Television Advertising

Television advertising is all about advertising products and services in the breaks that occur on some TV channels during programmes. Television advertising is only really found on commercial channels - the BBC, for example, does not advertise products and services in this way as it is publicly funded by the license fee that TV watchers pay.

Television advertising is one of the primary sources of revenue for many TV channels and companies. Advert spots vary in cost and length depending on how popular the slot is with viewers. In general terms advertisers will pay more for adverts at peak times and in popular programmes. Due to the fact the one TV advert can reach consumers across the country this is probably the most expensive form of national advertising.

Nowadays another form of television advertising - programme sponsorship - is becoming more and more popular. Here a company sponsors a TV programme or series and their advert/sponsorship message is shown at the beginning and end of the programme and at the beginning and end of all standard advertising breaks during the programme.

The first television advert in Britain ran in 1955. This advert was for Gibbs SR toothpaste. Many early adverts here would use celebrities and familiar faces to endorse products on the basis that this would make people more likely to buy from the advert. Nowadays, adverts use all kinds of methods to get their message across.