And Now A Word From Our Sponsor.

I want to talk to you for a minute about....radio commercials, although I suppose what I have to say applies to TV as well.

I have a question. Where's the creativity?

Programmers design formats to keep you from changing the station when commercials come on, because they are perceived as a 'tune out' factor.

I have witnessed many times listeners who can't change the station fast enough when commercials come on.

Maybe I'm being naive, but I believe that if the commercials were as entertaining as the music, there would be no channel flipping.

Let me cite a couple of examples. Here are a few commercials I think fit into the 'entertaining' category. As a side game, try and guess what the commercial is about, before the 'reveal'.

Click here for Spot Number 1.

Click here for Spot Number 2.

You really don't need a lot of sound effects or music to make a radio commercial entertaining.

Click here to hear a very funny spot about fireant killer. It's all in the writing and the voice!

Also....

Click here to listen to another voice-only commercial about a trivia game.

Stan Freberg is my guru when it comes to this subject. He started out as a satirist who eventually started his own ad agency who created an infamous commercial about radio, using sound effects to drain Lake Michigan and fill it with hot chocolate.

He also created some entertaining TV ads as well. For example:



He also wrote a book "It Only Hurts When I Laugh" that, among other things, talked about his work in advertising and includes a few script samples as well. The book is out of print, but you can find used copies around if you look hard enough.

OK I'm off the soapbox.

Think about it though....commercials as entertaining as the DJ's.

Radical.