Broadcasting and Cable has an interesting cover story on the new Madison Avenue land grab, the quest for the bottom third of your television screen.
Burned by the advent of ad-zapping digital-video-recorder machines, sponsors seeking new ways to get face time during screen time have ironically taken a page from the TV-network-promotion book. Network marketers have been pushing the envelope with more intrusive ad forms in their own battle against DVRs, and advertisers are aping the practice. While some cable networks are actively using ad bugs as a bargaining chip in deal-making, NBC, for one, is not out selling them as an ad unit, although it will occasionally come up with lower-third ideas, such as the one for Target, to help broaden a buy.
Claire Atkinson in this week’s Broadcasting & Cable cover story.
We’ve predicted for a long while that in addition to product placements (which can’t be fast-forwarded through as they’re a part of the show) that overlays would be on the increase for the same reason. You’re not likely to fast-forward while your show is running, overlay or no, and even if so inclined most DVR viewers don’t “skip” content outright via programming a 30 second skip button. Most instead utilize the fast-forward feature and an overlay that stayed on the screen for more than a few seconds would still show up and be visible even if people were inclined to fast-forward.
I wonder if it will spur some additional DVD sales and online downloads (legal, vs torrents) to avoid the overlays.
A small ad in the corner the size of the watermark logo is one thing, but the ads nets like TBS have are huge and obnoxious.
Dish Network actually allows you to “jump” those 30 seconds rather than fast forward. Very nice.
But yeah, that advertising litter on the screen is getting to be very obnoxious. I purposely avert my eyes so I don't look at it. It's an effort, but I really hate those things and try to avoid channels that use them.
It all started with those channel logos… I KNEW that was a Pandora's Box.
I honestly think that with moves like this, TV is hastening its decline. They are trying to squeeze more and more ad dollars out of each show by promoting other shows during the show. At the same time, many shows are broadcast on cable stations. Even without using the lower 3rds, it seems to me it would be almost impossible to LOSE money in that environment. CSI should have funding through the fall 2010 season with the marathons on Spike
Honestly, I think the networks should take a step back and look at what they are doing. In the years since MASH was on (I use that because I have it) we have lost 4-5 minutes of content per half hour. That's insane. I was also watching a show on commercial TV from Britain. The hour long show was 45 minutes, about 5 better than in the US. And don't get me started on the BBC.
They need to look at what is happening to commercial radio and the 'neo-radio' stations. Neo radio (NPR had a good story on them a while back. Google 'neo radio') makes money without all the glitz and with fewer commercials per hour (they use more, shorter breaks) compared to commercial stuff. I'd be willing to watch TV more if they adopted something like that. (The shorter breaks ensure the viewer/listener doesn't wander)
One more question about ad time. Why is it cable shows can be shorter than network TV shows when I'M PAYING FOR CABLE TO BEGIN WITH? Don't I deserve another minute or two of content (at the least) for that
To be honest, I'm getting so fed up with these ads that I'm going to start making a list of any companies I encounter getting those lower third ads and stop buying their products. One person won't make much of a difference, but a serious mass boycott could send a message.
USA is the worst at this – they leave promos for other programs on the screen the entire time a program is on. A couple of years ago the worst or the worst was pop up ads for other programs that included sound effects! Swoosh ! Sound of a door closing! Yikes!
This is just like pop-up ads on computers (which have largely vanished – due to the use of pop up blockers). They need this for TV's. It would be different if there were no regular ads, but to have both? Thats a huge turn off. Product placement is a good idea (people on the show using sponsors products, things like actors standing in front of a billboard on the street, ect), but the super imposing of ads on top of a program that blocks what you are watching is going too far.
By far the most annoying trend is everyone running crawlers on the bottom of the screen telling people about the switch to digital only over the airwaves – why bombard people for a year with this? If people dont know about it by now they are dumber than a bag of hammers. Wait until January 2nd then do this. Right now? Its just getting plain irritating. Its not like its happening next month. Its worse than Y2K. And to top it off most people get their TV via cable and satellite any way.
Robert – I think your point about dvd sales and downloads is a legitimate one. Since I purchased an ipod last year. I've found myself buying programs the next week after they have aired and not even bothering with watching them when they aired. I do dvr still, but i'm leaning more toward purchasing from itunes and then buying the season on dvd. Watching online isn't too bad because the ads are more targeted, but the bottom third ads are just annoying. I just don't have the time to spend watching 20 minutes of ads for products that I'm not interested in. Nor do I want to be forced to watch them at the bottom of my screen.
I applaud this and in fact I see TV eventually moving to a model with these and more alternative advertising and considerably less 30 second spots. maybe 2 minutes per half hour instead of 8, like the standard is online. product placement should also be on the rise as well as ads that present original entertaining content. My vision for the future involves Micheal Scott telling of the virtues of staples, in an ad written by the office writers, wearing Nike products all while a banner at the bottom of the screen tells me how much a subway foot long costs.
When they put those annoying little ads at the bottom or side of the screen. It started out small and now they almost take half of the screen.
They are getting more and more annoying with animation and now they add sound just to make it worse.
Others make it stay there through the whole show. Others turn it on when you need to see the bottom of the screen.
These people who do this call themselves professional, this isn’t what I would call professional. A professional would know not to mess with people’s entertainment.
I haven’t seen anything online, why aren’t people complaining?
Ad-Crawlers Bugs on Your Screen
I think the answer is likely going to be a ….
a return to the old days. Sponsored programs. NCSI brought to you by Viagra. Stuff like that. Then limiting the commercial break times to 60 seconds and only having 4 breaks. This would be a lot like what FRINGE and soon DOLLHOUSE. The idea seems to be showing that on FRINGE at least, more people WATCH the commercials due to the 60 second and 90 second breaks.
If DOLLHOUSE shows the same trend as FRINGE in the C3 numbers then I think we’ll see a return to longer programs and short breaks. This will also cause the “sponsor,” sales since less “real estate,” is available.
I don’t think network TV will go the TBS route.
I am beginning to absolutely hate those ads at the bottom of the screen. We’ve been watching quite a few pre-recorded movies lately (yes, through DVR) and some of those ads are so big, it interferes with the movie itself!! I am now starting to yell at my screen. (I know, makes no difference) If this continues, I would almost be willing to go buy the DVD and be done with it. I too avert my eyes when I can, trying to ignore those ads. It doesn’t make me want to watch them, it instead builds resent against that station. Maybe I ought to go back to subscribing to the movie channels??