How does a hit commercial maker view television today?

TV commercials? No, it's internet advertising now.

We're in an era where advertisers compare TV and internet when selecting media.

How do advertising creators perceive TV commercials? In this era where campaign design grows complex due to media diversification, what perspective should companies and advertising creators adopt?

We spoke with Creative Director (CD) Makoto Shinohara, who has created numerous TV commercials that resonate with viewers, including au's "Santaro Series" (ranked #1 in commercial appeal for five consecutive years) and Toyota Motor Corporation's "Toyota Times."

The era of "television being all-powerful" has passed...

For a quarter-century, I've been involved in TV commercial production. Until not so long ago, it was an era where simply airing a TV commercial meant reaching the masses. Companies expected everything from TV commercials.

I recall a client's advertising production orientation...

A new product was launching, and we were tasked with creating a 15-second TV commercial. The client stated, "We want the size, design, two new features, and of course, the product name itself to leave a strong impression."

Packing all that information into a mere 15-second spot to make it memorable for consumers was an incredibly difficult task. I was at a loss. But looking at it another way, it shows just how much the client believed "TV is all-powerful" – that TV could communicate all sorts of things to consumers and drive sales.

Times have changed, though. Now, more clients are utilizing internet advertising. Reasons include declining TV ratings, smartphones and computers becoming indispensable in daily life, and the fact that internet ads can be measured numerically—click-through rates, conversion rates, how much consumers engage with the ad, and whether it leads to a purchase. Today, all clients are eagerly gathering data on advertising effectiveness. Measuring and verifying results, then implementing PDCA cycles to improve efficiency, has become standard practice.

Even clients who previously relied heavily on TV commercials are gradually increasing their allocation to internet advertising. It's clear that the mindset of "TV commercials alone are sufficient" is definitely changing.

Re-examining the strengths of TV commercials

The shift from TV commercials to internet advertising is progressing. However, I feel the immense efficiency of television as a medium for promoting products and services is being overlooked.

TV's greatest strength is undoubtedly its overwhelming reach. While hearing that an online video ad "got 100 million views" sounds impressive, when you convert that to TV commercial volume, it's actually not that significant. TV has an extremely low cost per viewer reached.

For example, television can reach about 80% of all households in Japan. Achieving that same reach online would require astronomical costs. The internet has a vast number of sites, akin to television channels. Conceptually, it's closer to a magazine-like medium.

Therefore, clients who are well-versed in digital media and prioritize advertising efficiency often understand TV's strength in low cost per reach and concentrate their ad spending on television.

I also handle internet advertising, and what strikes me during production is the difference in viewers' attitudes and moods. Television inherently pairs programs with commercials, so ads airing feel relatively natural. Conversely, the internet isn't fundamentally an ad-centric medium, making audiences less tolerant of ads than television viewers. Figuring out how to overcome this hurdle and get people to actually watch the ads is a constant challenge.

...Considering this, it's clear television remains a powerful medium. Of course, TV commercials have their weaknesses too. It's difficult to convey deep product understanding in the brief 15 or 30 seconds, and the inability to segment targets leads to wasted efforts, like promoting products only used by women to men. In this regard, internet advertising is superior.

What the Rise of Internet Advertising Has Brought

Today, it's said that "leveraging the strengths of both TV commercials and internet advertising to efficiently promote products and services is crucial." However, this is not as easy as it sounds.

What roles should TV commercials and internet ads each play? How should their tone and manner be aligned?

Online advertising includes formats like article ads, video ads, and social media ads. How should these be differentiated?

Video length used to be simple: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds for TV. Now, we must also produce short and long-form videos for the internet. Image sizes are no longer just landscape; portrait and square formats are also required.

People's viewing habits are also changing. They watch TV shows on smartphones and enjoy digital videos on TVs. How do we adapt to this shift?

As a Creative Director involved in both TV commercials and internet advertising, I feel that campaign design utilizing media has become vastly more complex compared to the past. This is because we must customize ads for each specific medium. This isn't just my struggle; other creators, clients, and advertising agencies all share the same challenge.

An era where advertising professionals are increasingly essential

When creating ads, the notion that "TV commercials sell" or "internet ads sell" is dangerous. Instead, we must adopt a fundamental perspective: how can we make products or services sell? How can we increase the value of the company or brand? The purpose of running the ad, considering the role and strategy of the media, becomes more important.

Campaign design utilizing media has become complex—meaning we've entered an era where selling products and services requires significant time and effort. Precisely when companies are struggling, the expertise of advertising professionals is relied upon. This is an era where the capabilities of salespeople, marketers, and planners truly stand out.

I believe every product and service is an invention. The more an excellent invention sells, the more everyone benefits—the company that created it, the people who sold it, and the people who bought it. I feel the greatest joy when I can function as a CD and help create that situation.

Even if I can't always create home-run ads that generate massive global buzz, I want to consistently deliver hits – ads that earn the praise, "That campaign really paid off." Companies invest heavily to launch their products and services into the world; we must ensure they don't get called out for "no effect whatsoever."

If advertising production were solely about running PDCA cycles and focusing on efficiency, AI could eventually handle it. Moreover, many products and services simply won't sell based on PDCA alone.

The target of advertising remains human, no matter the era. Sales should continue not only while ads run, but even after they stop. The key lies in whether people develop affection for the brand surrounding the product or service. Everyone has that feeling of "I really like this." Leaving a lasting impression on people's hearts – television commercials can still fulfill this role.