It's a Jungle Out There.

*diaclaimer! Written as a Scholarship App*

The other day I was camped out on the couch, mindlessly watching commercials when I noticed something odd. A good chunk of the
commercials were not for products but for the station itself.

"Watch THIS show!" They screamed. "Coming up next!" They hollered.

*insert deep hoarse voice here* "And now....coming up....you won't want to miss the world-shattering event that will leave you STUNNED"

Give me a break. Most of the time these ads are more annoying than the actual commercials. What, did they think I was going to get bored and switch off the TV before my show was over?

For what reason are TV stations advertising for themselves? Is it because of the increased usage of DVR and Netflix that less people are buying the spots for ads? Is it because they hope to draw more people to their station for shows that are so enticing that people don't prerecord them?

Even with more and more people using DVR I don't think it will necessarily cut into TV advertising revenue; I do, however believe it will (or already has) change its nature.

TV advertisers are going to cater to the people who actually watch their shows. For instance, Life Alert isn't going to advertise during some risquè program, and 5 Hour Energy is probably going to stay away from traditionally "gram and gramps" shows (like, say, the Wheel of Fortune). That said, to some extent this smart advertising has always existed.

There is also a large group of viewers who do not have DVR, and even more who have it but prefer to watch live. I know from personal experience that I like to sit down and watch whatever's on TV, or if a show I like is coming up, I prefer to watch it right away and not record it. I can only assume that others feel the same way.

There are also shows that, while they can be recorded and played back later, the majority of the audience will want to watch live. These shows, such as season finales or sports games (most notably the Super Bowl) will probably have more advertisements. These type of shows also have noticeably better commercials because advertisers pay more money to have their spots. If only all shows had Super Bowl commercials.

Well...

I HAVE noticed that advertisers have started to get much more creative with their ads to draw viewers in. I've got my popcorn. Bring it on, commercials. Bring. It. On.