Over the years, television commercials became high quality mini-productions many viewers sit through between their favorite shows. These traditional advertisements, which run 15 to 30 seconds according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), eat part of a program's airtime. They're produced with scripts, familiar models and celebrities, and according to Ad Age, are becoming increasingly targeted rather than catering to everyone. Apart from pushing for a product with its constant airing and re-airing, a traditional television commercial can also be entertaining and sometimes tells a story or makes a song popular.
According to the Motley Fool, a multimedia financial-services company, many companies, particularly those involved with selling a consumer item, make use of product placement as its marketing tool. Automobile companies or food companies employ this method a lot, as seen in many television programs. Without even mentioning the item, scenes where the characters of the show are either driving a car or eating out of a cereal box have the company's very-visible logo on the product. The result can create a strong, identifiable image.
Companies pay TV productions to have their products incorporated and exposed in the scenes. Sometimes, even a tie-in product placement is involved to beef up marketing. Consumer groups like Commercial Alert, however, frown upon product placements because they believe that the practice is deceptive and influential for the wrong reasons.
Most commonly applicable to the government or its projects, a political advertisement may also be the method used by human interest groups, the academe, religious groups and even corporations, as a way to convince the audience or sway them into their own ideals, systems and beliefs. According to a research paper by Won Ho Chang and others, political ads come about when there are important issues to be decided upon by the general public.
This type of TV commercial runs almost as long as a TV show and is normally shown during off-hours, like at 3 a.m.. An infomercial is done to get an immediate and direct response from the viewer and, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), must clearly state that it is paid advertisement. The FTC also notes that infomercials are frequently produced with testimonies from scientific experts or well-known celebrities.