Media Release

August 24 2009

Fame in just 15 seconds: TV advertising study

Television fame The common belief among advertisers that 15 second advertisements are inferior to their 30 second counterparts is being questioned following a recent study at UniSA.

Kate Newstead and Jenni Romaniuk from the Ehrenberg Bass Institute for Marketing Science have discovered that 15 second spots have very similar, and in some cases equal, recall and recognition results as 30 second spots.

In a departure from similar studies, participants viewed the ads under natural conditions, and were later tested on recall, likeability and correct brand identification of ads featuring a wide range of products and services.

When comparing recall and likeability of 15 second ads to 30 second ads, the study found the shorter spots were 80-90% as effective as the longer spots and that correct brand identification was equal between the two lengths of advertisement.

Romaniuk says that 15 second advertisements are the most common alternative to 30 second advertisements, but that they have always been considered inferior.

“There is a common perception that a 30 second spot provides more time to build a story, convey a message and create branding links,” she says.

“Advertisers will often start with a 30 second spot, and then cut down that ad to a 15 second spot only because they want to extend their budget, but this research shows this might not be necessary.”

Newstead says that the results mean that advertisers might be able to get more for their dollar.

“Fifteen second spots are relatively cheaper than 30 second spots - often 80% of the price or less - and commonly cheaper to produce,” she says. “It means that advertisers can stretch out their media budget and extend the life of their campaign.”

Newstead says that the results might be linked to the tendency for 15 second spots to have the brand presented more frequently and earlier than 30 second spots, but cautions that the results could also be a reflection of the poor brand execution of the longer ads.

“Either way, this research suggests that advertisers need to reconsider the 30 second spot as the ‘go to’ ad in their campaigns,” she says.

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