Advertising Question of the Week - What’s the Deal with 6-Second Ads?

For decades, brands have worked to tell their story in 30-second or 15-second ads. And while the creators of such ads found this challenging, those that embraced it were able to do so with success. 

But 6 seconds? Seriously?

You better believe it.

The 6-Second Ad Is Here

In fact, it’s been here for half a decade.

In 2013, Dunkin’ Donuts created some sugar-glazed buzz when it used a 6-second video for a Monday Night Football spot on ESPN. It wasn’t long before this extremely short form advertising was referred to as “snackable content.” Particularly apropos in the case of Dunkin’ Donuts. (“Donut hole content” was bantered about, but it wasn’t as catchy. No, not really.)

Still, the talk around the 6-second ad died down for a while. And back in 2013, the 30-second ad would continue to rule the roost - where it would hold court for a few more years. 

By 2014, only 29% of ads were of the 15-second variety. But by 2017, that number had climbed to 36%. As the long-winded and tired old 30-second ad is slowly passing the torch to the 15-second ad, that little whipper-snapper 6-second ad is coming up fast on its tail.  

Why the trend toward shorter formats? Well, in case you haven’t heard, science (an others) say that attention spans are waning. There seems always to be something oh-so-shiny just around the corner to vie for our attention. 

This is particularly true of the millennials.

A new study by comScore revealed that millennials lose interest in online ads that run any longer than 5 to 6 seconds. And since they’re a major marketing target, this make conditions rife for the further - and faster - evolution of the 6-second ad. They’re only expected to get bigger, bolder and better in 2018. Just not longer.

Here’s the thing:

When Done Well, 6-Second Ads Drive the Point Home 

Sound ridiculous? Click here to see what we mean. 

In fact, if you went to the above link and watched those ads, you might have noticed that YouTube has a whole slew of them - some of which you may have inadvertently viewed while waiting for the “Otter eats Doritos” video that took you there in the first place.

One talented creator of a 6-second ad is Maud Deitch, who works in Instagram’s creative department. Her incredibly powerful 6 seconds on the effects of global warming received honors at an event that recognizes great 6-second ads. 

“You can really get to a level of poignance and a level of human connection that you cannot get to even in a 15-second spot,” she says. “It’s because you sort of have to understand your subject matter, your medium, your production tools so much more intimately in order to make use of six seconds in an effective way. I think it’s one of the most important ad formats—if not the most important ad format—that we are going to see more of.”

And others agree. 

Creative folks originally thought the time constraint would not be enough to convey an emotional story. But it didn’t take long to recognize one important point:

You Don’t Need An Entire Story to Evoke Emotion 

And honestly, consumers these days don’t want the whole advertising story. That’s why they record shows so they can fast-forward through those longer ads. And if they’re not doing that, they’re looking at their phones during the commercials. Or changing the channel.

Those longer ads are causing commercial viewership and retention to take a hit. So the future of advertising - both online and on TV - relies not just on these 6-second ads, but on these ads being well-executed. 

Yeah, they may be short. But they’ve definitely got something to say.

The Art of Marketing to Millennials

Ah, the millennials.  

That largest generational group in the United States. Those wacky digital natives. 

And it’s precisely that digital nativity that has rendered them a new breed of technical literati. This makes them a unique group when it comes to effective marketing efforts. Why?

In the simplest of terms:

Social Media Is the Millennial’s Lifeblood 

Therefore, it is the heartbeat of marketing to them. BUT, it’s not enough to be present. You can’t simply slap something onto Facebook or Instagram and call it a day. Millennials have different needs. They only want to associate a brand that’s as confident and rooted in its values as they are. 

So how do you go about marketing to millennials? Start with these five basic mindsets:

1. Exchange Outbound for Inbound Marketing

In other words, ditch the old-school magazine ads, direct mail campaigns and radio spots. Millennials see these as impersonal, devoid of substance and all about the bottom line. With a deep sigh and gallant roll of the eyes, they simply dismiss them. If they even notice them at all.

What they will notice is a company or business that’s dedicated to improving the lives of their customers. And how does one convey this? By more than simply listing products and services.   

Millennials want informative content. They want blog posts, videos, how-to information, even e-books and white papers. THAT’S substance.

Which brings us to mindset #2.

2. Content Is Key 

But not just any content. 

Forget about trying to grab their attention with viral videos of

bathing rodents or frat parties gone wrong (i.e. most of them). They’re not 3-year-olds. They want authentic content. Trustworthy content. Blog posts and videos that speak to them. They also favor relevant and authentic opinions from real users. 

Millennials’ buying behaviors and attitudes are largely inspired by people they know in person or online. Not hugely different from the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality that has driven the baby boomers and Gen Xers. 

But where millennials differ is in their being inspired by strangers who share their interests on social networks. They carry these “influencers” with them on their smartphones everywhere they go.

In fact, over 80% of millennials say user-generated content has at least some influence on what they buy, while over 70% say it’s important to read the opinions of others before making a purchase. 

So take the necessary time to spruce up your content. After all, it’s what they’re going to be tweeting, snapping, sharing, liking, pinning, forwarding, commenting on or whatever new social media verb was birthed an hour ago. 

3. Speak The Language of Millennials

While creating content, remember that millennials are very much about solving problems - problems created by those generations before them. 

Do the research. See what’s making millennials tick. Or whatever the digital version of “ticking” is. But be cautious about getting too political or too opinionated. You want to draw them in and spark their interest - not scare them away with scary rants.

4. Invest in Multiple Platforms

Multitasking is a way of life for millennials.  

They’re scrolling and opening tabs and switching from one window to the next. They’re also switching between devices  - going from tablets to phones to smart TVs and then back again. 

With millennials being synced across so many devices, it’s nearly impossible to get their undivided attention. But with social media as tool, this can work to the benefit of strategic ad campaigns. 

If you divide your brand’s ad investment into multiple platforms, you’re going to have some serious reach across many channels. Plus, you have the advantage of posting in real-time. So let’s say, for example, you create some ad content that’s relevant to a popular TV show. You can leverage it by promoting it in real-time across ALL of those social channels to target that specific audience during the broadcast.

Not too shabby.

5. Offer An Experience

Unlike their crankier and more independent Xer predecessors, millennials embrace the collective experience. They love being part of something. In fact, they like it so much that FOMO (fear of missing out) was born.

That being said, Millennials are thrilled when a brand creates an experience for their audience. 

For example, when Budweiser got wind of the fact that nearly every Millennial had seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, they ran with it. Playing on the nostalgia of that movie, they created a challenge to find the “golden beer can.” Millennials would buy a case of beer, in hopes that they’d get that golden can and win a prize. But even if they didn’t, they still ended up with a case of beer. So it was a win either way. 

(Though some would argue that a case of Bud wasn’t nearly the “win” that a chocolate bar would have been. But you get the point.)

Give Millennials A Story, Not Spin

That’s essentially it.

Millennials are far more receptive to brand storytelling than they are to straightforward advertising. This is important to remember because  millennials tend to exhibit early adoption

tendencies and then remain loyal to brands they trust.

So rather than crafting ads they’re expected to witness, make them part of your brand’s conversation instead. Address them directly through social media to spark a connection. And take the time to win their trust. It’s a worthwhile venture. 

At least as much as searching for a golden can.