COMM 3560 Assignment 10

COMM 3560 Assignment 10 | Tulane University

Animation in Television AdvertisingIn the 1920’s, cartoon figures made a comeback in advertising.   Seeing how successfulanimated movies were, such as  The Little Mermaid  and  Who Framed Roger Rabit  companiesbolstered animation in advertising.  According to David Vadehra, president of Video StoryboardTests, an advertising research company “animated commercials are making a big hit with thepublic (Kim Foltz).  In a yearlong study involving 24,000 participants, “commercials withanimated characters made a strong showing for the first time among the top 25 commercials thatthose polled said were their favorites of the year” (Foltz).Although animated spokespeople are not new to advertising, animation made a strongcomeback.  “Well­known characters like the Pillsbury Doughboy and Starkist’s Charlie the Tunahave been appearing in ads for decades” (Foltz).  It reflects the current popularity of animation.It is “a way to stand out from the glut of commercials using celebrity endorsers.  Pepsi andCoca­Cola, for example, are using a combined total of 15 celebrities.  These celebrities comewith risks.  There is always a chance of scandal and the brand's desire to distance themselvesfrom it.  Marketers actively seek out to purchase the rights to popular animated characters.  Forexample, “commercials for McDonald’s and Pampers used Mickey Mouse and other Walt Disneycartoon characters” (Foltz).Animated brands allowed advertisers to create a specific image and shape it around thebrand.  It was “an easy way to give a new brand personality” (Foltz).  Animation also provided a

simple way to demonstrate the product.  The consumer can easily view a tutorial without thecomplexities of live action.  Animation reaches a young audience.  Kraft General Foods launched a Jell­O campaignad targeting children.  “Animation embodies the innocence and fun that are so much a part oftheir world” (Foltz).Just as animated advertisements can target children, animated advertisements can targetadults.  Based on the  Roger Rabbit  movie, the style of combining live action and animation iscommonly used to capture an older audience’s attention.  According to Peter Friedman,executive producer of Lucas Film Commercial Products, “people get so involved and are havingso much fun that they don’t feel they are getting a hard sell” (Foltz).  The artfulness of animationintroduces a medium the audience is not used in advertising.Due to the technological advancements, kids expect more sophisticated cartoons, andthus the ads which accomany them.  They want better animation.  According to Jeff Jensen’sarticle, “advertisers spent $500 million last year on what they call “the only sure­fire medium”for reaching kids” (Jensen).  Advertisers will focus on programs geared toward amale­adolescence audience oppose to a female­adolescent audience.  According to GeorgeHayes, senior VP­marketing director at McCann­Erickson Worldwide, New York, “guys don’twatch girls’ programming, but girls watch guys’ programs” (Jensen).  Saturdays are primeviewing time for advertisers.  The era of Sunday morning cartoons is passed.  Kids love cartoons.“Fox Broadcasting Co.’s “The Simpsons” has finished in Nielsen Media Research's top 20 and isthe No. 1 show among kids and teens combined” according to Nielsen statistics (Jensen).

“Last year, nearly the entire inventory for all kids programming was sold out within hoursduring the advance, upfront selling season.  Prices for a 30­second spot can range from $12,000to $20,000, even higher during the fourth quarter” (Jensen).  Experts have concluded advisers aresmart to buy all the kids programming available.  Specialist in kid’s advertising, Allen Bohbotsuggests “you can’t be choosy... buy all the kids programs you can get” (Jensen).“Only in the last four years have top publishers tapped their potential as an ad medium.DC Comics, a Time Warner unit, and Marvel are improving their product and offering moreextensive marketing programs to attract advertisers” (Jensen).Works Cited:By, KIM F. "Cartoon Figures make Comeback in Advertising."  New York Times (1923­Currentfile) , Mar 06, 1990, pp. 1.  ProQuest ,https://search.proquest.com/docview/108453580?accountid=14437 .Bush, Alan J., et al. “A Content Analysis of Animation in Television Advertising.”  Journal ofAdvertising , vol. 12, no. 4, 1983, pp. 20–41.  JSTOR , JSTOR,  www.jstor.org/stable/4188467 ."Media: Things we Like."  Campaign , 2013, pp. 22.  ProQuest ,https://search.proquest.com/docview/1440859291?accountid=14437 .

1Callcott, Margaretf., and Wei­Na Lee. “A Content Analysis of Animation and AnimatedSpokes­Characters in Television Commercials.” Journal of Advertising, vol. 23, no. 4, 1994, pp.1–12.Jensen, Jeff. “Animation Renaissance Snares Kids; Marketers Spend $500 Million on 'OnlySure­Fire Medium' for Reaching Youngsters. (Includes Related Article on CartoonAdvertisements) (Marketing to Kids).” Advertising Age, vol. 64, no. 6, 1993, p. S20.