Commercials: Advertising Film For TV Or Social Media

Some commercials - like the My Calvins campaign - are cult, others we don't even notice. But commercials are as much a part of television and now also of social media as the display is to a mobile phone or the steering wheel is to a car. What is important about these snappy short films, how are they made and who pays for them?

A commercial - what exactly is it?

Commercials are effective advertising media that have been used on television and radio for many decades. A concise, condensed interplay of images, sounds, slogans and content is intended to increase interest in a product or brand. Actors are often involved, sometimes models are also used.

Typical: short duration, long-lasting effect

Commercials differ from all other video clips and films in their brevity. They are usually between 10 and 30 seconds long. Within this short time span, consumers are activated, informed and, in the best case, encouraged to make a purchase. Commercials often rely on the powerful effect of the subconscious: the advert sticks in the potential customer's mind for a long time due to its realism and conciseness - without them being aware of it. Most adverts are similar in their basic concept: The images shown are intended to capture the viewer's attention and arouse their needs.

How commercials are created

Before a commercial is ready for television or social media, it goes through a multi-stage creation process. The starting point is the research phase, in which the basics are determined and the goal is defined. As soon as the basic concept is finalised, an external author writes the script . The advert is then filmed at the selected location . Renowned actors are often involved, but often unknown actors are also involved - depending on what the client wants. In addition to pre- production and filming, the actual production of the advert also includes post-production: the raw material is edited - often with the addition of special effects - until the advert is perfect. In addition to the purely visual aspects, the executors attach great importance to sounds, logos and slogans.

Who bears the costs for a commercial?

The costs for the commercial are borne by the client. They are made up of three cost items: firstly, the development costs that have to be paid to the advertising agency commissioned, secondly, the production costs that are incurred by the production company carrying out the advert and thirdly, the broadcasting costs that are charged by the broadcasters, platforms or website operators.

Special forms of commercials

In addition to traditional commercials, content creators, film producers and advertising companies are also creating an increasing number of commercials that do not conform to the cliché of a commercial. These increasingly important special forms include social adverts, which do not advertise products but social issues such as anti-racism, election adverts and viral adverts, which are not shown on television but exclusively on the Internet.