60 Seconds Is an Eternity to Texters

The old-style, hard-sell 60-second TV commercial just doesn't have the same effect on young audiences. Unlike generations born before MTV, the Millennials often prefer new ways of accessing traditional media...and are heavy users of social media and SMS texting to stay in touch.

One-minute ads, infomercials, and magazine advertorials are so old media. These days, smart-phone and tablet computer devotees have the option of dispensing with words and simply scanning QR codes to get info on the fly.

To today's audience accustomed to the limits of 140 or 160 characters, in other words, 60 seconds can seem an eternity. No wonder marketers are telling a story or crafting a work of art in 60 seconds, to retain the attention of Millennials about as long as a fast-moving movie trailer. 

Levi Strauss is using a 60-second "film" (yes, it's an ad) to showcase its "Go Forth" legacy theme (see below). Coca-Cola and other well-known brands also emphasize entertainment to hold the audience for a minute before they click to another station or tune out the commercial entirely as they run their thumbs over the phone's keypad.



So do 60-second TV commercials have a future? Stay tuned.