Have you ever been casually watching TV (or have it on in the background) and suddenly a loud commercial comes on and scares the crap out of you? It’s an intentional method that you and your clients may have even tried. The thought behind the strategy is that loud noises get people’s attention. But the question is, do loud ads hold the audience’s attention? According to an article by AdAge, what your clients should really be doing is boosting TV ad energy, not volume. High-​energy TV ads are what is going to hold audiences’ attention.

Why Your Clients Should be Using High-​Energy TV Ads

The AdAge article cites a study by the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame analyzed more than 27,000 TV commercials that aired in the U.S. between 2015 and 2018. Researchers compared audience reactions to loud commercials to those of high-​energy TV ads. They found that, “overall, more energetic commercials are more likely to be tuned in or less likely to be avoided by viewers.” Overall, the more energetic an ad is, the more energetic and excited a viewer will be about the content.

Now, energetic does not mean loud; TV content volume has been regulated for a while now. Pure and simple, high-​energy TV ads refer to the energy of the actors, transitions, etc. shown on the TV screen.

Highlight Positive Emotions

AdAge also states that the research, “suggests advertisers should play to consumers’ emotions, and not just their demographics and behaviors, in order to form the most effective advertising strategy.” Overall, the COVID-​19 pandemic has brought down happiness and energy among consumers. As stated in a previous SalesFuel blog post Life-​Enriching Ads on TV are Resonating with Americans, consumers don’t need to see depressing commercials. The news is low-​energy enough. “TV ads are particularly well suited to showcase life-​enriching ads since they can directly show consumers examples of Americans living fuller lives with the help of the advertised products or services.” And high-​energy TV ads are a fantastic way to communicate positive messages in more ways than just the dialogue.

Creating Your TV Ad Strategy

Where You Should Air Your Commercials

Obviously, it doesn’t matter how high-​energy your TV ads are if they’re not seen. How can you know which consumers are watching specific networks, channels or streaming content? Check out AdMall by SalesFuel. There, you’ll find:

• Which types of programming are their favorites to watch on TV
• How they are getting their TV programming (for example, a satellite subscription or over-​the-​top streaming services)
• Which streaming services they subscribe to
• How different content they see on TV makes them feel or react

And, if your client is torn about which of their products or services they should promote with their high-​energy TV ads, AudienceSCAN also offers information on:

• The audience’s purchase plans for the next year
• Detailed demographic information

Making Commercials High Energy

There are many routes you can take to making high-​energy TV ads. First, you need to start with music. Scores for everything from movies to TV commercials play a huge role in dictating viewers’ emotions without them even realizing it. Pick high-​energy, fun music to accompany your commercial, even if it’s just playing in the background while a narrator speaks.

Your clients also need to ensure that the commercial’s voiceover has energy as well. Again, this does not mean that they should be yelling. It just means that they should sound happy and excited about the product or service that they are advertising.

Making a commercial high energy doesn’t mean that the actors or animation has to be bouncing off the walls with energy. Just make sure they’re moving (or at least the camera angle is). Energy produces movement, so don’t let our clients use boring, stagnant camera angles.

Photo by Engin Akyurt