What you want to hear! The Current State of Terrestrial TV Advertising (Real) Part 2: "Sports"
Even as the media environment surrounding consumers diversifies, television remains highly anticipated as an advertising medium. Simultaneous broadcasting, simultaneous reception. This style is unique to television. While talk of viewers turning away from TV has been heard in recent years, it is still highly valued as the most influential medium for generating massive awareness reaching tens of millions and sparking interest across broad demographics, including those with low engagement. Concurrently, attention is focused on recent developments: multifaceted television utilization through synergies with internet integration and content power, alongside more precise methods for advertisers to verify return on investment.
In this special feature, staff from Dentsu Inc. Media Services / Radio,TV Division answer straightforward questions from a field perspective. Over four installments, we present a glimpse into the "real present and future" of television advertising.
Q2: "Sports" is television's killer content. Are there any new initiatives in advertising?
Answered by: Eiji Akamatsu (Business Management Division)
The reason sports is killer content boils down to this: it offers unstaged, raw footage of athletes literally colliding with each other, backed by the sincere, single-minded effort they've built up over their entire lives. Sports broadcasts, in particular, are one of the content types that maximally leverage television's fundamental strength: delivering live viewing experiences, not pre-scripted events. Leveraging the influence of sports and its power to move many people, various advertising initiatives are being undertaken.
During the January 2015 AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament, TV Asahi aired an unusually long three-minute commercial. This Microsoft Surface tablet ad centered on the affinity with TV Asahi's soccer broadcast slogan, "There is a battle they absolutely cannot lose," setting the copy as "In business, too, there are battles you absolutely cannot lose." It featured a story of a businessman striving hard using Surface. A multi-faceted campaign was also deployed in newspapers, featuring ads for both Surface and TV Asahi's AFC Asian Cup coverage.
This campaign exemplifies the effective utilization of sports broadcasts. First, the promotional phrase "There is a battle we absolutely cannot lose" enjoys high recognition. Second, the creatively aligned concept kept viewers engaged even during the extended commercial's several-minute runtime. The strong match between the advertiser's product, the compelling content's nature, and the creative expression resulted in overwhelmingly powerful appeal. During the same broadcast, Japan Airlines also aired an extended commercial featuring athletes, suggesting this style may become more prevalent.
Furthermore, while already tested during the Sochi Olympics and World Cup, we are considering a double standby system for commercials during sports broadcasts. Current rules require specifying commercials three days before broadcast. However, for commercials featuring athletes, the content could risk creating a negative image depending on the match outcome. Conversely, if a corresponding commercial could air immediately after a Japanese athlete wins, its value would multiply significantly. Therefore, for example, we could prepare two versions of a commercial and select the appropriate material based on the outcome, provided clear operational rules are established. This is just one example, but I believe there are still many more strategies to further enhance the value of "content × commercials."
Back Issues
#04 What You Want to Know! The Current State of Terrestrial TV Advertising (Real) "Other General Topics"
#03 What You Want to Know! The Current State of Terrestrial TV Advertising (Real) "Area Promotion"
#02 What You Want to Know! The Current State of Terrestrial TV Advertising (Real) "Sports"
#01 What You Want to Know! The Current State of Terrestrial TV Advertising (Real) "Digital"
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