COMM 3560 Assignment 12

COMM 3560 Assignment 12 | Tulane University

Animation in Television AdvertisingThe breakfast cereal aisle is covered with cartoon figures.  This is no coincidence.  Thebenefits of animation make it a pertinent medium for marketers and advertisers alike.  TheGolden Age of American Animation took place from the 1920s to the 1960s.  With the advent ofcommercial television in the 40s, American homes filled with family television sets.  Thenetworks airing their programs needed advertisers to fund their stations.  After seeing the cerealindustry, such as Trix Rabbit and Captain Crunch bolster sales, other industries beganresearching and developing cartoon advertisements.  The medium is memorable.  The productand brand become “interesting, recognizable, and relatable to people of all ages” (Media: ThingsWe Like).In the 1920s, cartoon figures first appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios' ​SteamboatWillie​.  This production was a form of advertisement previewing before a live-action film in thetheater.  It aimed to sell Walt Disney’s sound cartoons.  This sparked the ascendance of WaltDisney’s animation empire creating a ripple effect on the entertainment industry.  Seeing thesuccess of animated films, such as ​The Little Mermaid ​and ​Who Framed Roger Rabbit​,companies began investing in animation for advertisements.In today’s entertainment industry, advertisers air animated spokespeople hourly.“Well-known characters like the Pillsbury Doughboy and Starkist Charlie the Tuna have beenappearing in ads for decades” (Foltz).  They reflect the growing popularity of animation.  It is “a

Scott 2way to stand out from the glut of commercials using celebrity endorsers,” said Foltz.  Forexample, Pepsi and Coca-Cola use a combined total of 15 celebrities according to Foltz.  Thesecelebrities come with risks.  There is always a chance of scandal and the brand's desire todistance themselves from it.  To combat this, marketers actively seek out the rights to popularanimated characters.  For example, “commercials for McDonald’s and Pampers used MickeyMouse and other Walt Disney cartoon characters” (Foltz).  According to David Vadehra,president of Video Storyboard Tests, an advertising research company, in a yearlong studyinvolving 24,000 participants, “commercials with animated characters made a strong showing forthe first time among the top 25 commercials that those polled said were their favorites of theyear” (Foltz).  The statistics support a growing support and favorability towards animatedadvertisements.  When it comes to raising awareness, animation offers advertisers the ability to presentabstract ideas while holding the viewer’s attention.  It builds awareness and attention.  Often theconsumer gravitates towards the first brand they are introduced to.  Animated advertisementsgrab the attention of children.  Being the first product these children are exposed to helpsadvertisers establish brand loyalty at a young age.  In 1983, Alan Bush reported, “16 percent ofchildren’s advertisements were fully animated and 26 percent included a mixture of animationand live action” (Bush 21).  Animation reaches a young audience.  Kraft General Foods launcheda Jell-O campaign ad targeting children.  “Animation embodies the innocence and fun that are somuch a part of their world” (Foltz).  The coming years will determine if these statistics increaseand if they parallel animated commercials for adult television as well.