How Much Does A TV Advert Cost?

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:

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.