Summary
Marketers are constantly on the search for advertising formats that deliver maximum effectiveness for minimal expense. However, while ads of all lengths can be equally effective, short executions are less effective against complex advertising objectives. Millward Brown argues for an holistic approach to ad optimisation, demonstrating that maximising attention and engagement is not sufficient to build brands. It also offers several methods for strengthening branding. Depending on the style of the ad - where the brand is the object of desire, when it ties ideas together, or is the solution - branding can be improved in different ways, even while losing engagement. Effective storytelling means maintaining the right degree of tension, and brand awareness can be improved by reducing the impact in sections of ads, rather than raising it. Ultimately, the optimal length of an ad will be a function of the communication task.

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This summary from the Advertising Research Foundation offers an overview of recent research and debate related to the topic of the effectiveness of different television commercial lengths.

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Patrick Hourihan from Yahoo! Europe presented at Warc's Advertising Research conference examining how video advertising revenues have grown. He also explores the opportunities and challenges for advertisers using short form video; measuring audience engagement and who watches what; and video highlights vs the full programme.

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This summary from the Advertising Research Foundation offers an overview of recent research and debate related to the topic of the effectiveness of advertising at the Super Bowl.

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This article argues that 15-second TV spots are not long enough, and that 30-seconds are more effective, because of how the human brain works. The drive towards shorter ads arose because of rising media costs. However, when pairs of ads in both 30-second and 15-second form were tested in a study, the shorter spots were found to receive lower levels of attention and fewer high attention points. A longer time in which to tell a story fits better with what we know about how memories and brand identities are created, recalled and retained. Four types of memory are involved: knowledge, emotion, action and an image 'tag'. Ads that are 15 seconds long are too short to contain all four, and fall short on at least one of the prior three. By contrast, 30-second spots strike a good balance between the creation of four-dimensional memories and the audience's short attention span. For online video, creatives will need to establish the optimum length.

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The problem of TV commercials failing to get attention by being lost in clutter is increasing as commercial channels proliferate. This article reviews research evidence about specific positions, such as first or last in the break, and whether it is worth paying a premium for these. It is recommended that advertisers should think about paying premiums for breaks within programmes, and for first or last position in break wherever possible. They should also decide early on what position they are aiming for, since that helps agencies to secure better positions without paying a premium. Setting positioning benchmarks and measuring performance in terms of position in break is also crucial, and agencies should explain why positioning is so important.

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Charles Young, founder and CEO of Ameritest, discusses the role of film editing on our perception and understanding of movies and TV commercials - especially how 'long' they appear to be. He then describes the various research techniques that have been developed to diagnose the effect of ads. Finally he illustrates how fast cutting can influence ad effectiveness.

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Charles Young, founder and CEO of Ameritest, revisits the issue of whether fast-paced editing of shots in a TV commercial enhances its effectiveness. Using Millward-Brown and Ameritest pre-testing measures he concludes that speed and visual complexity can assist in making today's commercials more involving and interesting.

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Used well, cut-downs can undoubtedly increase the efficiency of your campaign, and aid communication. By stimulating the audience’s memories of the full length version, a cut-down can deliver virtually the same result at a much lower cost. But creating a strong cut-down is not always straightforward. To begin with, the full length ad must first be sufficiently established in the audience’s minds. And choosing the right scenes for inclusion requires an understanding of how cut-downs work.

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Discusses the ten-second short-form video message. Research shows it to be less intrusive but as effective in impact as a longer commercial. It can carry a branded message. It can migrate from TV to new platforms: Internet, cellphones. How to use it is discussed, especially focusing on content and the need to remain relevant to consumers.