Let's Do It Live

MARKETERS CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER BY CREATING ADS ON THE SPOT.

- T.L. Stanley

Twentieth Century Fox staged an elaborate live song-and-dance number on the Fox network to promote its movie musical, The Greatest Showman, and Kraft used real-time elements to create its recent family-centric Super Bowl spot. During Hollywood’s glitziest night—the Academy Awards on Sunday—Samsung rubbed shoulders during the live telecast with A-list stars like Meryl, Denzel and Jimmy, showing off its Galaxy S9’s new photo and video features in the world’s most camera-ready context.

These come on the heels of a two-and-a-half-minute live ad for MassMutual during CNN’s New Year’s Eve countdown and last year’s live Snickers and Hyundai commercials during the NFL’s biggest showcase.

To brands, live ads can be the ultimate clutter busters, earning bonus points for calculated risk and spontaneity. To networks struggling with cord cutting, they’re a solid way to snag media money and spice up the on-air environment.

And like other experimental ad formats, such as the Vine-like six-second spots and split-screen ads, they’re gaining traction as a viable way to speak to consumers on linear TV, especially during marquee programming.