What makes a TV Commercial Memorable and Effective?

(Originally written by Steve Olenski for Forbes Magazine)

About ten years ago, Steve Olenski asked his readers what makes a TV commercial memorable for them. He compiled the answers and found some common points in answers:

•    Humor was often used to describe memorable commercials, along with “jingle” and “tagline”

•    Many also said an iconic character also helps make the commercial stands out.
Some answers are:

•    "It is best done with an icon, a grabbing tag line, a memorable jingle, and humor, with the icon and the brand tied together...Examples: "Energizer Bunny" or "Tony the Tiger" for Kellogg cereal. To stand out and become memorable, it must be unconventional. The conventional is boring, and immediately forgotten, because it never engages the consumer."

•    "Commercials that portray people getting hurt are most memorable, i.e. falling off the ladder, walking into the glass door, the football player hitting office workers. Interestingly, I can't say for certain which products they were pitching."

•    "Stupid commercials are the most memorable, followed by funny ones. I tend to remember a commercial first then the product."

The answers also helped Steve creates the guideline to making a successful commercial. 

A commercial also needs to rely on the brand and customer’s trust towards that brand. Steve argued that if the brand is well-known enough, they can forgo the formal brandings and move towards more relaxed campaigns once in a while. An example of this in Vietnam is Vinamilk with their ”Singing Cows” commercials:

The first TVC from Vinamilk featuring singing cows
 

A recent TVC from Vinamilk

The campaign obviously worked, as Vinamilk have been using the concept ever since, and the first TVC was stuck in everyone’s head for a long while. People still remember the catchy jingle of the song, as well as the tagline. They delivered their message, their brand, and everyone remembers the song. A huge success for Vinamilk. 

In order to create such successful TVCs for your own company, a good production house is all you need. YCN Media can help you with creating memorable, effective commercials. Contact us today to make your dream TVC happen!