News and blog

In recent years, TV advertisers and broadcast executives seem to have become increasingly focused on targeting younger audiences. However, in their quest to appeal to Gen Z and Millennials, they often overlook an important demographic at the other end of the spectrum: the over-50s.

The Financial Power of the Over-50s

According to IFS, the over-50s hold a significant portion of the UK’s wealth. The 55-74 age group possesses over half of the country’s £12.8 trillion in wealth, whereas individuals aged 16-34 hold a mere 3.3% of this amount. This stark contrast underscores the substantial financial influence of the older demographic in the UK. Additionally, due to improved health outcomes, there is an increased population of older individuals. In fact, in the UK, there are now more pensioners than teenagers.

Viewing Habits: A Generational Shift

Viewing habits have changed dramatically over the last decade. Younger people are turning away from traditional linear TV in favour of obtaining content through alternative channels such as social media, streaming platforms, and other apps. Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a prominent player in this evolving landscape, offering a bridge between traditional television and digital streaming platforms.

Meanwhile, a high percentage of older viewers stay seated on their sofas, watching TV in the way they always knew. According to Ofcom’s Media Nations 2023 report, although individuals aged 55 and above represent approximately one-third of the population, they contribute to half of all Linear TV viewing activity.

Beyond Stereotypes: The Dynamic Over-50s

Before we explore why the over-50s demographic represents untapped potential when advertising on TV, it’s essential to gain a deeper understanding of this diverse group. As we delve into the characteristics of this demographic, it becomes evident that their financial behaviours and lifestyles defy what most people might think.

For instance, retirement, once seen as a milestone reached in one’s 60s, has transformed the over-50s. Rather than viewing retirement as a time for leisure and relaxation, many individuals are choosing to prolong their professional careers, driven by a desire for continued fulfilment and personal growth. This shift reflects a broader trend towards active ageing, where retirement is embraced as an opportunity for new experiences and meaningful engagements.

Furthermore, the over-50s are actively influencing various aspects of social and economic landscapes. Surprisingly, one in four single individuals aged 50-64 are actively dating, indicating a vibrant social life. And when they are dating, they are inclined to spend more money on an evening out than a younger person would.

Additionally, their influence extends to the travel industry, where their spending on holidays has surged by 23% over the past five years. In contrast, younger demographics are spending less on travel due to the current economic pressures in the UK.

Reshaping Consumer Trends

In the UK, millions of older individuals not only possess more wealth but are also more eager to spend it on discretionary items with lucrative profit margins. Enthusiastic about exploring new products, over half of individuals aged over 70 affirm that they frequently engage in online shopping, underscoring their active participation in modern consumer culture.

Despite these compelling trends, some argue that the advertising industry has been guilty of “youth-washing”, a practice rooted in the misconception that younger audiences hold inherently greater value. While it’s true that some young consumers may establish lifelong brand loyalties, many won’t.

Meanwhile, people who celebrate their 50th birthday can suddenly find that overnight they become the target of ads for pensions, hearing aids and walk-in bathtubs.

Unlocking the Grey Pound with TV Advertising

Currently, individuals aged 55 and above are significantly underrepresented in television commercials. They feature in only 23% of broadcast ads, despite constituting 65% of all TV impressions. Moreover, they only hold leading roles in 12% of commercials (source: ITV).

Additionally, there exists a gender disparity, with older women being far less likely to feature prominently in commercials compared to older men.

As a result, many older viewers express dissatisfaction with TV advertisements, citing a lack of relevance. They find it challenging to relate to the characters or scenarios portrayed.

A recent survey by the marketing company Anything But Grey found that 90% of people over 50 couldn’t name a single TV commercial they had recently seen that featured someone of their age group.

This could be partly attributed to the demographics within the advertising industry itself.

The average age of an advertising agency employee in the UK is 34, with a noticeable drop-off in representation as age increases. The industry has been criticised for a tendency to phase out individuals, particularly creatives, as they reach their 40s. The proportion of agency staff over 50 is only 6%, and those over 60 comprise a mere 1%. An article in the marketing magazine The Drum recently noted, “Why aren’t there any retirement parties in our business?”

Advertising agency hotshots can all too easily become obsessed with capturing the attention of younger audiences, potentially overlooking the presence of a larger and potentially more profitable market segment.

Bridging the Gap: A More Inclusive Approach

Search any stock image photo library for pictures of people aged 50+ and you will probably see a familiar selection of ageist stereotypes and tropes, reflecting what other demographics may visualise when asked to think of someone of an older age group.

Of course, not all older people are fragile, lonely and home-bound, sitting in an armchair while quietly sipping tea in the evening light. Nor are they super-fit long-distance runners.

By perpetuating these stereotypes, TV advertisers risk alienating older audiences and patronising them. If they feel misrepresented or unable to relate to the ads, they are less likely to engage with them.

We believe it’s time that the TV advertising industry starts to dedicate more effort towards creating commercials that resonate with older viewers. To begin with, there should be a greater focus on segmenting this extensive and varied demographic, rather than simply grouping them all together as one.

For example, a 50-year-old is very unlikely to feel like, look like or have the same interests as a 90-year-old; however, brands often group them under the 50+ category.

There are thousands of different shades of grey.

Not only is it important from a creative and ethical standpoint to tackle this issue, but also advertisements that effectively captivate the audience will yield a greater return on investment for their clients.

At the moment the “age representation imbalance” is huge. So, advertisers need to address the problem. They need to push the boundaries and think carefully about how their commercials will be perceived by real viewers in the real world.

Rather than solely focusing on age, advertisers should utilise more powerful tools that categorise people based on their lifestyles or interests, allowing them to understand the real person beyond just their age.

Get your TV advertising right and the rewards are waiting to be reaped.

In the dynamic realm of TV advertising, staying ahead requires tapping into emerging trends and demographics.

Interested in exploring how you can properly tap into the grey market in your advertising efforts? Have questions about our production services? Or simply want to discuss your next project idea?

Click the button below to start a conversation.

{{button}}

In the world of TV advertising, the language we use is always changing.

Just a few years ago, our conversations with clients typically revolved around whether they were advertising on satellite TV or sticking to the conventional terrestrial channels.

Today, this distinction has faded, as most ‘linear’ channels are accessible across various broadcast platforms. A term that has become a slightly annoying bit of TV jargon.

The Future of TV Advertising: Connected TV (CTV)

Currently, in almost any article about “the future of TV advertising,” you’ll find people in Adland getting very excited about Connected TV (CTV).

The question remains: what is it, and what influence will it have on the creation and distribution of TV advertisements in the UK?

What is Connected TV? (CTV)

Connected TV refers to any television set with internet connectivity, including smart TVs, set-top boxes, TV sticks, or gaming consoles, broadening the landscape of TV advertising.

While smart TVs have been a staple in over two-thirds of British households for more than a decade, the concept of connected TV encompasses a broader range.

The Rise of OTT Content Consumption

Any video content streamed over the internet rather than traditional cable, satellite, or aerial means is known as OTT (over-the-top). Sorry to introduce another term to the lexicon of TV advertising.

Beyond traditional TV channels or streaming services, an increasing number of viewers are turning to their TVs for online video content. In the USA, reports suggest that nearly half of YouTube viewers prefer streaming on their televisions rather than on phones or other devices.

After all, the experience of watching any moving image is likely to be better on a 72″ screen rather than squinting at your mobile.

Any video content streamed over the internet rather than traditional cable, satellite, or aerial means is known as OTT (over-the-top). Sorry to introduce another term to the lexicon of TV advertising.

Beyond traditional TV channels or streaming services, an increasing number of viewers are turning to their TVs for online video content. In the USA, over half of YouTube viewers are using a video-streaming platform to watch their favourite YouTube channels on a TV.

The experience of watching any moving image is likely to be better on a 72″ screen rather than squinting at your mobile.

What are the benefits of CTV for Advertisers?

From an advertising perspective, the emergence of Connected TV has revolutionised TV advertising, offering advertisers unprecedented opportunities for targeted advertising and the ability to measure the impact of their TV ads with greater precision than traditional, linear TV broadcasting allowed.

Dynamic Ad Insertion: A Game Changer

Advertisers can target commercials based on viewers’ demographics – their age, gender or interests, based on data that has been collected from their online activity.

With geographic targeting, TV advertising can be confined to specific regions; for instance, a car dealer in Hastings can ensure their commercials reach only the local audience, rather than offering test drives to viewers in distant Glasgow.

Sky AdSmart: Leading the Way in DAI

In the UK, Sky AdSmart (launched in 2014) is the leader in this technology; so while you may be watching the car dealer’s commercial, your next-door neighbour (or maybe even someone else in your own home) may be watching an ad for an airline.

Interactive Advertising: Elevating Engagement with CTV

Best of all, CTV commercials can offer a level of interactivity that consigns traditional direct-response TV ads (“call us now on 0800…”) to the Stone Age.

Whether that’s learning more, or even making a purchase—right from their remote control or CTV device. Some TV ads even incorporate a QR code to seamlessly connect viewers to a company’s website or an online promotion.

Personalised Viewing Experience: The Ultimate Goal

Connected TV enhances the TV advertising experience by allowing users to pause and resume their viewing on any device, at any location, maintaining continuity in where they were up to. It gives new levels of control to advertisers, such as specifying the exact placement and timing of their ads.

The overall user experience can be much better as people tend to like getting personalised recommendations based on their viewing or purchase history. Even though in surveys people often complain that they don’t like being targeted by advertisers.

Advertising Analytics: Measuring TV Ad Success

Advertisers benefit from analytics and campaign tracking, gaining insights into impressions, completion rates, and detailed performance data, such as website visits, app downloads, or online purchases generated by their TV ads.

Cost Efficiency: Maximising ROI in Advertising

A main attraction of CTV advertising to an advertiser is the potential cost efficiency. By targeting your ads to your desired audience, you can (in theory at least) eliminate wasted impressions and thus increase the overall efficiency of your campaign.

The Future is Connected: Embracing CTV

The rapid integration of Connected TV (CTV) devices across the UK has significantly transformed TV viewing habits, especially among the younger demographic. This change has not only elevated CTV’s role in television advertising but has also marked a notable preference shift, particularly evident in the statistical representation of viewership.

CTV’s share of total TV consumption among UK adults now stands at a notable portion, while among those aged 16-34, the adoption rate is even more pronounced, underscoring a generational shift towards Connected TV platforms.

The advance of CTV does not seem to be a major threat to traditional linear TV viewing, which remains a staple in TV advertising. Many people are still happy to switch on their favourite channel, lie back on their sofa and lap up a sequence of programmes and adverts delivered the traditional way.

Linear TV, a key component of TV advertising, still reaches over 80% of all adults in the UK every week. And of course, with the availability of over 400 channels, advertisers can use traditional media buying options to optimise their campaigns to reach their intended audience quite effectively.

CTV advertising offers expanded reach, precise targeting, enhanced viewer engagement, measurable results and the possibility of improved cost efficiency within the realm of TV advertising.

Brands can effectively leverage the benefits of both linear TV and CTV to maximise their overall marketing effectiveness in TV advertising.

Embrace the opportunities that this rapidly evolving technology offers, and you can stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing landscape of digital entertainment.

In the rapidly evolving world of TV advertising, staying ahead means leveraging the latest technologies and strategies.

With over 30 years of experience, we specialise in harnessing the power of Connected TV (CTV) to create advertising that’s not just seen but that gets results.

Choosing Space City means embracing the future of advertising without the burden of traditional agency costs. Our expertise in producing creative, cost-effective, and technically polished ads positions you perfectly in the ever-changing TV advertising landscape.

Interested in exploring how Connected TV can revolutionise your advertising efforts? Have questions about our production services? Or simply want to discuss your next project idea?

Click the button below to start a conversation.

{{button}}

Are you torn between choosing a production company or a creative agency for your next TV or video marketing campaign?

Understanding the distinct roles of each can dramatically impact your return on investment and the overall success of your campaign.

In today’s evolving media landscape, where terms like video production and agency marketing are often used interchangeably, it’s more important than ever to recognise the unique strengths and services of both.

Whether you’re planning a high-impact TV commercial or a social media campaign, knowing the difference between a production company and a creative agency can guide you to the right partner for your specific needs.

From the technical expertise of a production company to the strategic planning of a creative agency, we’ll uncover the nuances that set them apart.

So, what is the difference?

In today’s landscape, the lines separating production companies and agencies are increasingly blurred. Advances in technology and evolving client expectations have led to a paradigm shift, where a single entity is often anticipated to manage an entire campaign end-to-end.

Production companies actually make the adverts for TV, Social Media & Radio, while agencies focus on creativity and how ads can get people to take action.

Production Companies: Primarily responsible for preparing advertisements for broadcasting and publishing. Their focus is on the technical aspects of ad creation.

Agencies: Concentrating on the creative side of advertising, looking at how the production can motivate consumers to take action.

Production Company vs Agency

Production Company

‘In the old days’ a typical production company wouldn’t heavily engage in the creative aspect of your campaign. Instead, they focused on providing comprehensive support to clients throughout the entire process – from producing to distributing their content.

Today, for any type of advertising production – be it DRTV commercials, BRTV commercials, brand adverts, social media content, or sponsorship bumpers – a production company should be able to handle all your needs.

With the rapid growth of digital media and the diversification of advertising channels, the role of production companies has expanded beyond traditional TV advertising. Now, they not only excel in crafting TV commercials but also in producing engaging online videos, dynamic social media campaigns, and immersive brand experiences.

Agency

An agency primarily focuses on developing and marketing your campaign concept to maximise sales or impact. However, this can lead to challenges. Sometimes, the campaign’s goals and ideas may not match the budget, time, or production capabilities.

Agencies are most beneficial at the beginning and end of your advertising project. They assist with creating ideas and promoting the campaign through marketing strategies.

For marketing across various channels like social, email and press, production agencies play a critical role in expanding your brand’s reach. They are adept at choosing the right formats and places for content, which helps increase traffic to your website.

However, without high-quality and cost-efficient video content, your ROI might decrease.

Is Space City a production company or agency?

Both! We’re your one-stop shop for any video, TV or radio production.

We are a rare combination of a production company and an agency, providing a comprehensive production service. Whether it’s a TV advertisement or multiple videos for social media, we provide support from the initial concept brief to it being successfully seen on screen.

We’ve been producing TV, online and radio commercials for over 30 years, working with clients to produce creative and cost-effective advertising campaigns.

We are a rare combination of a production company and an agency, providing a comprehensive production service. Whether it’s a TV advertisement or multiple videos for social media, we provide support from the initial concept brief to it being successfully seen on screen.

Do I need a production company or agency?

Now that you know Space City are a hybrid of the two, you no longer need to choose. But for curiosities sake, here are some key points to help you make the right choice:

1. Project Type

Think about the nature of your project. Are you looking for a technically polished ad, or do you need creative ideas to engage your audience? If it’s mainly about technical execution, a production company is a good fit. If creativity and audience engagement are crucial, an agency might be better.

2. Budget

Consider your budget. Production companies often offer cost-effective solutions for creating video content. Agencies, with their creative input, may come with additional fees. Make sure your budget aligns with your choice.

3. Timeline and Flexibility

Think about your timeline. Production companies are known for efficiency, while agencies can introduce more layers of decision-making. If you need a quick response, a production company could be the way to go.

4. Creative Control

Decide how much creative control you want. Production companies execute your vision, while agencies can help you develop ideas. If you have a clear concept, go with a production company; if you want creative brainstorming, consider an agency.

5. Project Complexity

Consider how complex your campaign is. If it spans multiple channels like TV, social media, and online ads, agencies can help coordinate and integrate everything smoothly.

How much money can you save by not using an agency for TV, online, or radio ads?

Costs can vary significantly, depending on the project’s scope.

For instance, creating an advertisement involving a one-day live-action shoot, location rental, casting, and several weeks for editing, clearance, and transmission can begin at costs upwards of £15,000 when engaging a production company.

However, if you opt for an agency, the cost is often double. This is where a hybrid agency/production company like ours can shine, offering businesses both efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Are production agencies worth the cost?

For ads where production budgets are greater and the cycle is longer, the time where your agency would be needed increases.

Agencies can of course save you money given their knowledge of brand building, their contacts and skills, but unless they are equally a production company, significant additional costs will be added to your marketing spend.

Most elements of the production process do not naturally form a part of an agency’s daily remit, therefore outsourcing other elements like transmission will only add to costs, depending on the weight of your media spend.

At Space City, we offer the best of both worlds as a hybrid agency and production company.

With over 30 years of experience, we provide a comprehensive production service from concept to on-screen success. Whether you need technically polished ads or creative engagement ideas, we can help.

Choosing us means avoiding extra agency costs while benefiting from our expertise in producing creative and cost-effective advertising campaigns.

Whether you have questions about our services, want to discuss a potential project, or simply want to say hello, click the button below.

{{button}}

In the beginning there was reality. If you wanted to film in a kitchen, you found a kitchen to film in. Or, if your budget was larger, you built a kitchen set in a studio. Either way, the actors performed in a real environment, and you could see what you were filming through the camera’s viewfinder.

Then films started using “green screen” (or “blue screen” if you worked in television). Actors perform in a studio, and the surrounding environment is keyed in in the background, either during the filming itself, or more usually, being added in post-production.

In Hollywood this created the opportunity for big-name (i.e. big budget) actors to film all their scenes in a couple of days. Teams of graphic artists would then spend weeks or months adding all the surrounding scenery, as well as other artists to create the finished movie. Expensive, but not as expensive as paying for the megastar to film all their scenes in a studio or on location over the same period of time.

But in the last couple of years, virtual production has been completely transformed. Not only is it a lot more sophisticated than before, but it is now also an affordable way of creating sets and special effects for productions on relatively modest budgets.

The latest technology combines computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality and motion capture to create an environment where actors can completely and convincingly interact with a non-existent world around them, and this can be done in real time. So the finished result can be seen on a studio monitor at the time of the shoot, and there is only a small amount of post-production required (e.g. grading the colours to look perfect).

Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to use giant green screens for the background. The availability of cheap, high resolution LED panels means that the background image is physically present in the studio for the actors to interact with. Anyone who has seen ABBA Voyage in London will know how effective these giant LED screens can be.

The advantages for Space City are clear. We can film in several locations in one day, which would be impossible using traditional film production. We can film either in locations that look contemporary and realistic, or we can relatively easily create a Dickensian London street or the surface of Mars, if that is what the script requires.

The technology is moving very quickly and, fortunately, the UK is at the cutting edge of developing visual effects software and equipment. Best of all, if it’s done properly, the viewer doesn’t even have to know what’s happening. As John Lennon said, “nothing is real.”

Advertising with Animals Emotional Response

It’s been proven TV audiences experience positive emotions for animals, marketers use them to stimulate association between the feelings for the animal and the brand. this results in product loyalty resulting in an increased consumer trust in the brand and market share. Meaning, animals promote buying behaviour.

Examples of Animals in Commercials

In the UK, there are numerous examples of brands that include animals in their ads, whether through live action shoots, stock footage or animation. For instance Andrex, Compare the Meerkat and Cadbury guerrilla to name a few, and clearly it works! Andrex has nearly twice the market share of its nearest competitor. And that is all thanks to the Andrex Puppy.

Andrex Puppy Advert

When it first appeared in an Andrex TV advert in 1972, Andrex’s market share was 23%. Concluding  1970s, this had risen to 30%. Today, over 130 adverts later, it is by far the most recognisable brand of toilet paper in the UK.

The Psychology of Using An Animal in TV Advertising

As humans, and more precisely as consumers, we are often influenced by our emotional reactions. In fact, some studies argue that up to 95% of all purchasing decisions are decided subconsciously – in turn driven more by emotional reactions than by thought or reason.

Animal Advert Emotional Response

Whilst this may ruffle some feathers among marketers, it shows the effect that our emotional responses have over the choices we make. Meaning few things can evoke those emotions as strongly as our feelings towards animals, cute, funny, scary, tactile animals.

Attachment to animals in advertising

Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution describes the perfect example.  He compares the commonality between animal species as innate, which forms a link between animals and humans. This explains the attachments that humans feel not only to their beloved pets, but to animals in general – either domesticated or wild. Hence why animals in TV commercials are such an effective tactic.

YouTube and Animal Videos

This emotional bond is evident. Proven by YouTube’s popular animal videos. Humans are fascinated by animals, and they will typically elicit strong positive or negative emotions upon sight of them. Because of these emotional bonds, they will often capture our attention when they are featured on TV adverts or brand logos, whether they are real-life versions like the Andrex Puppy, or animated equivalents, like Aleksandr Orlov of Compare The Meerkat fame.

Benefits of Using Animals In Advertising

As well as our races tendency to be influenced by our emotions, human beings are also predominantly led by visual stimulus around us. More than 50% of the surface of our brains is dedicated to processing information visually, this means we often respond to and understand imagery more strongly than we would audio or text alone.

Why Use Animals in Adverts and Commercials?

Considering this, animals have a positive allure that makes them very effective when trying to capture someone’s attention in order to sell things. If we feel a positive association with a particular creature, we are more likely to be opening to relating to what they’re selling.

Animals in Advertising increase emotive responses

The powerful emotional bonds that we share with animals and our preference to absorb information visually, means that an effective animal-driven logo or campaign can really resonate with people in a way that other visuals lack.

What To Consider When Using Animals In Advertising?

Although it’s true there are thousands of brands that showcase animals in their logos and advertising campaigns, it is not a sure path to success. Before you consider incorporating animals into your iconography or wider advertising, consider:

• What sort of animal embodies the traits and characteristics you associate in your brand?
• Consider how your customers might interpret seeing a certain animal in your advertising? positive/negative etc.
• Are the animals attractive, comical, stationary enough on their own, or would they be better animated?
• Does your design style lend itself effectively to the animal you intend to use?

When you have strong answers to all of these questions, you’re likely on the path to producing the next WWF Panda, Twitter songbird, or Aleksandr the Meerkat campaign.

Animal Mascots in Advertising

There are countless animals used in advertising as mascots to sell the brand. A great Space City example would be Quidco, with El Calima the squid. Alternatively some examples of our adverts where we include animals are Karcher, British Seniors, Bella & Duke.

Animals In Advertising Welfare

When using an Animal in a TV advert, the animal’s welfare is of paramount importance. There are a number of ways Space City ensure the safety and comfort of the animals on set. A few include:

• Having a qualified vet on set to ensure the animals health and safety is taken into consideration throughout the entire shoot day
• Having a handler on set to ensure the animal does not exceed their limitations, and so that the pet is well hydrated, fed and cared for throughout the shoot.
• Preemptively organising dietary, medication and/or care measures are taken into consideration before and on the shoot. This is often achieved through conversations between the animal’s agent and the shoot producer.

{{button}}

Do I Need To Advertise On TV?

So do you need to advertise on TV? and if so, you want to know how much does a TV advert cost? Well let’s first look at the advantages of TV advertising.

• TV Advertising installs trust in your brand (all TV adverts have to comply with Clearcast regulations, meaning they’re the most trusted platform to advertise on)
• TV advertising reaches a wider range of demographics (when compared to Radio, Social Media, Online etc)
• TV Advertising boosts sales and brand recognition (viewers of your TV advert can recall the brand at a later date)
• TV Adverts are full screen ( They’re not fighting for screen space unlike social and online ads)
• TV Advert duration commonly ranges from 10″ – 90″ (longer than a lot of Social Media or online platforms)
• TV adverts can not be skipped (unlike social media sites and online streaming platforms)
• TV Adverts can not be asked not to be seen because they are irrelevant (This is often a feature on social media platforms)
• TV advertising results can be tracked (this allows brands to understand what demographics engage with their content, and tailor future campaigns to work for them)
• TV advertising has potential to convert first time advertisers and challenger brands into household names (see more info on challenger brands and/or new to TV here)
• TV adverts benefit from second-screening (they play out regularly and more than once)

Does TV Advertising Work?

In short, yes! TV advertising works, and depending on your deliverables can produce more sales and brand recognition than other platforms such as social, online, radio and print.

Increasing Brand Recognition by up to 40%

According to ‘The IPA’s ‘Media in Focus’, by Les Binet and Peter Field’ – Investing in TV advertising increases brand recognition and sales by 40%, making it the most effective medium of advertising. TV advertising is the optimal method for generating brand growth that drives profit. It’s estimated that when successfully employing TV advertising techniques, your product or service can increase by 2.6%.

Is TV Advertising Worth It?

TV Binge-watching, with the introduction of streaming services and catch-up TV allows TV commercials to remain the most effective way to advertise. Over 22.5 hours of television was watched by the average Brit, per week in 2020.

The Statistics Speak For Themselves

Time and time again studies maintain the popularity of TV as a platform, with the average Brit watching 22 hours and 36 minutes of TV in the second week of January 2020. That is 13 minutes longer than during 2019.

Christmas TV

One of the most popular weeks to spend time in front of the TV is during Christmas, when the average Brit spent a whopping 25 hours and 45 minutes in front of the TV. Statistics sourced from here.

Answer?

Therefore TV advertising still remains the most effective platform to advertise your brand.

What Am I paying for when buying TV Advertising?

So you’re wondering how much a TV ad costs, and what you’re paying for by going to a TV advertising agency? Well, in order to make a successful TV ad campaign, you’ll need professional resources and equipment, and a highly organised creative team with expertise in a range of relevant disciplines, all of which are outlined here in our TV advertising production process breakdown.

Why Do I need A TV Advertising Agency? Can I Use A Freelancer To Make My TV Ad?

In a word, no. At Space City we guarantee you will not experience the same professionalism, attention to detail, security of assets and quality of deliverables working with a freelancer when compared to working with us: a successful TV advertising agency.

For More Info

If you want to know more about the differences between freelancers and ad agencies. Specifically whether to use Space City: An award winning TV advertising agency or a freelancer. visit our Advertising agency VS Freelancer page here.

Why Should I Choose Space City for my TV Advertising Campaign?

As we mentioned previously, what makes a successful TV advert relies on a number of factors. At space City because we are specialists in all areas of production, we consistently produce successful TV ad campaigns thanks to our:

• Experience: With over 30 years of experience specialising in Direct Response Television (DRTV), Brand Response TV (BRTV), Commercial Versioning, Radio advertising, Online/Social Media content, Cinema Advertising, Sponsorship Bumpers, Bespoke Music Composition,  On-Set Stills, Studio/BTS Photography, and Creative Idea Generation & Scripting. Whilst also regularly working with challenger brands and first-time TV advertisers – It’s no wonder we call ourselves TV advertising experts. Don’t believe us? Then there are definitely several awards we need to give back.
• Talented team: (On an average production this would include creatives, a storyboard artist, script writers, producers, casting organisers, actors, a director, DOP, gaffer, Focus Puller, a hair and makeup team, wardrobe stylist, art director, catering crew, on set photographer, an on set runner, video editors, VO artists, Audio editor, music composer and a media buyer. Not to mention having to add actor chaperones and an on set vet to the list if casting children and animals. This is a condensed list of the team involved for an average Space City shoot, therefore you can imagine the struggle a freelancer would come up against when attempting to take on all of these roles.
• Professional Resources & Equipment: (Several examples of Space City’s professional resources and equipment include:
  • all of our creatives, production and post production team are regularly undergoing internal and external training in order to provide our clients with the most up to date and relevant information as possible.
  • All of our post production work is completed In-house, this means cost savings that get pumped directly back into your production.
  • We have a vast pool of shoot production crew to select from, meaning we can tailor your advertising campaign team to be in-keeping with your adverts tone, budget, brand ethics etc.

How Much Does It Cost To Make a TV Advert?

The costs to make a TV advert vary depending on your creative ambition, media spend and the advertising agency you select to produce your advert, among other things. At Space City we take on projects from scratch to seeing the ad on air, as well as anywhere in between.

TV Advertising Costs with Space City

So, how much does it cost to make a TV advert with Space City? Our from scratch TV productions start at as low as £10,000 with wiggle room to go even lower depending on your production details and deliverables. Of course projects that require only one aspect of the production process, for example editing will cost substantially less, and projects intended for social media and online use are even lower too. Contact us for a quote.

How Much Does It Cost To Advertise on TV?

Costs for making a television commercial can vary dramatically depending on a number of different factors. However Space City can always help you get on TV with a great advert and see high ROI for much less money than you’d imagine.

Other Platforms Are Still Useful

Although it’s clear social, online, radio and print all have their place, the effectiveness of TV is still the leading industry platform to advertise. Studies show that you’re better off advertising on as many platforms as possible, as part of an integrated campaign.

Primetime TV

If you want to feature on one primetime spot, plus 10-12 less popular times, across a month, you would be spending £5,000 through most channels and media buyers, however you can haggle!

Versioning Your Advert to Different Channels

Moreover, if you are looking at producing multiple versions of your ads and want them sent to broadcasters by those who undertake such work regularly; you will incur another cost.

TV Advert Transmission and Distribution

TV Advertising Transmission can be undertaken in-house by space City, saving you time and money! The figures below provide a guide to the average cost of a 30-second slot on each network, though of course these price points are a guide only and are subject to change.

Prime Time TV Advertising Costs in the UK

ITV TV Advertising Costs:

A 30-second ad – a typical duration during ITV’s breakfast schedule between shows such as Good Morning Britain or Lorraine costs between £3,000 to £4,000 on average. If you’re looking to advertise on a daytime slot, ads of the same length of time come in at around £3,500 to £4,500, all the while a peak time alternative can cost anything from £10,000 to £30,000.

Channel 4 TV Advertising Costs:

On average Channel 4 is a cheaper channel to advertise on when compared to ITV. A 30-second slot on daytime TV can cost between £1,000 to £2,000. Top tier rates during shows like Hollyoaks or Catastrophe clock come in at £10,000 to £20,000.

Channel 5 TV Advertising Costs:

Channel 5 is the cheapest national ex-terrestrial channel to advertise on according to Guerillascope’s estimates. The typical daily cost of an ad is £800 to £1,600. A peak time slot – which can be purchased for commercial breaks during programmes like Neighbours – can cost between £2,500 to £4,500.

Sky 1 TV Advertising Costs:

The approximate cost to advertise on Sky One during daytime shows like Stargate Atlantis can vary anywhere between £150 to £250. A 30-second slot during peak time between the likes of the Simpsons can cost anything from £650 to £1,150.

Sports channels TV Advertising Costs:

Rates for a half-minute-long ad vary widely depending on the sport, the category of advertiser and even the team that’s playing. For instance, a premier league Chelsea v Arsenal match will differ drastically in price to a Sunderland v Brighton game. The average cost of producing a TV advert for Sport is estimated at anywhere between £60 to £750 for a 30-second slot on Sky Sports during peak time.

Peak Time TV Advertising

Daytime rates for the channel are between £10 to £50. Eurosport’s rates are somewhat different. The channel’s peak rate ads come in at £100 to £150, while day rate campaigns cost between £50 to £100. An early peak time slot on BT Sport will come at a price between £20 to £200 for advertisers for a night time slot, like those offered during the NBA Action cost a modest £5 to £30.

Other Platforms Advertising Costs:

Household brands are no stranger to buying spaces on Channel 4 or Sky 1, but away from the more popular channels there are a few online and social alternatives which offer ads at lower rates for those on a budget, however with a reduction on benefits. For instance, slots on the Horror Channel start at £50 to £150 daily rate and go up to £150 to £300 for a peak rate ad. Meanwhile day rates on Animal Planet, E! and Hum all come in at between £0 to £50.

How Can I Make a TV Advert On A Budget?

Now you know the price of advertising on TV depending on your production details, you want to know a number of ways for reaping the benefits of advertising on TV whilst on a tight budget include:

• Start by purchasing regional advertising time instead of International. Alternatively another option is to use SKY’s Adsmart platform. Adsmart allows brands to advertise on television slots that play out in certain postcode areas, or that play adverts to specific audiences defined by the advertiser.
• You can choose animation, or stock footage to advertise your brand instead of live action.
• Reduce the amount of actors in your creative, this means less artist’s fees including, travel, wardrobe, catering etc.
• Do not hire Extra actors
• Film in one location/studio to reduce location and art director costs – Advertising in peoples’ home locations for instance will cost you upwards of £1000-per-day, whereas utilising business premises, public spaces or other sites will also need necessary permissions and permits, however could save you money.
• Make sure your script is succinct without alt lines – this reduces shooting time and therefore time booked for locations.
• Don’t include children or pets in the shoot, this gets rid of on set vet and chaperone fees.

{{button}}

What Is Advert Versioning?

Let’s say If you have say a 30 second TV advert that needs multiple cutdown versions creating, either for a new TV advert or for other platforms including Online, social etc. Space City are able to take your pre-existing TV production assets and re-edit them to make multiple brand new 10 second and 20 second versions. This process is known as versioning, for more information about versioning, visit this page.

What Is Advert Reversioning?

Similar to Versioning, Reversioning TV content is when we (Space City) use our in-house resources and equipment to edit existing footage and re-edit your TV content to change its intention. For example, you may want cutdowns of your commercial, or you might have a new sale that you want to promote, or you may want to re-order the scenes in the advert as you think it will increase its performance. There are so many reasons to reversion TV content.

Why Reversion TV Content?

Advert reversioning can be an extremely cost efficient way of updating your TV campaign without having to shell out for a whole new advert, which would often requires a cast, crew, location etc. All of which of course increase costs and scheduling time for the production.

Cost & Timeline

If you consider all of the stages involved in producing an advert from scratch, you’ll soon realise how much faster reversioning your tv advert is than shooting a whole new creative, as well as how much you could save on advertising costs. Of course the success of Reversioning an ad is dependant on your intentions for the project, for instance are you reversioning your tv content in order to appeal to a new demographic, or is it because the advert will now be seen on a different platform, or perhaps a graphic needs updating. Whatever the reason it can save time and money.

Covid and Reversioning

Reusing the footage you already have reduces or even entirely removes the need for a new shoot. This can be seen as a positive considering Covid introduced a whole new array of restrictions on set, for example cast and crew had to wear masks, the proximity of artists in frame had to be increased, a new cost for supplying tests was introduced, the social distancing conditions for the hair and makeup team changed etc. In conclusion, reversioning TV content could mean not having to compromise on factors which you would have otherwise had to do if you were shooting new content in the midst of Covid-19.

How Much Does ReVersioning Cost?

A full reversioning of an existing stock footage advert for example, would cost under £4000, a far cry from the starting costs of TV commercial shoots that start from £10,000. Saving you advertising costs.

Therefore to create a system whereby whichever marketing direction you deem is cost-effective for your particular niche is relevant, reversioning existing content to suit fresh promotions or product launches is far more cost efficient.

What Adverts Get Reversioned?

Of course any advert can get reversioned, although Insurance commercials are a great example of ads that get versioned and reversioned regularly. This is mainly because of the amount of graphics that require updating, and also because they have multiple phone numbers that they use in order to track where the customers have seen the ad. They then use that data to either play out more or less of their commercials on that channel in order to gain more business.

How to reversion your TV Advert?

There are a number of ways advert reversioning can help save on costs. So how do you reversion TV content? The following is achievable at Space City thanks to our in-house facilities and resources, including:

• End Frames / Pack Shots
• Updates to an end-board/pack shot product or packaging visual can really enhance an otherwise outdated video. There is also the option of updating an existing advert with the clients latest branded packaging change. With access to your assets we can modify and create your packshot to suit your brand and brief.
• Creating Cutdowns
• These tend to be in addition to producing a standard 30″ ad or to edit from a previous TVC, whether you’re needing a 10-second, 15-second or 20-second version we can create these with ease. Creating different versions of an advert can reflect a different purpose for each of the edits which can really aid using the same content on different platforms.
• Captions, Legal & Graphics
• Adding these can be a quick and cost-effective way to update an advert. Of course any new claims are subject to Clearcast approval, and will need to be amended in accordance to the playout countries standards.
• Voiceovers
  
• If you’re advert reversioning with different VO’s or foreign language VO’s, this often always isn’t as straight forward as swapping one language VO with another. Different languages have differing durations of speech, so this often requires further planning and amends which of course we can cater to.
• Re-Clocking
  
• To find out more about clocking click here. Re-clocking is only required for TV broadcasting. this is in order to keep track of content going out for broadcast, this particularly comes in handy when versioning various telephone numbers on the same creative, British Seniors example below. At Space City we are experts in clocking delivery in order to ensure your ads get sent to the correct stations on time, (this is known as Transmission) saving you time and providing you peace of mind that all versions are accounted for.
• Clearcast
• Clearcast are the governing body for all TV Commercial clearance for UK broadcasting. All of our producers are Clearcast trained, therefore all of our re-versioned scripts and creatives will never risk not being approved.  Space City take care of all Clearcast clearance on your behalf, ensuring that your advert meets the legal requirements for broadcast.

‍

Advertising needs a jingle to keep in rhythm with consumers, but why is music a necessity for any marketing campaign?

MUSIC Provides a lucrative solution for any advertising or marketing issue; leverage it properly and you can strengthen your entire business, as a result.

Whether you are thinking of producing a radio, TV, or online advertising production, your business can use the attention span needed for musical ads to leverage your entire inbound and outbound marketing output.

From both a brand and response perspective, your ads need to be watched at least five times invariably to be remembered, but through the cognitive traits associated with listening to music, you can ensure this process is expedited – improving the potency of, and ROI from, campaigns.

Why is music so effective?

When looking to mobilise your call-to-action, or just improve brand recognition, the repetitive and creative tendencies associated with musical jingles offer cost-effective advertising solutions.

If applied in a fashion where lyrics replicate the actions or graphics being illustrated on screen, memorability increases by an average of 14 per cent.

With what is essentially a double dosage of your brand, you can leverage this further by applying these principles to your desired consumer actions.

If, for instance, you want your consumers to call your business, having this direct suggestion placed before the consumer in visual and audible form, will accentuate the metrics of your ads that serve to boost memorability and response in tandem.

Through using an older, existing jingle, you can strengthen your chances of instant response, thanks to the trust inhabited in the familiarity of the tune exhibited.

However, utilising an original jingle exclusively for your business will also be extremely effective.

While it may not carry immediate resonance and memorability, it does, however, ensure that your track can be used in perpetuity if created by an in-house composer, which could save on royalty costs, in comparison to an existing track already synonymous with popular culture.

How to utilise music properly and what techniques to avoid

Although effective when used at the forefront of your advertising campaigns, it can be detrimental to your advertising if a jingle is used in a passive or secondary sense.

For both product memory and specific ad details, memorability and response declined, but was particularly prevalent where brand knowledge was concerned.

As you look to be recognised on other media outlets, it is crucial that the demand generator, TV, engrains brand in the most efficient and unequivocal fashion possible.

Therefore, if you have a jingle in the background, but it does not tally with the onscreen graphics, dialogue or context, your ads will not have the focus necessary to improve ROI from your overall marketing output – weakening brand.

If your music immerses consumers in your brand, directly addresses consumers and utilises high levels of human interaction, you will ensure that KPIs can be optimised on other platforms – should your business utilise addressable or interactive TV to begin with.

Leveraging your music to boost brand resonance and engagement on social media

Social media and online in general has not been able to generate the brand awareness that TV has in the past, but with attention taken to boost resonance and response in equal measure, you can ensure that you bely the usual trend that sees TV eliciting poor online engagement.

Compared with the conversations generated offline, TV adverts endure weak engagement across social – how can this change?

33 per cent of all media-driven interactions are stimulated by TV, yet for interactions that lead to sales in physical stores, that figure stands at 45 per cent.

Immersing your consumers in the music that accompanies your ad is key if you are to exploit its power omni-platform.

The consistency of experience when users engage with your content and marketing is stymied by consumer choice, individual viewing preferences and the diversity of the medium.

With TV, radio or cinema, for instance, someone is completely focused on the medium in question and not distracted by exterior influences.

A way of circumventing these issues would be to stipulate that an incentive can only be utilised through complete ad consumption – something that will ensure of increased brand awareness and knowledge of what your business actually offers.

Offering a proposition that involves the complete attention of consumers — for instance a competition — can ensure of complete ad consumption, which will also improve the reliability of your data and trust in your adverts online, given consumer familiarity with your TV advertising.

Music, therefore, will underscore your entire output, ensuring that associations are built through tone, physical words and audio – allowing you to also use the overall concept in outdoor advertising, too.

Space City has been producing TV, online and radio commercials for more than 25 years, initially trading as a music company, while still composing original scores to augment to all advertising and marketing avenues.

Find out more about the UK’s most cost-effective TV advertising production company, now, and boost your ROI for your next campaign.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GOOD ADVERT? SPACE CITY HAS BEEN MAKING THEM FOR OVER 30 YEARS; FIND OUT WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, NOW

What makes an advert successful? By utilising our comprehensive advertising guide, your business will be equipped to enjoy short and long-term sales success.

Whether you are looking to focus on TV, online, radio or outdoor, the emphasis of any campaign will need to embody many transferable elements.

How to make your adverts memorable

Any advert, whether response or brand-driven, needs to foster memorability. Through making any advert communicative and rife with emotion and juxtaposition from certain real world events, you can imbue your brand.

While this virtue remains the same for response-driven creatives, the need for your adverts to inhabit some semblance of the authentic event in context is crucial.

As you look to induce both response and memorability in particular, merging any dialogue (if applicable) with the emotion you want your potential consumers to feel in that particular moment, will assist neural coupling – helping viewers relate to the event of the ad in their subconscious mind.

What devices can be used to make a successful advert?

Embedding your advert with creativity, but also your business and branding cues in equal measure, is key to a successful advert.

Thus, as you seek to weave the creative devices into your advertisements that emboss brand on consumers, ensuring that they are the leveraging element of your ads is imperative.

Such devices include, but are not limited to: using music to reiterate brand, optimising breaks and pauses, using brand colours actively in the ad and placing emphasis on human interaction.

An animal is proven to make your advertising more effective, too.

How To Portray Your Brand?

Ultimately, what makes the ad more effective in this context, is showcasing your product or services to consumers, as opposed to selling it.

This may seem counterintuitive, but will serve your advertising ROI better than an ad that attempts to focus too much on price and persuasion – this has been proven across TV and other forms of advertising.

What makes a consumer respond instantly to an advert?

Within response-centric ads, you can mobilise any sales-heavy traits through conversation and call-to-actions.

The most successful campaigns — and memorable ones — can combine both of these metrics together, what should not be done though — when thinking about what makes a consumer confused or distracted — is combine conceptual closure with visual call-to-actions – separation and breaks are imperative as you seek to disambiguate your subject matter to consumers.

The CTA itself needs to be imbued on the subconscious, too, if you are to truly optimise direct response adverts.

What Makes A Successful Advert For Space City?

Some of Space City’s most efficient ads, which have elicited the best ROI, have featured visual and audible prompts that guide the consumer through the process and merits of utilising your product or services.

If, for instance, your business feels it would be easier for consumers to engage with your business via a laptop or tablet, you would illustrate this in your creative with your actors – this makes sure of absolute clarity and mitigates any doubts that may reside subconsciously in a consumer’s mind.

Regardless of whether you are advertising on TV, outdoors, on the radio or online, an advert has to offer a solution to a problem.

There may not even be an obvious to a consumer, but through an authentic, memorable, humorous or empathetic scenario, you can mobilise your CTA, which will serve to elicit your business instant sales increases.

What makes the most effective advert by platform?

With the aforementioned advertising styles, certain platforms will prove to be more effective than others as you seek to either induce response or instil your brand.

Successful TV Adverts

TV is the number one means of brand building – across all the derivatives that have emerged in recent years and months.

TV makes your advertising work harder and improves ROI.

Whether your business utilises programmatic advertising — which helps deliver ads digitally to improve efficiency — linear or addressable TV, the inherently social construct that TV helps to foster memorability.

The most lucrative in terms of long-term ROI is utilising sponsorship bumpers.

Although not strictly advertising, the placement of a branded piece of film that bookends a period of ad breaks ensures that your ad is immersed in the conscious and subconscious minds of consumers – ensuring profit increases of as much as 140% in campaigns that last more than six months.

Successful Online Adverts

Online advertising, particularly when driven by mobile and the data it can harness, provides the best reactionary advertising – this does not equate to optimal ROI, though.

Other types of adverts

Radio and outdoor are excellent outlets for both direct response and brand response adverts, but online should be firmly avoided for brand building.

Given the mind is focused on convenience as your business makes the best adverts for its short and long-term ambitions, online will satisfy the need for instant results, but it leaves little attention span or scope to imbue the brand.

Overall, adverts that placate the immediate desires of consumers on the platform they are consuming your ads from will succeed, but with the aforementioned tips, they can thrive.

Making A Successful Advert with Space City

Space City rose seven places in the latest Campaign Magazine agency rankings, with the UK’s number-one producers of cost-effective TV commercials cementing their place as the country’s most productive agency.

Contact the team now and produce award-winning, sales-inducing adverts for less, through Space City’s bespoke in-house facilities.