How to Create an Outstanding TVC

A Television Commercial (TVC) is a form of advertisement shot using high-definition or standard-definition camera equipment and broadcast on television media. Although TVCs seem to have gradually faded from the public eye in recent years, they still play a crucial role in marketing and promotion for businesses. Compared to regular advertisements, TVCs have a stronger impact and greater appeal. Particularly, creatively made TVCs with excellent aesthetics often go viral, shaping brand image, promoting products, and quickly increasing brand awareness.

A vibrant and dynamic TVC can enhance its appeal through its extraordinary aesthetic power, immersing consumers in the pleasurable images of the products and services, and naturally guiding them towards the advertisement's message. Therefore, in advertising design, aesthetic recreation of material culture and lifestyle can beautify the visuals through exaggeration, association, symbolism, metaphor, humor, and wit. This approach meets people's desire for beauty and effectively guides their consumption concepts regarding material culture and lifestyle.

Preparations Before Shooting

  • Determine the Duration: TVC advertisements usually have a short duration, so the storyline needs to be concise and clear. Determining the length of the TVC not only helps in materializing the creative concept but also aids the production team in budget planning. By cutting unnecessary scenes and retaining the parts that best highlight the product's features and brand image, the best effect can be achieved.
  • Identify the Target Audience: Understanding the target audience is essential for creative output. The style and presentation of the advertisement should vary depending on the target audience. For example, advertisements aimed at young people can use more fashionable and trendy methods, while those targeting middle-aged and older audiences need to be more steady and traditional.
  • Creative Planning: Creativity is the key to a TVC. Planning should cover the theme, content, and form, determining the style and presentation of the advertisement. The creative concept for a TVC needs to be more refined than other types of creative videos, as it must fully express the idea within a few seconds. Additionally, the feasibility of the concept should be considered—whether it can be materialized through a shooting script and other textual forms and implemented in actual shooting. Unfeasible creativity is of little value.
  • Highlight Product Features: The core of a TVC is the product. Ensure that everything serves the product, whether through direct shooting methods or subtly highlighting features, allowing the audience to understand the product's characteristics and advantages. A TVC not only showcases the product but also promotes the brand. Therefore, during production, focus on shaping the brand image so that viewers naturally associate with the brand while watching the commercial.

Shooting Techniques

  • Pay Attention to Visual Impact: Visual impact is one of the key factors for a successful TVC. By using color, lighting, animation, and other methods, create eye-catching visuals that attract the audience's attention.
  • Effectively Use Music and Sound: Music and sound are carriers of emotion and can convey strong emotions in a silent picture. Therefore, use music and sound effectively to enhance the expressiveness of the visuals in a TVC.
  • Excel in Post-Production: Post-production is crucial for the quality of a TVC. Ensure that the color, sound quality, and other aspects of the visuals meet the expected standards, avoiding any signs of poor craftsmanship.
  • Maintain Logical Clarity: The content should be well-organized, with a clear and logical storyline. Avoid a disjointed narrative structure, making it easy for the audience to understand the main idea of the advertisement.
  • Elicit Emotional Resonance: Focus on emotional expression in the content to create resonance with the audience. Use techniques such as exaggeration and reversal, along with elements like characters' expressions and actions, to convey emotional information.
  • Enhance Visual Appeal: In the storyboard creation process, pay attention to visual aesthetics. Use color, lighting, composition, and scene selection and arrangement to create visually pleasing effects.
  • Control Rhythm: Ensure the storyboard content has a sense of rhythm, presenting a smooth flow. Control the changes in rhythm through the switching of scenes and the coordination of music.

By following these techniques and preparations, you can create an outstanding TVC that maximizes its effectiveness in promoting brand awareness and product sales.