Less Really Is More: Six-Second Ads Get More Attention On TV

Six-second ads on broadcast and network TV capture more attention per second than standard commercial units, according to MediaPost citing an in-depth study released today by the Advertising Research Foundation.

The findings, which were presented during the ARF’s annual audience measurement conference in Jersey City, NJ, show six-second ads generate 8% more attention than 30-second ad units and 11% more attention than 15-second ones.

The study, which was conducted with researcher T>vision Insights using a panel of 2,000 households, representing 7,000 persons 2+ utilized technology measuring how long their eyes fixated on the TV screen and what content they were gazing at when the ads ran.

The analysis, which measured more than 100,000 unique airings -- including 3,000 six-second units on 70 broadcast and cable networks between Nov. 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018 -- found demonstrably better “lifts” in attention for the six-second units.