It could be my damned remarkable (nearly Kryptonian, I daresay) powers of observation, or else there's a blatantly obvious problem with advertising on TV lately.
During the first run of a new TV episode, everything is usually fine... But during the re-runs, the commercials are overlapping.
The initial run of the episode will have for example, a McDonald's ad, a Budweiser ad, and a Doritos ad. Then on its subsequent repeats, the commercials change - Now it's a Local Mattress Store ad, a Home Refinance ad, and a Weed-Be-Gone ad.
The new ads don't replace the old ones, they're just overlapping them. So at the end of the Mattress Store ad, we see a quick snippet of someone eating a Big Mac and french fries, and we are reminded that they are Lovin It.
This is sloppy editing on the part of the studio techs. If all they have time for is a quick overlay of new ads, what they need to do is replace the original ads with black screen and blank audio. They know exactly how long the commercial break is, this step could even be automated and performed by a computer.
The quick snippets of the original commercials that we're seeing basically amount to subliminal messages - which is most likely illegal. Also, the snippets are getting free air time, which I'm surely must be annoying someone at the IRS or FCC.
Is this happening just in my area, or are you guys seeing this too?
During the first run of a new TV episode, everything is usually fine... But during the re-runs, the commercials are overlapping.
The initial run of the episode will have for example, a McDonald's ad, a Budweiser ad, and a Doritos ad. Then on its subsequent repeats, the commercials change - Now it's a Local Mattress Store ad, a Home Refinance ad, and a Weed-Be-Gone ad.
The new ads don't replace the old ones, they're just overlapping them. So at the end of the Mattress Store ad, we see a quick snippet of someone eating a Big Mac and french fries, and we are reminded that they are Lovin It.
This is sloppy editing on the part of the studio techs. If all they have time for is a quick overlay of new ads, what they need to do is replace the original ads with black screen and blank audio. They know exactly how long the commercial break is, this step could even be automated and performed by a computer.
The quick snippets of the original commercials that we're seeing basically amount to subliminal messages - which is most likely illegal. Also, the snippets are getting free air time, which I'm surely must be annoying someone at the IRS or FCC.
Is this happening just in my area, or are you guys seeing this too?
Wow, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen that. But I have a TiVo so I just quick FFDW through such pedestrian marketing techniques.
ReplyDeleteAnd by FFDW I of course mean FFWD, not "Fast Fordwar".
ReplyDeleteI noticed it, but never really considered the possible reasons behind it. The free blips of advertising must make the businesses happy tho.
ReplyDeleteIt happens all the time here, but changing the ads is a lot more difficult than you think. If a live TV show goes 5 seconds over, it would completely screw everything up.
ReplyDeleteYou have a set amount of time for ads, and an 'irregular' amount of ad time. You have to make the 'best fit'. It's easier to leave in a second or so of another ad, than pay someone to make sure they run perfectly.
PS Kato. Isn't Fast FordWar the new MMORPG being paid for by Ford Motors? When you get to level 40, you can fit a larger bed on your sweet Pickup.