service is built into the programme and becomes an integral part of it. The name of the product and the brand logo usually feature in the credits after the programme.
Telepromotion/Commercial presentation
The brand is inserted visually and/or acoustically in the body of the programme : logo on stage, logo on clothes, verbal presentation of the product, etc… The advertising message is usually presented by the same host of the programme in which it is inserted. In Italy the “Telepromozione” message usually lasts 60”.
Split screen
In the case of a split-screen the spot is broadcast in one part of the screen while the programme is broadcast in another part of the screen. Split screens can be positioned in the opening and closing sequence of a programme, as a transition between the programme and the announcement of a break, or within a programme. One example for a split-screen format is the news countdown. This special format reduces the probability of zapping (programme preview, weather forecast, economic news, counting till the end of block)
News Countdow
| Shortly before the news a split screen is inserted at the end of the commercial break showing the seconds count down for the start of the news programme. |
Single Spot
A full-screen spot which is aired as the only spot during an ad break and supported by a special advertising separator.
Spot Premiere
Classic spot for the first time on TV with a special advertising separator. May also contain additional “making of” with abckground on the spot production.
Crawl
| The advertising message runs in the lower edge of the screen during the programme and pulls the viewer’s eyes towards it. The message generally consists of text, immediately followed by the sponsor’s logo or product. This format offers high airing frequency and the advertising message can contain up to 250 characters (approximately). The crawl can also be animated and contains/presents in this case characters or objects moving while the announcement is passing along. |
Skyscraper
The advertising message (with the logo or the product itself) runs through the screen during the programme as a column, parallel to the editorial copy.