Can a TV ad be too creative?

While it can be tempting to produce a highly creative campaign, please keep in mind that if the audience doesn’t understand it, it is a very expensive waste.

Television has been around for decades. Likewise, TV commercials have been around vying for Americans’ attention. With that competitive spirit, sometimes the message gets lost in the shuffle of glossy creativity or just the congestion of other ads, and that leaves consumers confused.

According to MediaPost, Adweek and the Harris Poll worked together questioning TV advertising comprehension. Results showed that roughly 75% of Americans found at some point a commercial perplexing. More specifically, 21% of those polled felt that ads regularly lack clearness. In contrast, 55% say that he/she is not typically puzzled, and 14% never is confused with ads.

The poll also found that the percentage of confusion differentiated among age groups. In fact, about 30% of TV viewers that are 55 years old or older found commercials unclear. One can assume that the younger the audience, the higher the comprehension; the age bracket that had the best grasp, with 13% admitting misunderstanding, were people between the ages of 35 to 44.

While it can be tempting to produce a highly creative campaign, keep in mind that if the audience doesn’t understand it, it is a very expensive waste. The message must be clear to be effective. Just remember, clear messaging is not a synonym for boring.

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