Filming and Camera Use

I have started taking shots using a camera to get myself familiar with the camera as in my AS production I was more involved in the editing process rather than the filming process. I practiced a few shots including close ups, long shots, medium shots, extreme close ups. As well as pan, tracking and zooms. To start off with I found it a bit hard to keep the camera steady however, as time went on I became more confident with the camera and I was able to hold the camera a lot more steady making the shots come out a lot more focussed and steady.
I now need to start filming my advert as I feel I am ready to do so and have planned exactly what needs to be filmed.

Props

I have gathered all the props that i will use in my advert. These include :
- Toys in the child's room to make it clear to the audience that it is a child's room
- Schoolbag

Planning of Advert - Filming

I have planned my filming schedule to take place on weekends as this is the best time to get the most amount of filming done as possible.

The lighting isn't really much of an issue as the majority of the advert will be filmed indoors so daylight wont be as much of an issue. The only part of my advert that will be affected by the daylight is the start of the advert which features the schoolgirl walking up to her house. However lighting still isn't much of an issue as it doesn't matter whether it is sunny or not as I had originally planned to use daylight at the start of my advert to show the contrast between the outside world and reality inside the home. Due to the recent weather which has been grey and gloomy, I could incorporate this into my advert by not using the idea of of portraying happiness at the start of my advert. I could just use the consistent theme of sadness throughout the advert so the audience know from the start what the overall atmosphere of the advert is going to be like. 

It all depends on the weather on the day I start filming, this is why I have this back up plan just in case I cant have my advert the way I originally planned for it to be. However, I can always change the brightness of the scenes in the editing process of my production. 

Sound/Music Research

Taken from : http://aaroncambelapa.blogspot.com/2011/01/codes-and-conventions.html


Sound/Music: Catchy Jingle (Annoying) The sound and the music are by far the most important ingredient in any media. Depending on what you are watching; for instance, if you were to watch an advert about child abuse you would quite often hear slow music so that the viewer would feel sympathetic towards it. As well like the go compare advert where they specifically chose a tune that people would find annoying because people tend to remember them more.


Child abuse adverts have slow paced music which sets a serious and depressing tone. I will have to find a piece of music that will fit the advert, timing wise as well as set the right atmosphere for the advert. 

Logo Research Continued

The idea of adding an image into my logo is something I have been thinking about. 
I have found this image of a baby's arm reaching out which I could incorporate into my logo.

The way that I could use this image is by making it black and white and it symbolises the help children need, that they are calling out o be helped.

Another idea that I have is to have an image of the sun coming out from the text of the logo. This is an image that I have found:

The way in which I would incorporate this into my logo is to use half of the sun and have it coming out from a corner behind the text. The reason for choosing an image of the sun is that it connotes happiness and brighter days. 

I have drawn up sketches of different logos to see what they would look like. The different logos that I have drawn up consist of a plain logo with just the text and the number of the call-line. The font that I have chosen to use is plain and will be the main text in my logo as it will be of the name of the organisation. I have decided to keep the theme of using a plain font in all of my logos as this is what is commonly used by the child abuse campaign logos I have researched and also to highlight that this is an issue that is to be taken seriously. Another sketch that I have drawn up is the same image as my first logo but with two arms coming out of either side of the name of the organisation. The reason as to why I had this idea was because it symbolises arms reaching out, seeking help. I like this idea as it fits into the overall message my advert is sending out, however, I need to find images of arms to use in my logo. The other sketch that I have drawn up is of the same logo but with a half-cut sun at the right corner of the text. The reason as to why I chose to use an image of a sun is because it symbolises happiness,hope and brighter days; a chance to be saved. 

(ADD SKETCHES OF LOGOS)

Another idea that I have in regards to the logo is to have the font of 'SaveAChild' to look as if it has been written by a child. The reason as to why i thought of this idea was because it would connect with children and show that this is an organisation which focuses on the needs of children and make it clear to the audience that this is a child based advert. I can also incorporate colours into the text to make it look bright and stand out as compared to my previous ideas of having it bold and black.

Camera use and editing

Camera angles and shots to use (editing and filming):

• shot reverse shot - used in conversations, shows facial expressions
• close up - e.g. head of character
• extreme close up - very close to object e.g. shot of an eye
• medium shot - e.g. half of body
• long shot - shows full length object and background
• extreme long shot - used to show scenery, location
• low angle - to make object look superior, powerful
• high angle - to make object look inferior
• pan
• tracking
• pivot
• zoom in/out
• continuity editing
• cheat cut
• cut
• fade
• soft focus                   

Logo Research

This is the NSPCC logo that they are identified by. 

This is the ChildLine logo :

This is the Barnardos logo :

This is the Unicef logo :

The similarities between these logos is that they are all very simple and have the companies name big, bold and clear making the main focus of the viewer on the logo. They also feature a call-line number in which people can call up. I feel I would have to incorporate this into my logo. They also use bright colours to catch the eye of their audience. Another common similarity that the logos have is that somme of them have slogans written in smaller text underneath them. This is common in the Barnardo's logo as their slogan is 'Believe in Children'. The NSPCC also have a slogan being 'Cruelty to children must stop. FULL STOP.'
I am contemplating on whether to feature a slogan in my logo or whether putting the call-line number underneath the companies name.


The name of my campaign is SaveAChild. I have decided to not have any spaces between the words. I would like to feature the call-line number at the bottom of the logo as this is also common in child abuse logos and I feel it is essential to include this into my logo as the main purpose of my advert is to raise awareness of child abuse and for the public to offer donations.


The common theme in the logos of child abuse campaigns is that the name of the campaign is in a larger font, as compared to the rest of the text, if ay, and is the main focus of the logo. I have found from my research that it is usually coloured in bright colours. The common font that is used in the name of the campaign is plain and bold, highlighting the fact that these are serious issues being raised and they need to be resolved, the simpler the text, the better. 


(COPY IMAGE OF LOGO)


I plan to make my logo look like this; it is simple ad follows the common theme of child abuse logos.
I am not too sure whether I am going to place and image next to the logo. I will have to research images that i could incorporate into my logo. Ideas of images that I could use are images of children, or even an image of a sun attached to the logo. This has connotations of happiness and brighter days which fits in with the campaigns name of saving a child. Another idea that i could use is of arms reaching out to save a child. The reason as to why I chose to use images of arms reaching out and of a sun is that they are simple and they will not take the main focus away from the text which is what I want the viewer to be focussed on. 

Storyboard

I have started drawing up my storyboard as i feel i have planned the main outline of the advert, which i will put up on another blog post once it is complete.
I found it fairly easy to create my storyboard  due to the fact that i had a lot of practice creating storyboards during my AS coursework so i knew what had to be included and roughly the length of time it would take in order to complete as well as what is needed in each shot in my storyboard. 

Planning of advert - child abuse

The location for my advert is going to be a house and most of the advert will be filmed in a small girls bedroom. The lighting that i will use throughout the advert will be daylight to begin with as the girl is walking down her road to her house so it will be bright and sunny connoting happiness and joy. It will then change to grey-scale as she enters her drive and walks up the her house. The theme of using grey-scale lighting will stay constant throughout the rest of the advert as it connotes sadness and darkness, the feeling of being alone and helpless. This can be achieved through the editing process.


The actual adverts' storyline will be of a school girl on her way home from school. She will start off as being shown to be happy without a care in the the world and as soon as she enters her driveway leading to her house, her mood will change and she will then be shown to look sad and worried. I will show her facial expressions by using close ups and mid shots with the camera, to show her behavior and body language.


As she enters her house, there will be non-diegetic sound of shouting from another room which wont be shown on screen. The significance of this is that violence is usually behind closed doors; this also adds emphasis on the segregation from the outside world and the household. The girl will then very quickly go upstairs straight to her room and sits in a corner. The door will be left open as there is further shouting being heard from downstairs. She will then get up and close the door following her running over to get her schoolbag which will be left on the floor as she tries to find a piece of paper which has a phone number on it with a child helpline. Through the use of non-diegetic sound again there will be footsteps coming up the stairs and i will use a series of reverse shots to show the girls facial expressions becoming more worried and of the door as the footsteps get increasingly louder until the door eventually opens.


The advert will end on a long shot of the girl in the corner of her room as the door is open and it will then fade to a black screen with text on it. The text will consist of the logo of the campaign and a number for people to call and talk to for help and advice. There will also be text showing the audience they can offer a donation to the organisation to help save a child. The reason as to why i have decided to put the logo of the campaign at the end of the advert is because this is what is common in most child abuse adverts so i will follow the trend.

Planning - Name of Organisation

I have decided to call the campaign that the advert is about Save A Child. The reason that i chose this was because it is very clear and to the point so the audience know what the organisation is about. By following the codes and conventions of domestic violence and child abuse adverts, i think it is necessary to incorporate a funding in which the the audience can give a donation to the company so i will have this at the end of the advert in text on a black screen with a voice over reading the text. I could put this on the same screen that the logo is shown in the advert.

Audience Research

Taken from :

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/statistics/prevalence_and_incidence_of_child_abuse_and_neglect_wda48740.html

•  Three-quarters (72%) of sexually abused children did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time. 27% told someone later. Around a third (31%) still had not told anyone about their experience(s) by early adulthood.
• In 2009/10, police in England and Wales recorded more than 23,000 sex offences against children.
• In 2010/11, ChildLine counsellors dealt with nearly 670,000 contacts from children about various problems including, bullying, sex abuse, violence and mental health issues.
• On average, every week in England and Wales at least one child is killed at the hands of another person.
• Children under one are the age group most at-risk of being killed at the hands of another person.
  
• In 2010/11, over 16,000 allegations of children suffering abuse were passed from the NSPCC Helpline to police or social services.
  
  
  Taken from :
  http://www.nspcc.org.uk/news-and-views/media-centre/key-information-for-journalists/facts-and-figures/Facts-and-figures_wda73664.html
  
  
  

  March 2011

  • Approximately 46,700 children in the UK are known to be at risk of abuse right now.
  • One in four young adults (25.3%) were severely maltreated during childhood.

  ---

  
  
  We do not know exactly how many children in the UK have been abused.
  
  
  The UK does not publish statistics on the number of substantiated child abuse cases recorded every year (this would be the incidence of child abuse).
  

  Official statistics

  The number of children on child protection registers or the subject of child protection plans tell us how many children are known to be at risk of abuse right now.
  
  
  This is not the same as knowing how many children have been abused.
  
  
  Research indicates that abuse and neglect are both under-reported and under-recorded.
  
  

  • Approximately 46,700 children in the UK are known to be at risk of abuse right now¹.
  • Latest available figures show that there were 46,705 children on child protection registers or the subject of child protection plans in the UK as at 31 March 2010:
    
    
    England: 39,100
    Northern Ireland: 2,357
    Scotland: 2,518
    Wales: 2,730
    
    
    
    

Planning - changing advert from domestic violence to child abuse

I made a decision to change from making a domestic violence advert to a child abuse advert. The reason why i chose to focus on a domestic violence/teenage relationship issues advert was because i thought i could relate to the issues being raised as i am within the same age group that they are meant to be targeted at. Also because i thought i could use my friends as the actors in my advert making it easy to film. The reason why i chose to change to making a child abuse advert instead of a domestic violence advert was because there were too many issues to focus on to base my advert on. By creating a child abuse advert the issues are fairly common - e.g. sexual abuse, physical violence etc. Also, the storyline of my advert that i have thought of would be easy to film as i have found a location that is perfect for it. 
I have decided to base my advert on physical and emotional abuse from parents being inflicted onto children. My advert will show the effects child abuse has on children and how they need help.
The actors being used in my advert are going to include my little cousin to play the role of the main character in my advert as well as someone to play the parent, however they will not be shown on screen they will only be heard in the background.

Ideas Continued

I have seen an advert on domestic violence from the USA and like the simplicity of the ad however it also has a powerful message. I am thinking to use the idea of simplicity in my advert however it will be hard to create an image that is powerful enough to portray the intended message. Most child abuse and domestic violence adverts that i have seen present facts through either using a voice over or in text on the screen and at the end show the call line number and company name and usually asking for a small donation. These are the conventions in most ads therefore i feel it is necessary to incorporate this into my advert.

Researching Adverts Continued

Another advert that i have seen and like is an advert by students who have created their own NSPCC advert for their media coursework and it features an animation made from a child's illustrations in a book being flicked over the pages therefore creating an animation. It shows images of a child being abused and how his dad hits him when he is drunk. I like the idea because it is different to all the other chid abuse adverts and could be an idea that i can use and adapt for my advert that i am going to create. The props used in the advert are crayons and a colouring book on a table to show that it is form a childs point of view.

Advert to Duplicate

To help me in my preparation in filming my own advert, my teacher gave me an idea to copy an existing advert before filming my own advert. This will help me understand the filming process and give a rough idea on the outline of my own advert and how long it will take to make. It will also help me in creating ideas to put into my final production.
An advert that i like and could copy is by Childline.
The ad follows a girl on her way home from school who races to her bedroom to call ChildLine, only to find there's no answer. The overall message of the ad is that ChildLine can only answer half of the calls they receive everyday.

Ideas

The main ideas that i have thought of to base my advert on are :
- child abuse; examples that can be used are the NSPCC and ChildLine
- domestic violence in relationships; an example of a campaign is Woman's Aid


The reason that i have chose to use either child abuse or domestic violence is that they can both be linked into my campaign of abuse.
One of the adverts that i have seen and like is the 'Children See, Children Do' advert made by the Child Friendly foundation due to the fact that i like eh message that is being put across in the advert; it is a very powerful message and sticks in the viewers minds.

Radio Advertising Research

WIKIPEDIA :

THE FIRST RADIO ADVERT :

The first radio broadcasts aired in the early 1900’s. However, it wasn’t until 1919 that radio stations began to broadcast continuously, similar to what we know today. In the United States, on November 2, 1920, KDKA aired the first commercial broadcast. As more stations began operating on a continuous basis, station owners were increasingly faced with the issue of how to maintain their stations financially, because operating a radio station was a significant expense.

In February 1922, AT&T announced they would begin selling “toll broadcasting” to advertisers, in which businesses would underwrite or finance a broadcast, in exchange for being mentioned on the radio. WEAF of New York is credited with airing the first paid radio commercial, on August 28, 1922, for the Queensboro Corporation, advertising an apartment complex. However, it appears other radio stations may actually have sold advertising before WEAF. As early as May 1920, an amateur radio broadcaster leased out his “station” in exchange for $35 per week for twice-weekly broadcasts. And, in Seattle, Washington, Remick’s Music Store purchased a large ad in the local newspaper advertising radio station KFC, in exchange for sponsorship of a weekly program, in March 1922. Additionally, on April 4, 1922, a car dealer, Alvin T. Fuller, purchased time on WGI of Medford Hillside, Massachusetts, in exchanges for mentions. So, although WEAF is credited with the first advertisement, it appears other radio stations ran advertisements prior to August 1922.

During radio’s Golden Age, advertisers sponsored entire programs, usually with some sort of message like “We thank our sponsors for making this program possible”, airing at the beginning or end of a program. While radio had the obvious limitation of being restricted to sound, as the industry developed, large stations began to experiment with different formats. The “visual” portion of the broadcast was supplied by the listener’s boundless imagination. Comedian and voice actor Stan Freberg demonstrated this point on his radio show in 1957, using sound effects to dramatize the towing of a 10-ton maraschino cherry by theRoyal Canadian Air Force, who dropped it onto a 700-ft. mountain of whipped cream floating in hot-chocolate filled Lake Michigan, to the cheering of 25,000 extras. The bit was later used by the USA's Radio Advertising Bureau to promote radio commercials.

The radio industry has changed significantly since that first broadcast in 1920, and radio is big business today. Although other media and new technologies now place more demands on consumer’s time, 95% of people still listen to the radio every week. Internet radio listening is also growing, with 13 percent of the U.S. population listening via this method. Although consumers have more choices today, 92 percent of listeners stay tuned in when commercials break into their programming.

FORMATS :

In terms of commercial content, some ads include a call to action, designed to elicit a response within a specified time period. A call-to-action allows an advertiser to measure and track listener’s response to their radio schedule. Examples of direct response advertising include asking listeners to call a certain business or phone number, log onto the business’ website or come by a certain location by a certain time. The more typical radio advertisement is the general ad that’s designed to let the listener know about a good, service, promotion or event.

EFFICACY :

More than eight out of ten Americans feel listening to commercials in exchange for free radio is a “fair deal”. Thus, radio advertising can be an effective, low-cost medium through which a business can reach their target consumer. Studies show that radio ads create emotional reactions in listeners. In turn, consumers perceive the ads as more relevant to them personally, which can lead to increased market awareness and sales for businesses running ad schedules. Twenty-five percent of listeners say they’re more interested in a product or business when they hear about it on their preferred station.

NSPCC Cartoon - Close Analysis

This is another example of a child abuse advert which uses the idea of having a cartoon representing the child in focus. This technique was designed to add comedy to the advert to get the audiences attention and also reach to children. However, as the advert develops, the seriousness of the issue raised becomes clear and the comical tone of the advert becomes more serious as the viewer realises that it is not meant to be funny as these are real life scenarios that happen on a day to day basis. At the end of the advert, the cartoon boy turns into a real boy and is left at the end of the stairs filmed from a high angle to show the weakness of the child and how vulnerable and helpless he actually is. The fact that his abuser is still at the top of the stairs and looking down at the child connotes that the has power over the child and the child is inferior to him. 

Taken from - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/jun/06/advertising.society

A gut-wrenching NSPCC commercial showing a cartoon boy being violently attacked by his father has escaped a TV ban despite receiving 127 complaints.

The independent television commission has decided not to uphold complaints, including 12 from victims of child abuse, which claimed the ad was upsetting, shocking and had "overstepped the mark".

In its latest quarterly report on TV advertising complaints, the ITC described the ad, made by Saatchi & Saatchi, as "extremely hard hitting".

In the film, a cartoon character bounces back from his father's attacks. But when he is thrown down the stairs, the body of a real boy lies in his place. The endline reads: "Real children don't bounce back."

But the ITC agreed with the NSPCC's defence that the imagery was "an effective means of communicating the seriousness of the issue and moving people to take action if they were concerned about a child".

Five viewers said the ad suggested only men abuse children and several other viewers said that, while raising awareness of child abuse was important, they felt the film's treatment of the issue had overstepped the mark.

Although it acknowleged the ad was more hard-hitting than any of the NSPCC's previous campaigns, the ITC acknowledged the charity had "taken a great deal of care" to minimise distress in its film, which was only shown after the 9pm watershed.

The NSPCC and the ITC sympathised with viewers who found the ad upsetting - particularly those with personal experience of abuse - but felt that it was justified.

Keira Knightley Domestic Violence Banned Advert - Close Analysis

This is an example of a domestic violence advert from the Woman's Aid campaign. The images shown were too graphic to be shown on TV so it was banned. The advert shows the life of a normal woman and how she is beaten by her partner when she gets home. From the start of the advert there are no signs of violence which are yet to be shown which creates suspense and shock amongst the audience. Midway through the advert as she pulls up to her house a siluet of  man standing in a window watching her is shot from a low angle to emphasise his power and strength over her. He looks like a dark mysterious figure, this adds a sense of fear amongst the viewer and we are then shown a close up of her facial expression which is shot from a high angle to reinforce the power he has over her, watching her. Broken glass and blood are shown in the flat indicating danger and the tone of the female protagonists voice changes to a more scared tone along with her facial expressions which show fear in her. Throughout the conversation between her and her partner, the camera is fixed behind the shoulder of the man focussing on the females facial expressions and reactions making her the focus of the advert. Towards the end of the advert, the camera tracks backwards showing that they are on a set that is empty. The lighting used is dark around the set making the focus on the woman being beaten. The fact that they are on a set means it is not real however the empty set denotes that they are alone and she cannot call for help. 

"Advertising censors have branded an anti-domestic violence advert starring Keira Knightley too shocking for TV, and are refusing to allow it to be broadcast unless key scenes are cut.

The gripping ad shows the actress returning home from a film set, where she is confronted by a violent boyfriend who accuses her of having an affair with a co-star, before launching into a vicious attack. The disturbing footage ends with Knightley left sprawled on the floor, being repeatedly kicked." - Taken from -

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/too-violent-knightley-advert-banned-from-tv-1674393.html


Taken from - http://news.softpedia.com/news/Keira-Knightley-s-Anti-Domestic-Violence-Ad-Banned-from-TV-110255.shtml


Directed by John Wright, the advert was something that Keira did voluntarily for the Women’s Aid organization, to raise awareness on the fact that as many as two women die every week from injuries sustained at the hands of their partners. Because of this, she too felt that the ad needed to be as close to real as possible, meaning, to show her lying on the floor, trying to protect herself from being kicked in the stomach by her onscreen boyfriend. 

As it happens, it was precisely this scene that bothered Ofcom, as well as the one in which the boyfriend slapped Keira so hard she hit the floor. What’s more disturbing, the media watchdog says, is that, as the camera pans out, the viewer has more than enough time to take the scene in – with Keira on the floor, being brutally kicked in the abdomen. Should Women’s Aid and the advertising agency Grey London agree to take out the most violent scenes, then perhaps the ad would stand a chance of getting air time on British television, it has been hinted. 

Nevertheless, that would mean compromising and not sending the message across, a spokesperson from Grey London Advertising Agency tells the aforementioned publication. The entire ad is about violence against women, and taking the violence out of it would make the entire campaign redundant. Moreover, the idea behind the campaign was to create controversy and, in this sense, it has more than done its job, especially now that the ad has been banned. 

“The reason we are still in conversation with Clearcast about it is because it is too violent. Part of the campaign is to raise awareness about domestic violence, and spark debate, which the advert has done, even if it doesn’t make it on television.” Chris Hirst, managing director of the agency behind “The Cut,” says. The ad continues to be available online, both on the official website of Women’s Aid and on countless other outlets.

NSPCC Child's Voice Appeal TV advert - Close Analysis

This is an example of a child abuse advert which i am going to use to research what to use in my advert. This advert is an example of child abuse produced by the NSPCC, a foundation which focuses of helping children at rick of child abuse. The message being put accross in the advert is that children go unheard and that they are too scared to speak out for help. This advert is targeted at adults, more specifically parents of children to raise awareness that their children may have issues which they are too scared to speak up about. The advert consists of shots of children on their own that have been abused and how they meet up with adults at the end but stay quiet. The overall message is that they are too afraid to ask for help so it informs parents or guardians to speak to their children as they are too afraid to make the first step themselves.

Television Commercials: Codes and Conventions

From : http://www.saskschools.ca/~ischool/media20/unit_4/tvcodes.htm


A.  Categories:
The basic categories of TV commercials are:

1. Mini-dramas:  In TV, this kind of commercial is a full-range 30-60 second drama that presents characters, conflict, and resolution at breakneck speed.  When done for national agencies, these commercials are at the very top of production lavishness and can be incredibly expensive.  The "ring around the collar" commercial is a good example of the compression of all the elements of drama into a short space.  The wife's peace is shattered by the embarrassment of being discovered with a husband suffering from "those dirty rings".  This develops characterization and conflict.  The wife is undecided.  She needs to find the right detergent.   At this point, the proper detergent is introduced.  The rings disappear in the resolution, and the husband and wife continue their trouble-free life.
2. Spokesperson Presentation:  This type of commercial often involves a celebrity using his or her actual identity, or it can be an implied identity, using someone who is recognizable as a character, but not necessarily himself.  The spokesperson needs to have an authoritative presence, and an honest, convincing delivery.
3. Pitch Presentation:  This type of commercial resembles the old days of television when the "pitchman" would deliver a message about a product.  The difference between a pitchman and a spokesperson is that the former is neither a celebrity or a known character.  The product is of prime importance and the pitchman simply supplies the information.
4. Voice-Over:  Many commercials use a voice-over.  The performer who reads the copy is not seen in a voice-over commercial.  Rather, the performer's voice is heard as a major component of the sound track.

B.  Length:
Originally commercials  were 60 seconds in length.   However, sponsors were using the commercials to tie-in products.  This means that they were actually advertising two or more products under the guise of one advert.  To eliminate this, ads were shortened. Most modern commercials are 30 seconds in length, but more recently the 15-second ad was developed.  When creating a commercial, the time element has to be exact.
The 15 has a format of its own.  The approach is minimalist:  uncluttered sets, few people, and a static camera technique.  The internal pacing of the 15 is slowed down from the 30.
C.  Compression of Story Line
D.  Brand/Product Identification:
The brand/product must be visible in the commercial.  Generally speaking the product is identified very early in the ad or at the very end of the ad as a surprise tactic.
D.  Techno-Effects:
camera angles, camera shots, music, audio, visual, voice-over, special effects
E.  Commercials as an Art Form:

So much creative process goes into the making, directing, and shooting of commercials that many people consider commercials as an art form.  Awards have been given to commercials for the following categories:

art direction music acting

story set design animation

costumes technical

choreography special effects

The above categories emphasize the many codes and conventions of advertisements, as well as, the decisions to be made about advertising constructions.
Once upon a time, television viewers zapped through commercials, but now, a whole new brand of television viewer exists.  Many people actually watch commercials for entertainment value. Whether it be the choreography, the special effects, the story line, or the humor, some viewers have become quite enchanted with commercials.    Some commercials have become so popular that certain lines have become a part of everyday vocabulary.  Some examples would include:  Wendy's, "Where's the beef", or Budweiser's "Wazzzup!". 

Research : The first TV advert

WIKIPEDIA:


The first television advertisement was broadcast in the United States on July 1, 1941. The watchmaker Bulova paid $9 for a placement on New York station WNBT before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The 20-second spot displayed a picture of a clock superimposed on a map of the United States, accompanied by the voice-over "America runs on Bulova time." The first TV ad broadcast in the UK was on ITV on 21 September 1955, advertising Gibbs SR toothpaste. The first TV Ad broadcast in the Philippines was on ABS-CBN in 1960, advertising Tide detergent powder. Until the early 1990s, advertising on television had only been affordable for large companies willing to make a significant investment, but the advent of desktop video allowed many small and local businesses to produce television ads for airing on local cable TV services.

From : http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/tv/adverts/commercials.htm

The first commercial shown on TV in Britain was for Gibbs S R Toothpaste and was transmitted at 8.12 pm on Sept 22 1955 during a variety show hosted by Jack Jackson.

Viewers saw a tube of toothpaste embedded in a block of ice and a woman called Meg Smith brushing her teeth in the approved manner, "up and down and round the gums". The immaculate tones of Alex Macintosh delivered the newly-minted slogan: "It's tingling fresh. It's fresh as ice. It's Gibbs SR toothpaste."

The commercial owed its prime placing to chance. The Gibbs advertisement had come first in a lottery drawn with 23 other advertisements, including those for Guinness, Surf, National Benzole, Brown & Polson Custard and Summer County Margarine.