6-SECOND ADS

In the amount of time it takes to read this sentence, brands are creating video ads looking to create awareness, impact metrics and increase purchase intent.

In all honesty, they’re looking to do it in less…six seconds to be precise.

A new study, conducted by MAGNA Global, revealed that these shorter ads are proving more effective as our video consumption habits evolve.

Since reading this article a few days ago, I’ll be honest…I haven’t been able to stop thinking about 6-second ads. Having worked in a more conventional or traditional video production world the past 20 years, the 30-second ad has been king. Heck, at the start of this calendar year I was working on a commercial campaign that focused on telling a story over that half a minute. In fact, we were finding it challenging to fit all the pieces of the puzzle into that time constraint…we were on the verge of building a longer-form piece of content.

I wonder what the approach will be when (or if) we revisit this project?

I know many family and friends who dismiss advertisements of all kinds - they hate them. They zip past them on the PVR, can’t wait to hit ‘Skip Ad’ on YouTube and as a last resort…will bail from watching a video just to avoid the “inconvenient time waster”. Of course, back a year or two it was a different landscape in the way we consumed our videos.

The content coming from our phones are starting to take over all other forms of video viewing. I’ve lived in a world where conventional cable is the norm. My niece and nephew, they’ll likely never experience paying a cable bill. Shorter, more bite-sized content is filling the gaps of our day like never before. So it only makes sense that the advertisements that we are bombarded with adapt to our habits as well.

I’ve paid more attention to these shorter form spots over the past week. For the most part, I find I accept them. After all, by the time I get frustrated with it, there’s just a second or two left. But it’s one thing to not skip over an ad, it’s another to remember the brand being advertised - and even another to engage with the brand in some way (become a follower, communicate or even purchase). So what makes these super-short pieces of video effective?

Some of the elements of killer content include creative storytelling, having a distinct brand voice/tone and finding that connective element. Building a community and a sense of belonging are vital. The most human brand wins. You can look at doing that by educating, inspiring and/or entertaining the viewer. Again, how do you do that in six seconds?

After scouring the internet for some answers (yes….I was searching Google for “best 6-second ads”), I found some points that I felt were pretty consistent from brand to brand.

NUMBER OF SHOTS

I love when I can watch six seconds of video and not feel like the producers tried to visually jam in everything - including the kitchen sink. Two, maybe three shots - that’s it. You’re not going to be able to showcase a lot of eye candy…so don’t even try. Hit them with a shot or two and let the dialogue move the narrative. Keep. It. Simple.

Some great examples of this include Eggo and Halls.

FAMILIAR CHARACTERS

I think this works in longer-form ads too…brand ambassadors. Think A&W, Geico and Matthew McConaughey (I mean Lincoln). By introducing, and reinforcing, these characters in numerous ads over a long period of time, you create a more instant impact when seeing them in a shorter form advertisement. You’ve put the viewer’s mind into a certain state within a fraction of a second of the commercial running.

Same can hold true in voiceover work. A memorable, and longstanding voice attached to a brand can immediately affect the viewer and his/her mindset.

Recently, the pair of Mark Hamill and Sir Patrick Stewart are killing it with the Uber Eats campaign. They can’t pump new ones out fast enough. It works as a short form as well as the longer :15s and :30s.

HUMOUR

(See above) I think this form of connection works best in a short time frame. A beautiful shot might resonate, key information might be valuable and the warm fuzzies of a strong story is never wrong, but I think a punchline-style approach can create water cooler talk and yearning for rewatching.

How often have you seen a good ad, only to forget what the product being sold is? This commercial is arguably the best holiday ad of the season…if you’ve seen it, can you remember the brand associated with it before the end of the spot? Now don’t get me wrong, it’s an outstanding piece of work, and shines because it’s given the time to build the story - create that emotive connection - and has you yearning for the payoff. But there is no way that this can be transformed into a 6-second offering.

Now, a big burley gorilla pushing super-tacky adhesives….instant.

One of the other interesting notes I kept reading about was the difference between the 6-second cutdown (from a :30 or :15) versus creating a custom, purposeful six seconds of advertising. I think there is a greater chance of success in the impact and effectiveness of a 6-second spot when it’s developed with the “six second” mindset firmly embraced.

The downside to a cutdown is that the pace or feel of the :30 might not be able to be matched in such a short time period. You’re likely pulling out messaging…so what do you strike? To put the shorter ad mindset in the heads of the production team right off the bat can only yield the most positive results.

I know one thing…when I head back to work in the new year, I’ll be paying much closer attention to what we can do from a six second standpoint. I think it will be an important piece of ammo in our arsenal.

So do you have any favourite short form ads? What do you like or dislike about these 6-second spots? What makes an effective ad of this length?