Ads are here to stay and surprisingly, they’re more impactful on the big screen

Experiencing TV commercials over the years has changed. People can’t stand them now. Before, you would get excited about possibly seeing or hearing your favourite jingle or the iconic adverts on TV that would take you home or unlock a favourite memory, from the comfort of your couch.

These moments are rare now. TV breaks need to be short and TV adverts much shorter. More people are choosing to record or catch up, binge their favourite series through streaming to avoid watching commercials.

But it’s not just technology moving things forward. Many traditional watchers of TV would complain that ads were either annoying or too long.

Even though there’s uncertainty in the economy, advertising agencies are still making huge profits through TV and cinema.

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Brands would take exclusive commercials to the cinema, making them more special to the audience. Bravo’s Lounge and Sleep debuted an array of their furniture and luxury sleep adverts at several Ster-Kinekor cinemas across South Africa this month.

Bravo Brands CEO Dave Govender says their company’s reason for showcasing their products at the cinema is part of the overall experience and joy of going to see a movie.

“From a Bravo perspective we have a magnificent product and to see it on the big screen, it sort of cures a whole bunch of ills in terms [of] we weren’t allowed to come out [of lockdown] and now we can. This is almost the ultimate decadence.”

Many people when they walk into a theatre wonder whether or not the movie will live up to their expectations, not necessarily thinking of the adverts. Govender is aware that in advertising they have to do extra work to engage with that consumer.

Users are bombarded by constant ads online and on social media but can easily swipe up if they are not interested.

“Cinema screens have an eight times more social, emotional impact than TVs and cellphones. The recall factor is a 3:1 ratio compared to TVs. There’s the audio, visual and sensory experience even if it is for 30 to 45 seconds that leaves a far more indelible impression than a fleeting moment on TV and even more fleeting on a cellphone,” he concluded.