Many advertisers have argued that 15-second television commercials (:15s) should be used only to reinforce effects created by longer commercials. However, this recommendation is based on studies that have several weaknesses, including use of single exposure levels, established commercials, and learning as the primary dependent variable. The authors report the findings of a laboratory experiment in which they compared the effectiveness of :15s and :30s by using novel commercials with different message appeals (informational vs. emotional), exposing subjects multiple times, and employing multiple dependent variables. They find that informational :15s are as effective as informational :30s in several situations and can be used as stand-alone units. They also show that emotional :30s are superior to emotional :15s in influencing a viewer's learning of brand name and attitude. The reasons for and the implications of these findings are considered.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlsopRonald (1987), “More Companies Squeeze Ads Into Bargain 15-Second Spots,”Wall Street Journal (January 29), 29.
2.
BaddeleyAlan D. (1976), The Psychology of Memory.New York: Basic Books, Inc.
3.
BatraRajeev (1991), “How Ad-Evoked Emotions Influence Processing of Information in the Ad,” in Tears, Cheers and Fears: The Role of Emotions in Advertising, MSI Conference Summary, Report No. 91-112 (May), YoonCarolyn, ed. Cambridge, MA: Marketing Science Institute,20–1.
4.
BerlyneD. E. (1970), “Novelty, Complexity, and Hedonic Value,”Perception and Psychophysics, 8, 279–86.
5.
BrehmSharon S., and BrehmJack W. (1981), Psychological Rectance: A Theory of Freedom and Control.New York: Academic Press, Inc.
6.
Business Week (1989), “Stalking the New Consumer” (August 28), 54–9.
7.
CacioppoJohn T., and PettyRichard E. (1979), “Effects of Message Repetition and Position on Cognitive Response, Recall and Persuasion,”Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31 (January), 97–109.
8.
CacioppoJohn T., and PettyRichard E. (1986), Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change.New York: Springer Verlag.
9.
ClaggetWilliam M. (1986), “The Long View of the Short Commercial,”Journal of Advertising Research, 26 (August-September), RC-11–12.
10.
FabianGeorge S. (1986), “15-Second Commercials: The Inevitable Evolution,”Journal of Advertising Research, 26 (August), RC3–5.
11.
FriestadMarian, and ThorsonEsther (1986), “Emotion Eliciting Advertising: Effects on Long Term Memory and Judgment,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 13, LutzRichard, ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research,111–16.
12.
HitchonJacqueline, ThorsonEster, and ZhaoXinshu (1988), “Advertising Repetition as a Component of the Viewing Environment: Impact of Emotional Executions on Commercial Receptions,” working paper, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
13.
KeppelGeoffrey (1982), Design and Analysis: A Researcher's Handbook, 2nd ed.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
14.
KirkRoger E. (1968), Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences.Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.
15.
MachleitKaren, and Dale WilsonR. (1988), “Emotional Feelings and Attitude Toward the Advertisement: The Roles of Brand Familiarity and Repetition,”Journal of Advertising, 17 (3), 27–35.
16.
MacInnisDeborah J., and JaworskiBernard J. (1989), “Information Processing From Advertisements: Toward an Integrative Framework,”Journal of Marketing, 53 (October), 1–23.
17.
MacInnisDeborah J., MoormanChristine, and JaworskiBernard J. (1991), “Enhancing and Measuring Consumers’ Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability to Process Brand Information From Ads,”Journal of Marketing, 55 (October), 32–53.
18.
MacInnisDeborah J., and PriceLinda L. (1987), “The Role of Imagery in Information Processing: Review and Extensions,”Journal of Consumer Research, 13 (March), 473–91.
19.
MaddenThomas J., AllenChris T., and TwibleJacquelyn L. (1988), “Attitude Toward the Ad: An Assessment of Diverse Measurement Indices Under Different Processing'Sets’,”Journal of Marketing Research, 25 (August), 242–52.
20.
MittalBanwari (1990), “The Relative Roles of Brand Beliefs and Attitude Toward the Ad as Mediators of Brand Attitude: A Second Look,”Journal of Marketing Research, 17 (May), 209–19.
21.
MordMarvin S., and GilsonEdith (1985), “Shorter Units: Risk-Responsibility-Reward,”Journal of Advertising Research, 25 (August–September), 9–19.
22.
PatzerGordon L. (1991), “Multiple Dimensions of Performance for 30-Second and 15-Second Commercials,”Journal of Advertising Research, 31 (August-September), 18–25.
23.
PechmannCornelia, and StewartDavid W. (1988), “Advertising Repetition: A Critical Review of Wearin and Wear-out,”Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 11 (2), 285–330.
24.
PutoChristopher P., and WellsWilliam D. (1984), “Informational and Transformational Advertising: The Differential Effects of Time,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 11, KinnearThomas C., ed. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research,638–43.
25.
RethansA. J., SwasyJ. L., and MarksL. J. (1986), “Effects of Television Commercial Repetition, Receiver Knowledge, and Commercial Length: A Test of the Two-Factor Model,”Journal of Marketing Research, 23 (February), 50–6.
26.
RossiterJohn R., PercyLarry, and DonovanRobert J. (1991), “A Better Advertising Planning Grid,”Journal of Advertising Research, 31 (October-November), 11–21.
27.
SinghSurendra N., and RothschildMichael L. (1983), “Recognition as a Measure of Learning From Television Commercials,”Journal of Marketing Research, 20 (August), 235–48.
28.
TukeyJ. W. (1977), Exploratory Data Analysis.Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
29.
WellsWilliam D., BurnettJohn, and MoriartySandra (1989), Advertising Principles and Practice.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
30.
WellsWilliam D., LeavitClark, and McConvilleMaureen (1971), “A Reaction Profile for TV Commercials,”Journal of Advertising Research, 11 (December), 11–17.
31.
WheatleyJohn J. (1968), “Influence of Commercial Length and Position,”Journal of Marketing Research, 5 (May), 199–202.
