Study busts myth for need to keeping refreshing ads

Marketers might get sleepless nights over long-running ad campaigns, fearing that consumers will get bored of seeing the same execution, but new evidence has emerged that this constant tinkering is actually damaging, with effective ads staying effective no matter how long they air.

According to a new study by System1 – which holds a database of over 100,000 TV ads – repeated exposure to an ad is important for building mental availability and positive impressions.

For the research project, System1 segmented its entire Test Your Ad database based on the gap between the test date and the original air date of the ad, some of which were tested 19 years after first airing.

If wear-out is a factor in ad effectiveness, perceived wisdom dictates that older ads are more likely to be familiar and therefore more likely to suffer wear-out. However, the analysis reveals that this the average scores were consistent no matter how old the ad was at the time it was tested, meaning there is no sell-by-date for advertising.

In an attempt to work out whether individual ads show wear-out, the researchers picked 100 ads which were first aired six months before the pandemic struck in February 2020, and retested them to see if suddenly changed circumstances made a difference to ad reception.

However, it found that test scores remained consistent.

The report states: “In fact we see some evidence not of wear-out but of wear-in – ads improving over time in particular circumstances. This seems especially true of ads that use fluent devices: repeated characters and slogans like GEICO Gecko or Weetabix’s “You’ve had your Weetabix” – a variation of which dates back to the 1990s. Not only does the fluent device build familiarity for the brand and campaign over time, it also means individual ads age particularly well.”

And it seems the US market has cottoned on to this already, with ads running on average for longer than in the UK. The higher the ad scores, the longer it runs, with 5-star US ads enjoying a 25% longer lifespan on average than ineffective 1-star ads.

But in the UK the opposite is true. Ad lifespan overall is lower but 1-star ads are shown for longer than high-scoring commercials. A 5-star ad in the UK airs for only 71 days on average, compared to 95 days for 1-star ads.

System1 chief customer officer Jon Evans said: “The myth of wear-out in ads has a hidden cost. Good ads are cut down in their prime when they still have so much to offer commercially. UK marketers in particular need to realise that re-using ads and running campaigns for longer isn’t just efficient, it’s effective too. Older campaigns and IP are often a brand’s greatest and most neglected assets.”