Creating the TV commercial

Creating the TV commercial

Visual Techniques

The conscious use of color is the first example. This technique is used every single time, in every kind of visual marketing.

The color psychology advertising technique is easy to misunderstand or get wrong. A slightly different tonality of any color could end up portraying the wrong emotion, not the one the design was aiming for.

Color is present in the background, photography, fonts, visual accents and branding elements. That’s why it’s important to think about the color palette every single time.

Consider the importance of each color and if it’s doing its job. Creative advertising relies on interesting color schemes to transmit a message without words. Simple choices like using a bold color for a call-to-action button can greatly increase the click-through rate.

Sometimes one color in a brand is so important that it becomes its own entity, like Coca-Cola Red or Tiffany Blue.

The advertisement below uses the Tiffany Blue brand color and a black and white photograph to complement. Note that the model is also giving the viewer a “direct gaze.” We’ll talk more about that later.

Focal Point

Pinpointing a focal point is just as important as the choice of colors and typography. The viewer needs to have a clear place to look at as they absorb the advertisement’s message.

Achieving a focal point can be done in a number of different ways. The rule of thirds and golden mean are actually two useful tools to help create a successful focal point.

Other techniques to settle on a focal point are:

• Selective Focus: Keep the focal point focused and background blurry or vice versa.
• Exposure: Manipulate dark and light areas in an image to make the focal point pop.
• Light Source: Illuminate the focal point exclusively.

When there are two focal points, you can apply Gestalt principles to achieve a good balance. The simple ads below have strong focal points where the letters are rubbed out.

1. Represent Your Brand Clearly

Using both verbal and visual cues, your brand’s name, logo and perhaps even the product itself should be conveyed throughout the commercial. Don’t be secretive and wait until the end of the ad to show your brand’s face. But do be tasteful about it.

2. Create a Storyline

The best commercials don’t just sell a product or service; they tell a story. Whether it is a heartfelt story, or a dose of humor or satire, create a storyline to which your audience can relate and connect.

3. Develop a Signature Character or Theme

Each of the example commercials listed above aren’t simply one-off ads. Instead, they are a series of ads that carry the same them or characters throughout. These characters or theme will fortify the audience’s connection with your brand.

4. Keep it Simple

You only have 30 to 60 seconds to get your message across and form a connection with your audience. Keep the overall concept and storyline of your commercial simple.

5. Don’t Cut Corners

Quality is an essential element of an effective TV ad. Quality doesn’t necessarily mean you have to empty your pockets on the production of one ad. But do utilize a professional film production team to ensure the quality of your commercial.

Creating a storyboard

A planning technique called storyboarding is utilised in television, movies, cartoons, and even advertising. It is the stage of pre-production when artists create comic book-like illustrations of how the commercial will seem. A sequence of panels are created to depict the intended shots that will ultimately be filmed. Storyboarding is not usually required in advertising, although it may be helpful once you get to the production stage of shooting.

Sequential Diagram

A storyboard works similarly to a narrative outline; it’s a condensed representation of the finished product that you may use to make plans. For instance, commercials must operate under strict time constraints, often no more than 30 seconds. You can determine how much time you have to provide your material by looking at the storyboard. The storyboard divides the advertisement into its individual shots so that you can estimate how much time you can spend on each shot while still keeping the advertisement inside its time limits.

Visual manual

Additionally, storyboards serve as a visual cue throughout the filmmaking process. You may use the storyboard to confirm two things since each frame corresponds to a shot in the advertising. The first is that you capture every shot required for the ad without unintentionally omitting any of them. The second need is that you frame and execute each shot as you intended. You may plan beforehand how you’ll frame the topic, record any movement, and move the camera, and then just follow your own directions on the storyboard to do it.

Now let’s review.

Your last chance to examine and make adjustments to your idea before production begins is the storyboard. Consider it your last line of defence. You may always make adjustments once the storyboard has been approved, but doing so during shooting might delay things. With your storyboard, you can make sure you have everything you need, including props, set decorations, and on-screen talent. You can also make sure that your visual storytelling effectively conveys the advertisement’s message. It is a strategy you use to see the finished item before beginning the real manufacturing process.

Not Always Necessary

Storyboards are often used, however they are not always necessary for a project, especially an advertising. An long infomercial, for instance, especially one that is recorded in front of a live audience, does not always lend itself to being meticulously prepared in advance. There are no fixed guidelines for your approaches or how complex a storyboard should be, even when you do it. Your storyboard could consist of just a few simple stick figures and arrows. You may create your storyboard anyway you see appropriate, as long as it provides you with the information you want.

the soundtrack; music

The term “music in advertising” refers to music that is included to increase the effectiveness of (mass) electronic media commercials. Through various channels and at various degrees, music used in advertisements influences how consumers see the company and “may dramatically alter the emotional reaction to television ads.” It also has an impact on the artists whose music is used in commercials.

Here are 5 elements that music offers to enhance commercials.

1. Evokes Emotion

One of the reasons commercials love to use music is because music has the ability to evoke a range of emotions.

2. Creates a Story

A commercial’s success often relies on its ability to tell a story.

Stories are a relatable element between the audience and the brand. That’s why music plays such a crucial role in the storytelling process. Think about the last time you saw a TV show or a movie.

Whether the audience is paying attention or not, music offers cues to them that this moment is in the storyline is important, whether dramatically or subtly.

3. Sparks Action

Music has always been a source of inspiration.

Take a listen to any national anthem and how it fiercely inspires people to stand for a nation. Like mentioned before, music’s ability to evoke emotion and inspiration is a strong one. From motivating you to do better, or taking a stand against something, music is a catalyst for change and action.

That’s why commercials that want to promote, advocate, or a take a stand on a subject use music to help propel their message. With the brand’s intent, coupled with inspirational music, people can be moved to take action and inadvertently begin to talk about the brand.

4. Reinforces the Sale

Whether sparking action or creating a story, music is the undeniable factor to help push the brand.

Brands align themselves with an audience they want to represent.

In turn, the music they use for commercials has to fall in-line with their message. That’s why you hear gritty, electronic music in commercials geared towards a younger audience and more traditional, pleasant music for more mature audiences.

5. Meshes with the Brand

Ultimately, a brand wants to have a uniform image and consistency in order to properly sell to its audience. That’s why it’s imperative that every detail of their image has to be precise, including their music.

As mentioned before, the music a brand chooses for it’s commercial reinforces a sale and creates emotion.

It has to be a symbol of the brand; synonymous with it. The brand’s music choice has to be embedded into its target market’s culture. That’s why music has to mesh with the brand; they are mutually exclusive.