Why Don't We Call Them ADDvertisements?

from the short-attention-span-advertisements dept

Wed, Jun 14th 2006 2:06pm — Mike Masnick

It's no secret that the days of the "30-second spot" are increasingly a thing of the past. Plenty of advertisers have tried to figure out ways around it from product placement to actually making commercials worth paying attention to. It appears Clear Channel is now trying its own experiment. Figuring that the 30 second radio spot is simply too long in this attention deficient world, they want to try offering one-second spots (found via Threadwatch). Yes, one second spots. Just long enough for... well, no, actually not long enough for anything, other than maybe to get some attention for doing something pointless.

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23 Comments

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Git R Done..., 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:14pm

3 or 4 1 second commercials then 40 minutes of good tunes.

That will work!
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Me, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:29pm

Bigger is not always better
Personally, I think the little blib stating "This program was made possible by..." Or "This program was sponsored by..." gives the company a much more positive image than if they were to have a 15-30 second ad during that same broadcast.
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Dosquatch, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:38pm

Juuuust long enough...
For Gilbert Gottfried to pop on and scream, "BUY A FORD!"
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Tyshaun, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:41pm

be afraid....
What's next, the 1 millisecond commercial. Actually, I wonder if they've played around with subliminal tracks underneath the music. Might make some of the "performers" sound better!
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Brandon Rusnak, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:42pm

Sometimes the most effective commercials...
Sometimes the most effective commercials, at least to me, are actually accidents. You know how sometimes on TV there will be overlap and you will see one commercial for only a fraction of a second or a second? That quick flash is sometimes more effective as it actually makes me think a bit about the product. It's weird but true!
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Robert Rittmuller, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:42pm

and that's how many superbowl ads???
I just could not help but wonder how many superbowl ads clearchannel might be able to squish in... :)
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wolff000, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:43pm

Advertisers are Stupid
Well not really, but they don't seem to be too bright these days. Why not just cut commercials to say 5 seconds long enough for the name of the company and whatever inane slogan they have. It would be much more enjoyable than 2 or 3 30 second ones in a row. Just my 2 cents.
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operator, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:44pm

i think i can yell "cheese" in one second.

do i get a cookie?
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Hemi the Squirrel, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:47pm

Re:
But I like the cookie!
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Valhalla Rising, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:56pm

Imagine how confusing it would be for 5-6 1 second commercials back to back. you cant even fot half the manes into a second. Try outback steakhouse for one. Litrtle 5-10 second blips maybe you might get something across.
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Ben, 14 Jun 2006 @ 2:59pm

Re: Juuuust long enough...
HAHA
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Jeff R, 14 Jun 2006 @ 3:00pm

Blipverts made real. Life does imitate Art.
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J.R., 14 Jun 2006 @ 3:25pm

The Future Is Now
One second spots? it hink it'll wind up where companies pay 3 times as much for three seconds of spot time all put together.

"We have enough for approximately three words."
"Hmm... I've got it! BUY A FORD!"
"Two point oh one seconds. We could squish another word in there."
"BUY A FORD NOW!"
"Perfect."
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J.R., 14 Jun 2006 @ 3:26pm

Also, I predict the Micro Machine Man will have his day again.
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Panic, 14 Jun 2006 @ 4:00pm

micro machine man...I miss that guy
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everysandwich, 14 Jun 2006 @ 4:22pm

It's the milliondollarhomepage of audio.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jun 2006 @ 5:12pm

I thought Clear Channel was one of the media conglomorates that knew how to run a business until I saw this... Retards.
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Jeff, 15 Jun 2006 @ 6:39am

Patently stupid
Hmm. How long will it be before one advertising company starts suing another one for violating their copyrighted 1-second ad campaign?

What portion of a 1-second ad campaign would be considered "fair use" in another ad campaign or other medium?

How long would it take to sue the bajeebus off a kid who took a bunch of 1-second ad campaigns and used them as "samples" in his new R&B song? I'm assuming the kid's MySpace video of the song would also include a montage of split-second video images collected from ad campaigns as well.

EVERYBODYCO. V. JOHNNY LITTLE JR.

Comes now the plaintiff, EVERYBODYCO., hereafter referred to as EVERYBODY, bearing complaint against JOHNNY LITTLE JR. hereafter referred to as JOHNNY. EVERYBODY alleges JOHNNY did violate EVERYBODY's copyrights by including an audio sample of a half-second scream dubbed over a half-second piano chord, which is copyrighted by EVERYBODY as The Everybody Sound. Further, in the duration of JOHNNY's song, EVERYBODY alleges that The Everybody Sound was repeated no less than 200 times. EVERYBODY also alleges that JOHNNY's song was made available to approximately 2 billion people on the Internet. EVERYBODY has licensed The Everybody Sound to film studios at a rate of $1 per incident. Therefore EVERYBODY humbly asks the court that JOHNNY immediately surrender $400 billion in licensing fees to EVERYBODY for his usage of The Everybody Sound, plus punitive damages, damages for EVERYBODY's emotional suffering and distress as well as legal fees and court costs.
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jon, 15 Jun 2006 @ 7:04am

Re:
no, more like 30 one second spots and 30 tunes
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ntlgnce, 15 Jun 2006 @ 10:13am

Re: Juuuust long enough...
Umm, That would be pointless advertiseing.. Ford sucks..
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ntlgnce, 15 Jun 2006 @ 10:15am

Cool Lets see those
I really want to the one second ads come to the internet. Then we wouldent have to wait so long while we waited to play free games.
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Limerat, 16 Jun 2006 @ 8:37am

Re: Bigger is not always better
i agree.
Last night I was watching Discovery and I was first told "This program is brought to you by.."
This was followed by nine commercials...
Do they really think we are going to pay attention to that many commercials and to remember the content of each and be impressed enough to buy the product?
i don't think so.
Most ads are so stupid,irritating and obnoxious I simply hit mute and find something else to do.
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jojo, 6 Oct 2006 @ 12:25am

job
I just want a job avertiseing yahoo on my car.
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