Radio break down: what’s wrong with your ads?
The most awarded radio creative in the world Ralph van Dijk listened to a real ad break on Nova – here’s what he thought.
With Cannes behind us for another year, it’s time we all had a reality check.
What I’m about to ask may seem a little radical, yet it’s something 18m Australian non media-types do each week.
I’d like you to listen to an adbreak.
Remember them? It’s where all the real ads for our real clients that spend real media dollars end up.
This adbreak was taken from a Sydney radio station, but it’s comparable to the quality of work you’ll see in a TV break. Too much information, clichéd voice-overs that make big brands sound small and desperate, and most ads lack anything resembling a concept let alone a big idea.
Annoyingly, especially for someone who has spent his working life trying to raise the bar in radio creativity, they’ll still work. To an extent. Listeners hear every ad, so the brands in this break will generate a short-term effect from the exposure alone. Just as a 30 second pack shot will have some limited success on TV.
But with just a little more investment, expertise and understanding of how listeners listen, each advertiser in this break could have also generated a long-term brand response, without spending a cent more on media.
There are so many shiny new audio platforms available, yet the number of listeners tuning into radio has not only held but is increasing in some demographics. They are listening for shorter periods though, so rather than relying on repetition, it’s never been more important for your ad to pack a creative punch and be memorable after one listen.
Radio works, but only as well as your creative allows it to.
And now to that adbreak. If you’re an advertiser, I hope this encourages you to demand more from those making your radio ads, or find someone who’ll do a better job. If you’re a creative you’ll hear just how much clutter your ad needs to cut through, and start defending your ideas more vehemently. If you’re a planner, media buyer or radio sales exec, you’ll be reminded that you’re not selling space; you’re selling communication. And that means taking more ownership of the message.
Hit play and continue reading (after all radio specialises in giving us something to do while we’re doing something else). I’ve tried to be constructive and improve what’s there rather than reinvent. It wasn’t always easy.
Ad 1. Volvo … something … something
Driveways, parenting, XE 60, rear cameras and a finance offer. Oh and a website. Zero to six separate messages in 10 seconds. If you have more than one message, make more than one ad. This could be one of them.
SFX Kids playing
“The Volvo XE60 is one of the safest cars on the road. Now with a rear-parking camera as standard, it’s the safest car on your driveway too. For a great finance offer, go to volvocars.com.au and never look back.”
Ad 2. Tough Mudder
Fans will already be well aware of this event, so this ad needs to intrigue and challenge potential first time competitors.
However this bland shopping list with a cliché voice will do neither. The appeal of the event is the imaginative and extreme challenges. So why not record the same script while doing one of the challenges.
Live Read: Bunnings Warehouse
Live reads come at a premium. But there’s no value in using a personality unless you actually use their personality.
Simplify the message to promote just the DIY and kids’ craft workshops and get Fitzy to ask Wippa what was the first thing they ever built as a kid. They’ll take off from there.
Ad 3. Coles
The Coles woman always sounds a little unhinged but at least her voice is distinctive.
Good cameo from Curtis but the autumn fruits message is lost. Stop penny pinching and buy a 30 seconder.
Ad 4. MYOB
Finally an ad that takes its time, intrigues and communicates one single-minded message. The writer understands radio and that’s why this ad stands out in the break.
The background scene is unclear but they get away with it – just.
A case of crouching Tiger hidden offer with way too much information packed into a 15 seconder. A simpler message would pack so much more punch.
E.G:
SFX: Tranquil setting: “For the next four hours, TigerAir.com are selling 1,000 seats to great holiday destinations for just $10. Go on, hurry up and relax! TigerAir.com.”
“Ever started an ad with a complicated question?” Well don’t, because nobody cares enough about your product to answer it.
An intriguing intro will at least draw them in. Maybe a two hander where one person does the message and the other reacts in number plate sentences. E.G “2-EZ!”, 0-IC!” “0-So-6E!”
Ad 7. Renault:
“Nothing to say? THEN JUST TALK LOUDER!!”
Car dealers have to work hard to differentiate themselves. Find something unique and hang your brand’s hat on it.
In this case they could play on the fact that an Italian sounding dealership is selling French cars. Maybe the Godfather is in town next week, so they need to get rid of the French stock quick.
And now, back to the music.
- Ralph van Dijk is the founder of Eardrum
Great Insights
David Coney
Brand Response
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Talk to clients not creatives. Otherwise you are wasting your time.
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The most awarded radio creative in the world? He’s not even the most awarded radio creative in Sydney. John & Kev would certainly knock that one on the head.
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Radio is an excellent place to advertise, it has so much more going for it than many people realise.
Radio is generally abused in Australia, it is used simply as an audio bill board, with too much blab, and not nearly enough creative content. There is a strange corporate idea that the entire air time should be taken up with constant blab, or you are not getting your money’s worth. Sound is better than pictures, simply because it doesn’t demand your visual attention, it is directed to the brain and then immediately to the imagination, which continues to engender images, long after the event.
Radio is a specialist skill, and it seems that either not enough people have the gift, or the gifted are being overlooked.
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Many podcasts are now leading the way in this space, engaging audiences through unique and interesting story telling based creative versus a blast of messages.
Take a listen to Reply All or Startup from Gimlet media for some strong examples of conveying client messages differently.
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As someone that works in commercial radio, can I ask how you get people to listen to five minute ad breaks? When I’m in a taxi, 90 percent of the time, the driver flicks a button on the steering wheel and switches to another station while the ads are on.
I’m fascinated with all the distractions like social media etc, as how we get people to stay tuned during the breaks, let alone concentrate and listen to them?
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@Geoff Field.
You could ask that question even if you were someone who doesn’t work in commercial radio.
The answer probably lies in making the five min ad break interesting, even a simple hook would set it in the right direction. There is nothing to be one about ad hating taxi drivers, but even these guys can be persuaded to listen to interesting content.
In a country where footy colours sell like hot cakes, there is a notion that everyone will be happy with an appropriately emblazoned stubby holder or a beanie, but there is much more to life than footy. and when it comes to radio ads, the clients idea of a joke, or of a good script, is usually one which features his/her specific reference, just avoids the golden superlative, and mentions the product several times in 30seconds.
Get above “rapp” and start to tell stories, produce mini dramas, songs and catch phrases. Be as creative as your imagination will allow, because you must sound out images.
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