How to Make TV Commercials that Sell: 16 Tips from David Ogilvy
October 2, 2020 Posted by Colin Young Marketing Advice 0 thoughts on “How to Make TV Commercials that Sell: 16 Tips from David Ogilvy”I used to see commercials and wonder, “What are they trying to sell me?” Or remember a funny scene from a commercial and ask, “”What company was that?”

As a copywriting intern at Copper Sun Creative, I have been studying the strategies behind making effective TV commercials. I have been reading books by the advertising greats, including My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins, as well as Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy. Both Ogilvy and Hopkins view advertising as a science and break down the strategies for how to effectively sell to consumers.
I can now watch commercials and know what strategies a company neglected to use that made the commercial forgettable and why a funny scene was fitting for a comedy skit but not for remembering the brand name. Or notice the techniques used that made a commercial effective and categorize what type of commercial it is.
Print this list and keep it handy
The list below of types of commercials and tips to create a commercial that sells is straight from David Ogilvy’s book Ogilvy on Advertising. Instead of trying to guess what was going through the minds of the advertisers, the next time you see a commercial that excites your interest in a product or a brand, print out this list and use it to analyze each and every aspect of the commercial. Keep it on your coffee table next to the stack of magazines or keep it in a google doc to bring up on your phone.
10 types of commercials that change people’s brand preferences
- Humor: Humor is acceptable in commercials..but “very few writers can write funny commercials which are funny. Unless you are one of the few, don’t try.”
- Slice of life: A semi-realistic scenario plays out where one person argues with another about the merits of a product and in the end, the doubter is converted. An example of this is Blue Buffalos’ dog food commercials.
- Testimonials: The most effective are when a loyal customer is using a product and doesn’t know they are being filmed and someone comes up and questions the product and they defend it with conviction. An alternative form of an effective testimonial is the Pepsi challenge.
- Demonstrations: These show how well your product works. This works better if you don’t mention competing brands.
- Problem/solution: You show the viewer a familiar problem and show how your product can solve it. Snickers uses this in its You’re Not You When You’re Hungry commercials.
- Talking heads: A pitch person telling of the virtues of a product. This is used by Old Spice in its The Man Your Man Could Smell Like commercials.
- Characters: A character is used to sell a product over a number of years, but the character must be relevant to the product. They become a living symbol of the product. Smokey Bear comes to mind.
- Reasons why: Commercials give a reason why the customer should buy the product.
- News: Old products can create news by advertising a new way to use it
Example: Using baking soda to make your refrigerator smell sweet.
- Emotion: Emotion can be just as effective as rational appeal especially when there is nothing unique to say about your product. You need to be able to justify emotional appeals.
16 tips for creating effective commercials
- Brand identification: Ways to get viewers to remember your brand not just your commercial.
- Use the name within the first 10 seconds.
- Play games with the name (example, spell it out).
- When you advertise a new product you have to teach people its name.
- Show the package
- Food in motion: Example: Milk pouring into cereal
- Close-ups: Good when the product is the hero of the commercial
- Open with fire: You only have 30 seconds so grab their attention in the first frame. When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.
- When you have nothing to say, sing it: Jingles can be successful but not at changing brand preferences
- Sound effects: Example: Sausages sizzling in a frying pan
- Voice over or on-camera?: Research shows it is more effective to have actors on camera
- Supers: it pays to reinforce your promise by setting it in type and superimposing it on your video
- Avoid using banality: If you want the viewer to pay attention, show them something they’ve never seen before
- Changes of scene: Using a lot of short scenes is not profitable
- Mnemonics: (a visual device repeated over a long period of time) — It can increase brand identification and remind people of your promise
- Show the product in use
- Anything is possible on TV: CGI and special effects can make anything possible
- Miscomprehension: many commercials are not understood, make them crystal clear
The great scandal: Commercials are very expensive — art directors make them very expensive by not going for cheaper alternatives

About the author
Colin Young is a copywriter at Copper Sun Creative. He specializes in writing advertising and branding content. When he is not blogging or working to complete his bachelor’s degree in Marketing he enjoys doing anything outdoors.


