What’s the length of the longest TV commercial ever made? No points for saying "Dance", the Saatchi & Saatchi spot for T-Mobile featuring 350 dancers at London’s Liverpool Street station.
At two minutes, 40 seconds, it lays claim to be the longest British TV ad of modern times. A good effort if you said the 60-minute commercial that Nivea ran on Swiss TV in 2011 made up of more than 1,000 user-generated videos.
Better still if you came up with the 1998 ad for Spaas candles created by McCann Erickson in Brussels, which ran for a mind-boggling seven hours, 22 minutes.
But the points are yours if your answer was a Fallon production for Arby’s, the US sandwich shop chain, which made its debut on KBJR-TV in Duluth, Minnesota, on 24 May 2014.
The company wanted to find a way of highlighting its dedication to the creation of its signature beef brisket sandwich, which undergoes hours of cooking before being served. The upshot was a commercial consisting largely of a single shot of araw beef brisket being smoked over the course of 13 hours before being removed from the smoker and used to make a sandwich.
Not surprisingly, the film was made to attract some social media buzz. But it now also has a place in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running TV commercial.
Its total duration is 13 hours, five minutes and 11 seconds. While no reports suggest anybody watched the commercial in its entirety, Arby’s claimed that almost 350,000 people tuned in with an average viewing time of 38 minutes.
Meanwhile, a 2002 commercial for MuchMusic, a Canadian music channel, is said to be the world’s shortest. It lasts one-sixtieth of a second.
Things you need to know
- The Arby’s commercial was scheduled to run during the slow period of a holiday weekend when airtime was not very expensive.
- The agency feared the battery on the camera would run out before the meat was cooked. Had that happened, the shoot would have had to be repeated.
- The European Commission announced a month before the UK Brexit vote that it wanted to end restrictions preventing TV broadcasters showing more than 12 minutes of commercials an hour.
Greetings, enthusiasts of the advertising realm! I am an industry expert well-versed in the intriguing world of television commercials, armed with an extensive understanding of both the historical and contemporary facets of this dynamic field.
Let's delve into the fascinating details surrounding the longest TV commercial ever made, a topic that not only requires a keen eye for creativity but also a comprehensive knowledge of advertising milestones.
The record-holder for the longest TV commercial, as per Guinness World Records, is a production by Fallon for Arby's, the renowned US sandwich shop chain. This groundbreaking commercial made its debut on KBJR-TV in Duluth, Minnesota, on May 24, 2014. The driving force behind this extended advertisem*nt was Arby's desire to showcase the meticulous dedication involved in crafting its signature beef brisket sandwich.
The commercial's unique feature lies in its duration, a staggering 13 hours, five minutes, and 11 seconds. The narrative unfolds primarily through a single shot capturing the mesmerizing process of smoking raw beef brisket over 13 hours, culminating in the creation of the delectable sandwich. Notably, this commercial wasn't just a spectacle for traditional television viewers but was strategically designed to generate social media buzz, a testament to the evolving landscape of advertising.
While the likelihood of anyone watching the commercial in its entirety may seem slim, Arby's claimed that almost 350,000 people tuned in, with an average viewing time of 38 minutes. This impressive engagement underscores the effectiveness of the campaign in capturing audience attention, even in the age of short attention spans.
To add a touch of historical context, the Arby's commercial stands out not only for its duration but also for the meticulous planning involved. It was scheduled to run during a slow period over a holiday weekend when airtime was more cost-effective. Moreover, the production team faced the challenge of ensuring the camera's battery wouldn't run out before the meat was fully cooked. A potential battery failure would have necessitated a repeat of the entire shoot, emphasizing the intricacies and challenges associated with such ambitious endeavors.
As we explore the diverse landscape of TV commercials, it's worth noting a contrasting record – the world's shortest TV commercial. In 2002, MuchMusic, a Canadian music channel, claimed this title with a commercial lasting a mere one-sixtieth of a second. This brief yet impactful moment stands as a testament to the creativity and innovation that advertisers employ to capture attention in the ever-evolving world of television advertising.
Lastly, it's intriguing to mention a regulatory development in the advertising domain. A month before the UK Brexit vote, the European Commission announced its intention to lift restrictions preventing TV broadcasters from showing more than 12 minutes of commercials per hour. This initiative reflects the evolving landscape of advertising regulations and the pursuit of increased flexibility for broadcasters.
In conclusion, the world of TV commercials is a dynamic arena where creativity, innovation, and strategic planning converge. The Arby's commercial, with its record-breaking duration, exemplifies the lengths advertisers go to captivate audiences, while the contrast with the world's shortest commercial highlights the diversity within this ever-evolving industry.
