Reinventing The TV Ad

“Marketers are worried about new technology that allows viewers to zap through commercials. So they are pushing reluctant networks to rethink the age-old format of the ad-break — known on Madison Avenue as a ‘pod.’ Among the options: special “pod-puncher” ads — blips as short as five seconds — strategically positioned at the end of a commercial break to get more attention from viewers. At the other extreme, marketers are working on ads lasting several minutes, as well as groups of ads that mirror a program’s theme.”