Here’s a thought that popped into my head during a presentation the other day (I was listening, not presenting) … how paradigm shifting would it be if we put all the tv adverts on their own special channel?
So I did a little research and apparently a woman in the UK did exactly that – launched an advert only channel in 2004. Which seems to have disappeared with little trace and a placeholder website using her domain name.
Does that mean this is an idea with little merit? Or perhaps just that her timing was wrong … or the facts that she was under-resourced and had no television experience might have had something to do with it.
Why do I think it could be a good idea in the current environment? Because television channels are struggling to sell advertising space, devices like Tivo and MySky are making it a breeze to never watch another tv ad again … and yet there is a huge creative industry that is vested in making advertising.
Some of it now shows on YouTube of course … and the creatives get to make longer and more subtle ads in the hopes of them going viral. So perhaps there is a place to air the best of what is made – and a chance for us to view them in high-res, without waiting for endless buffering before we can appreciate the work that has gone into each one.
What I am thinking is, how many of our movie makers/directors/camera peeps etc etc got their starts making ads for the telly?? Many many I am sure, to say nothing of the employment and experience it provides for our actors who are struggling to make a living.
So if pay-TV is the model that is making money, while free to air is losing revenue on a daily basis … where to from here?
Of course, an advert only channel could also show those compilation programmes with the best of international advertising humour etc … there is plenty of scope to create interesting viewing.
Love to hear what you think- does this idea have legs in 2009??
Please comment below.
cheers
Karen
People upload commercials to You Tube. And they under perform. Unless, they’re those creepy Cadbury commercials. I’m sick of that Crazy Eyebrow commercial.
Comment by Lewis Bostock — 23/08/2009 @ 10:43 pm
Do you think though, that people who really WANT to watch adverts might make a loyal following if they knew where to go for their fix? I am also thinking of some friends in the US who are highly skilled coupon shoppers and watch for all the special deals etc etc – they could make up a significant part of the audience perhaps?
Comment by proseotalk — 23/08/2009 @ 10:50 pm
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