How to Create a TV Ad on a Budget
Time and time again, TV advertising has shown itself to be a powerful marketing tool, with advertising revenue in 2022 reaching £3.8 billion in the UK alone! If you’re considering different advertising channels for your company’s marketing strategy, creating a TV commercial can still be the right move, even if your company has a limited budget.
In this article, we’ll discuss all you need to know about TV advertising costs, the factors that generally affect those costs, the different kinds of TV ads that you can work with, and some of our insider tips for creating a great TV ad on a tight budget.
How Much Do TV Ads Cost in 2023?
Naturally, developing a TV commercial is the first step in airing a TV ad. The price of producing a television commercial can range from under £10,000 to over £250,000, not including advertising slot buys. It’s crucial that your TV ads be effective. Thus, many companies allocate around 15% of their total TV advertising budget towards paying for the creative while allocating the remaining 85% to the medium.
You can’t expect your TV ad buy to be effective without first engaging in some careful media planning. With the correct production crew and sufficient funding, you can make a high-quality, professional advertisement that accurately and effectively promotes your brand.
Factors that affect TV advertising costs…
However easy it could be for us to provide a budget to take as gospel, there are too many factors in the world of TV advertising that will affect your total budget. Here are some of the factors that will affect your TV advertising budget in terms of creative development:
- Length of ad
- Concept and creative
- Talent and casting
- Production values
- Visual effects
- Music and sound design
- Television ad clearance
Aside from the creative, your overall TV advertising budget can also be affected by the ad slot that you’re looking to purchase. These are some of the factors that can cause your budget to increase:
- Channel popularity
- Time of the year
- Day of the week
- Time of day
- Competition for time slot
Types of TV Ads (and Their Estimated Budgets)
Although there are plenty of types of TV advertisements, commercials can be split into three general categories. Let’s take a look at those different kinds of TV advertising and a rough estimate of the budget you can expect when utilising them:
Live-action TV commercials
A live-action TV advertisement is an ad that features actors and real-world locations and props to promote a product. Ads of this type frequently feature models or actors using the advertised goods or engaging in related activities. Live-action commercials can be as straightforward as product demonstrations or as complex and theatrical as full-length features. Some of the best TV ads in history are live-action, like the Cadbury Gorilla!
Estimated budget: £ 75K–100K+
Standard Creative Production includes:
- Response to brief presentation
- Scripts
- 2 rounds of illustrated storyboard
- 2 rounds of previs
- 2 rounds of rough cut
- Music research*
- Production management
- Compliance management
- Quality control of all outputs
Extras:
- 3–5 live action and/or CGI integration concept ideas
- Tissue session
- 2 rounds of edit
- 1 round of animatic
- 2 rounds of style frames
- Wider choice of voiceover artists
- Wider choice of music publishers
- Live action shoot up to £40k**
- 1hr voiceover record & 3hrs audio mix
- 1hr talent voiceover basic studio fee up to £350*
- 3hrs colour grading
- Delivery of 1 clock & social
Fully animated or CGI TV ads
One sort of commercial shown on television is a fully animated TV ad, which features animated characters and settings to market a brand’s goods or service. Ads of this type frequently employ animation or CGI methods to give life to a made-up setting or cast of characters that have some connection to the marketed goods. CGI commercials might use everything from straightforward 2D graphics to intricate 3D animations with cutting-edge visual effects. An example of a fully CGI ad is most of the Sky Broadband commercials!
Estimated budget: £35K–75K
Standard Creative Production includes:
- Response to brief presentation
- Scripts
- 2 rounds of illustrated storyboard
- 2 rounds of previs
- 2 rounds of rough cut
- Music research*
- Production management
- Compliance management
- Quality control of all outputs
Extras:
- 2 CGI concept ideas
- Sky Music SATV
- Professionally selected voiceover artists
- 1hr voiceover record & 2hrs audio mix
- 1hr talent voiceover basic studio fee up to £250*
- Delivery of 1 clock
Hybrid live-action and CGI ads
Advertisements on modern television often feature a mix of live-action and animation to attract viewers — these are typically referred to as “hybrid” ads. In order to create this style of advertisement, live-action material is combined with animated or CGI parts, or, in some cases, the live-action footage is animated to emphasise particular features. There’s a wide spectrum of hybrid advertising, from those with some animation to those with a lot of it, each with its own distinct visual style. Plenty of companies and brands utilise the hybrid advertising style because it allows them to think outside the box — such as Sky Bingo’s “Everyday Excitement” series, featuring the voice of Rylan Clark-Neal!
Estimated budget: £ 75K–100K+
Standard Creative Production includes:
- Response to brief presentation
- Scripts
- 2 rounds of illustrated storyboard
- 2 rounds of previs
- 2 rounds of rough cut
- Music research*
- Production management
- Compliance management
- Quality control of all outputs
Service Extras:
- 3–5 live action and/or CGI integration concept ideas
- Tissue session
- 2 rounds of edit
- 1 round of animatic
- 2 rounds of style frames
- Wider choice of voiceover artists
- Wider choice of music publishers
- Live action shoot up to £40k**
- 1hr voiceover record & 3hrs audio mix
- 1hr talent voiceover basic studio fee up to £350*
- 3hrs colour grading
- Delivery of 1 clock & social
What Expectations Should You Have When Making a TV Ad on a Budget?
In recent months, we completely understand that budgets are getting tighter as fears of the “R word” loom. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t have to impact your company’s marketing goals — and TV advertising still remains the best marketing tool out there. Regardless of your TV ad spend, there is always the potential for seeing great returns.
That being said, if you’re working with a reduced TV advertising budget, you definitely should maintain certain expectations of the end result.
1. Limited resources
With a smaller budget, you may have to cut back on key areas like casting, filming locations, and post-production. This could necessitate filming the commercial in a less expansive setting or with less ostentatious objects. Ads can look and feel a certain way, but you’ll need to get creative if you don’t have the biggest budget.
2. Simplicity
While working with a limited budget, it’s possible that the ad’s concept, execution, and production values will have to be simplified. In order to accomplish this goal, the production may employ less complex filming methods, have fewer actors and have a more concise running duration — typically maxing out at 30 seconds. It’s important to focus on the ad’s core message and communicate it clearly and concisely.
3. Creative restrictions
If you’re working with a smaller budget, you may need to make some sacrifices in terms of scope and scale, such as reducing the number of visual effects in the ad. Nonetheless, restrictions on one’s ability to be creative can occasionally lead to more original outcomes. Using and ingeniously repurposing whatever means are at one’s disposal is essential for telling one’s tale and accomplishing one’s goals.
Tips on Creating TV Ads on a Budget
You know what they say: “When there’s a will, there’s a way”. With that in mind, you should know that although your TV ad budget may be tight, there are definitely ways to make it work for you — with every penny spent being worthwhile in the end.
Wondering how exactly you can make a small-budget TV commercial work? Here are some of our top tips:
1. Set realistic goals
A commercial that has a limited budget could yet be just as effective as one with a large budget. Achievable objectives and standards for the advertisement’s performance should be established. This may entail aiming for a more particular demographic or setting quantitative goals like increasing the number of people who visit your website or buy your product — utilising DRTV advertising.
2. Smart audience targeting
If you have a small advertising budget, you need to focus on reaching the people who are most likely to buy your product or service. Market research can help identify the best demographic to advertise to, and data can guide decisions about when and where to run the ad. Doing this will also allow you to be more mindful when buying ad slots!
3. Be efficient
To make a powerful advertisement on a tight budget, you need to maximise all of the available assets and streamline the production process. Methods of efficient production, such as filming in a single location with few additional effects, could be used. Keeping your sights on the most time- and effort-saving means of completing the task is crucial.
4. Keep it simple
Simplicity is key when it comes to creating a TV ad on a budget. Costs will increase in proportion to the number of features included in the final product. You’ll have to pay extra for rental costs and/or filming licences for exotic places. However, if you want to go all out with your set dressing, you’ll have to shell out some cash on props and decorations. The same holds true for the cast, as greater talent means higher costs, which in turn means higher production costs.
The easiest way to meet a tight TV ad budget is by going full-CGI and utilising brand assets that are readily available. A great example of this is the online gaming company MrQ, which dipped its toes into the world of TV advertising after a series of successful online campaigns. The company teamed up with us for the first time on TV to develop a lower budget, fully CGI advert using their assets and games showcased in iPads. TV has worked so well for MrQ that they are now on their 3rd campaign and filmed enough content for 12 months, utilising brand assets which will help build their brand awareness and sell their product.
5. Work with a professional agency
Professional TV ad agencies know how to reach specific demographics while staying within a set financial constraint. They are well-versed in the latest and greatest in TV advertising and can provide insightful advice on message development, creative process, and media buying. In addition, a production company can work with an agency to manage the full production cycle, from pre-production to post.
They have experts in every department of production, from casting and filming to editing and distributing. So, the right TV advertising partner may help you save time and money, and the advertisement can be finished on schedule and within the allotted budget.
The Bottom Line
Creating a TV commercial can still be the smart move for your company’s marketing strategy, even with a limited budget. TV has proven time and time again to have a broad reach and can expose your brand to a large audience, including those who may not be actively seeking out your product or service. A well-crafted TV ad can create a memorable and emotional connection with viewers, increasing brand awareness and recall — which is still entirely possible on a tight budget.
With targeted advertising options and the ability to track metrics like ad engagement, TV can be a cost-effective way to reach your target audience or even simply to broaden brand awareness. However, your best bet to maximise your tight TV ad budget is to go develop a CGI commercial with existing brand assets.
Better yet, getting in touch with an experienced TV advertising agency that listens to your needs and works with your budget is the best way to ensure your next TV ad campaign successfully meets its goals!
Keen on seeing what TV advertising can bring to your brand? Get in touch with an experienced advertising agency who’ll be able to help you get the job done!