What is this phenomenon where a TV station will run the same ad (or a very similar ad for the same product) twice in the same commercial break, and sometimes twice IN A ROW? This is disturbing to me. The latest offender I’ve noticed is some ad for a shoe sale which plays “These Boots Were Make for Walkin’” in the background with some inane voice-over about a shoe sale, and a silhouhette of a boot-wearing woman who, while seeming to have a very nice body, is an abysmal dancer. The commercial is so banal that I can’t even remember the name of the store. So far, no problem - just one of the many, many crappy commercials out there. BUT, during the show I was watching last night, they played that commercial at the beginning and AGAIN at the end, of EVERY commercial break. I don’t even care to see something I LIKE that many times, much less this vacuous piece of shit.
This technique of playing the same ad twice is something I’ve been noticing more and more. Sometimes it’s the exact same ad, and sometimes it’s a slightly altered version of the ad the second time. Like the “Enzyte Bob” commercials, where it’s two different ads, but they are so similar that it still has the effect of annoying me. There’s really nothing intrinsically bad about the ad; it’s actually a rather clever parody of a 1950s commercial. But doing the same bit twice adds absolutely nothing. Now, I’m sure the advertising execs think this is an effective technique of drilling the product name into your head, and it very well may be, but I’ll tell you this: If I ever remember the name of that shoe store, I will NEVER go there.
It’s not really a new thing, I’ve seen stations doing that 20 years ago. I’ve always assumed that it was a mixup on the station’s side, and not something the advertiser requested. I’m probably wrong about that, though.
Have you also noticed how many ads, even though they only run once, are also annoying as shit? Apparently that’s what works. They don’t have enough time in today’s commercials, particularly in the days of mute buttons and fast-forwarding through videotapes, to actually sell you the product. All they hope for now is to lodge even a tiny little bit of their product name in your brain so that some time in the future, when you’re looking to buy a breath mint, you’ll see one your recognize and buy it. You may not realize why you remember it as being because the ads are so really annoying, and, really, I have to assume they don’t want you to remember that, but still. They wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work. These ads are freakin’ expensive.
I’m chalking it up (at least partially) to TV stations not getting enough customers. I see more of this later at night. The same commercials, every break.
The two spots, back to back, are called piggybacks. When there’s a spot, followed by different commercials, then the second spot, that’s a bookend. There are also :60 commercials that are edited by the client to be two :30s back to back.
Some advertisers use it to tell a story or to refresh your memory. Chances are, by the time the fourth commercial airs, you won’t remember what the first one was.
If you see the same spot back to back, it’s either a)a mistake or b) a national spot followed by a local spot.
The networks (including cable) allow the local affiliates a set amount of time each hour to run local advertising. Of course, the networks have no idea what the myriad local affiliates are airing, so it’s quite possible NBC runs a Buick spot, then Channel 5 will run the exact same Buick spot.
(ivylass, who’s worked in broadcasting for most of her adult life)
I always thought that whenever they showed the same commercial in a row late at night it was because there was a fallout over getting paid for the ad.
IOW, “Del’s Stereo and Sound” has a contract stating the station must play the ad four times per day, but then Del never paid / bounced the check / whatever, so to dance around the legalese of the contract the station just played them all four times in a row right before going off the air.
If the client does not pay, the station or network is under no obligation to air the spots. It cuts both ways. Agencies will take credits or request makegoods if the wrong commercial airs, if it airs outside the requested time period, or if two spots air too close to each other. And if Del’s Stereo doesn’t pay their invoice, all future commercials are yanked off the air.
Those piggybacked Enzyte commercials have often made me consider introducing my TV to my pet brick. I’d also like to introduce Enzyte Bob to my pet tire iron.
Yeah, I know about this one. If I see a commercial, I’ll probably remember the product. If I see the same commercial again in the same break, I’ll remember the product very well indeed…well enough to not buy it for a few years, until they stop using that annoying-ass tactic.
This falls under the category I quaintly refer to as “stop fucking supporting companies that do things you hate”. Company has a series of commercials that annoy you to no end? Let 'em know with your money. I switched from Verizon to Sprint a year and a half ago: no, damn it, I don’t hear you now. Now that that annoying asshat is off of my television, I might hear you again, depending on what rates you’ll give me. Newest version of product ignores consumer desires in favor of making more money? Tell them how you feel about that with the power of your dollar. So, Sony, despite polls in virtually every reputable gaming magazine asking you to equip the PS2 with four controller ports, longer controller cords, a hard drive and a broadband adapter, you release what is essentially a PSX with better graphics and a DVD player. Why? Because you’d rather sell millions of Multitaps, Extension Cords, External HDs and Broadband Adapters. Thanks a million, and I’ll be over here happily playing 4-player (no multitap required) Smash Bros. Melee on my Gamecube. Attention people: stop giving money to companies that ignore what they know you want.
Sorry for the semi-hijack, blowero, but this sort of thing irritates me to no end. So in regard to the OP: yeah, I hate seeing the same commercial twice in a row.
Actually, when I wrote that, I was attempting a lame joke where I was claiming that the ads don’t affect me, and then accidentally using the word Enzyte in my sentence - y’know, like it really did affect me. Yuk, yuk. Guess I didn’t execute the joke very well. Sony about that.
