Effective Uses of the Episodic TV Commercials

Several decades ago, TV miniseries such as “Roots” and “Centennial” ruled the airwaves because their episode-by-episode nature made TV viewers eager to see what the next episode would entail. These days, online media such as Netflix put entire seasons of TV shows at consumers’ fingertips, even original series, so the miniseries mentality of “you have to tune in next week” lives on, only it has become on-demand. Commercials can mimic this episodic style more effectively than you might think, but you have to know where and how to draw people in to your message.

It’s Best Online

While a TV campaign shouldn’t exclude the idea of episodic commercials if it suits the company or organization, episodic ads really shine online, where consumers can easily track down the next installment.

Ads on TV may be watched out of order, so customers won’t understand the context. Online, you can link to all parts of the commercial no matter where you advertize, so if someone sees the second part and wants to know more about the context, one click will direct viewers to your YouTube channel or website with the rest of the story.

Air Part One on TV

According to MarketingCharts, 68 percent of consumers rely on TV ads to learn about businesses and organizations, and 52 percent turn to online ads. As important as online advertising is, TV ads are still more effective than online ads.

With TV ads, consumers might watch the same shows each week, so you could air part one the first week and part two the next. If you run your ads on TV exclusively, you run the risk that many consumers will see later parts of the commercial without ever seeing earlier parts, so they don’t get the full context. To produce an episodic series of commercials, air only the first part on TV, and direct consumers to visit your website for the conclusion of the series. That way, you won’t have to worry about consumers seeing later parts out of context, and you can continue to run the first part for longer. Entice consumers to watch the rest not only with dynamic storytelling, but also with offers such as coupon codes for finishing the series online.

Choose-Your-Own-Ending Commercial

One of the biggest advantages of the Internet is interactivity. Don’t settle for passive advertising, especially when you’re opting for an episodic series of commercials. Get the consumer directly involved. At the end of each segment, ask consumers to choose what the characters in the commercials should do.

For example, if a husband is trying to clean a mess he made in the kitchen before his wife gets home, you can end part one with his wife pulling into the driveway. Then ask the consumer to choose whether he “comes clean” about the mess or tries desperately to clean up in under a minute. Shoot both options and let consumers have fun watching both outcomes. Surprise them and opt for the unexpected.

Sometimes you only have one shot to reel in new customers, and an effective episodic commercial series might just prove to be your golden ticket — but you have to do it right. Rely on an NYC New York video production company with experience in both TV commercials and dramatic productions to find the right balance of story and marketing for your product, service or message.