In Japan, Putting Ads in 'Context' TV Program Includes Spots That Mingle Plot, Pitches
In Bid to Retain Viewers
TOKYO -- In Japan, taking a break during a TV commercial is getting more complicated for some viewers.
Hakuhodo DY Holdings, Japan's second-largest advertising agency by revenue, and Yomiuri Telecasting, one of the country's four big TV networks, have recently launched a round of TV ads that are virtually indistinguishable from the actual show. The "context linked" commercials star the program's actors and reveal important parts of the plot. So if viewers miss the ads, they will be lost during the show. It is as if a hit show in the U.S., like "Grey's Anatomy," went to a commercial break with an ad featuring the medical drama's doctors discussing a patient from that night's episode while recommending a beer.
Context-linked ads are the latest innovation designed to intertwine commercials and content, and another demonstration of the world-wide flux in television commercials. With advertisers putting more money into the Internet, cellphones and other nontraditional outlets, TV networks are looking for ways to keep advertisers. Total advertising expenditures in Japan rose last year for the second consecutive year, while spending on TV ads was virtually flat, according to Dentsu, Japan's biggest ad agency.
Japanese networks, like those in the U.S., are also looking for ways to keep viewers watching through commercial breaks, an increasingly difficult challenge, given the rising popularity of digital-video recorders that allow viewers to fast-forward through ad breaks. Japanese agencies have come up with "dramercials" that stretch a separate, linked narrative over several ad spots. Then there are "promercials" that mix a hot new band's promotional video with a commercial and can serve either as content for music shows or as ads during other programs. While some of these ideas have been tried in the U.S., as well, advertisers and TV networks in the U.S. have so far put more emphasis on product placement -- writing products into the story line of shows. Some products, such as cars, will be featured in a show and in an ad surrounding a show.
Context-linked ads for Toyota and Suntory were paired with product placements in the show "37 Degrees."
Hakuhodo's context-linked ads go even further. The ad firm tested the concept this summer during a show called "37 Degrees," about the love lives of three young couples. The ads, for Toyota Motor and Suntory, were paired with product placements in the story line. For example, in one scene, a woman sits in a cafe longing for a family. Then she notices a mother taking her kids out of the back of a Toyota Sienta minivan -- a scene that lasts for a minute or so, giving viewers a clear view of the car's spacious interior. The woman imagines herself becoming the mother and enjoying the Sienta with the kids. Cue the commercial, where the same character later goes home to research "happiness, marriage, minivan" on the Internet, a search that leads her to Toyota's Web site.
In a subsequent scene, one of the characters sits in her favorite bar venting to the bartender about her relationship problems. The bartender offers her a glass of Suntory's single-malt whiskey. He compares life to Suntory. A tiny, unobtrusive, Suntory logo in the bottom-left-hand corner of the screen is the only sign that the scene is a commercial.
The show aired with the built-in commercials in the area around Osaka in western Japan and in the area around Kumamoto, farther west, as an ordinary show with regular ads. A survey revealed that viewership increased by 3% during the context-linked ads, though it usually slips during regular commercial breaks. Hakuhodo calls the small increase "revolutionary."
Reaction from the advertisers was positive. By talking naturally with the character about what single-malt whisky is, the bartender in "37 Degrees" "provides information of single-malt whiskey to the level that a regular commercial cannot," says Naoko Tsuda, spokeswoman for Suntory. Toyota says it plans to participate in more such ads.
The context-linked commercials cost at least 10% more than the typical ad, according to a person familiar with the ads. Despite the higher cost, Hakuhodo says other major sponsors have asked to be part of the next show that airs context-linked commercials. That show is still in development but should air by February.
"We're trying to widen the menu of TV ads we can offer to sponsors," says Masahiko Asakura, a supervisor in Hakuhodo's TV division.
This type of campaign has its limitations. There is always a chance that viewers will feel taken advantage of or will just tune out if they feel they are being sold something rather than entertained. "These types of ads will only work if the message adds to the show and is enjoyable," says John Dooner, chairman of Interpublic Group's McCann Worldgroup in New York. "If it's intrusive, you'll get a negative reaction."
Indeed, Jun Hirayama, an assistant manager in Toyota's advertising and marketing department, says that despite the company's plans for more context-linked ads, he isn't sure how often or how broadly Toyota will use this type of campaign. "There's still a fear that we'll leave viewers and potential customers feeling betrayed," Mr. Hirayama says.
“剧情广告”走红日本
在日本，在电视广告时间上卫生间可能很快就要成为过去了。
日本收入位居第二的广告公司Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.和日本四大电视网络之一的Yomiuri Telecasting Corp.最近推出了一种同实际电视剧几乎融为一体的电视广告。这种所谓的“剧情广告”由节目中的演员出演，会揭示电视剧情节中的重要内容。因此如果观众错过了这些广告，他们很可能会难以理解剧情。
剧情广告是最新的一种创新形式，旨在将广告同节目内容交织在一起，这也从一个侧面反映了全球电视广告的变迁。随着广告客户将更多资金投入互联网、手机和其他非传统广告载体，电视网络也在寻找留住广告客户的途径。根据日本最大的广告公司日本电通(Dentsu Inc.)的数据，去年日本的总广告支出连续第二年上升，但在电视广告上的支出却基本持平。
同美国一样，日本的电视网也在想方设法让观众观看其广告内容，不过由于数字录像机越来越普及，可以让观众在出现广告时快进，要做到这点越来越困难。日本广告公司曾推出了“情景广告”，将一个单独的叙述拓展为几个广告情节。后来又涌现了“推广广告”，将一个新乐队的推广视频同广告结合到一起，既可以作为音乐电视的内容，又可以作为其它节目的广告。一些节目，尤其是体育节目，适合采用“虚拟广告”，即采用电脑合成的物体，比如三维的赛车图像会出现在屏幕上。尽管其中一些创意也曾在美国尝试过，但美国的广告客户和电视台到目前为止还是更关注植入式广告，即让产品成为电视节目的一部分。一些产品，如轿车等，就可以植入到节目中，或围绕节目的广告中。
Hakuhodo的剧情广告则更进了一步。该广告公司今年夏季在一部叫做《37度》(37 Degrees)的电视剧中测试了这个概念。这部电视剧讲述了三对年轻人的爱情生活。为丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Corp.)和Suntory设计的广告在剧情中同植入式广告穿插使用。比如，其中一幕是，一位女性坐在咖啡厅中向往结婚成家。然后她注视着一位母亲将孩子们从一辆丰田Sienta微型客车的后门抱出──这一幕持续了一分钟左右，使观众能够清楚看到Sienta宽敞的内部空间。这位女性幻想着自己也能成为一位母亲，同孩子们享受Sienta。同广告有关的还有，当这位角色后来回到家里到互联网上研究“幸福、婚姻、微型客车”时，搜索结果将她带到了丰田汽车的网站。
在后来的一幕中，其中一位角色坐在她喜爱的酒吧中向一位侍者倾诉她的感情问题。侍者给了她一杯Suntory单蒸威士忌。他将生活比作Suntory。在屏幕左下角出现了一个不明显的Suntory的小标记，这是表明这一幕是广告的唯一标志。
这部带有内植广告的电视剧在日本西部的大阪和更西部的熊本地区同带有常规广告的普通电视剧同时播出。调查显示，在剧情广告播出期间，观众人数增长了3%，而在常规广告期间，观众人数通常会下降。Hakuhodo称这一小幅的增长是革命性的。
来自广告客户的反应也是积极的。Suntory的发言人Naoko Tsuda说，通过不露痕迹地谈论单蒸威士忌的特性，《37度》中的侍者提供了常规电视广告无法达到的单蒸威士忌的信息。丰田汽车表示，计划参加更多的此类广告。
据知情人士透露，剧情广告的成本至少比普通广告高出10%。尽管成本更高，但Hakuhodo表示，其它一些大赞助商已经要求参与到下一部剧情广告电视剧中。这部电视剧仍在制作过程中，预计将在明年2月份播出。
这种广告形式也有其局限性。如果观众感到他们不是在娱乐，而是在被推销某种商品，他们就可能认为被利用了，或是干脆换台。
的确，丰田汽车广告和营销部门的经理助理Jun Hirayama就表示，尽管公司计划参与更多的剧情广告，他无法确定丰田汽车会在多大范围内，或使用多少这类广告形式。Hirayama说，我们仍担心会让观众和潜在客户感到他们被利用了。
Amy Chozick
