Teaching and learning : the thirty to sixty second television commercial
by Betty Ann Conard
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education
Montana State University
© Copyright by Betty Ann Conard (1994)
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching and/or learning applications for adult educators
of the 30 to 60 second television commercial. The study was designed to delve into the insights and/or
recommendations that creators and producers of television commercials had to offer. This approach
offered the potential to help educators increase their knowledge regarding adult education, teaching,
and/or learning via a unique perspective. The researcher believed there was a link between television
commercial advertising, teaching, and learning.
The 25 study participants were asked 17 interview study questions. Study participants represented
advertising clients, advertising agencies, or commercial production companies. The researcher looked
for similarities among responses in order to discover insights or recommendations that could be
transferred from the professionals of television commercial advertising to teaching and adult education.
The study findings and conclusions indicated the following: 1. Television commercials are teaching
and/or learning devices which have the capability to reach the masses and influence many viewers.
This type of teaching and/or learning tends to occur in small segments. The medium is also a
transmitter of messages via non-verbal communication and visual images.
2. Both educators and television commercials utilize mission statements, goals and objectives to reach
their audience or learners.
3. Professionals in the world of television commercials and education need to target and know their
audience in order to reach and teach them effectively.
4. Personal views, experiences, and learning preferences influence the viewer or learner if behavior or
attitude changes are a goal. Emotional or meaningful connections to the viewer or learner may help
bring about a behavior or attitude change.
5. Basic structural components are important to the success of television commercials and learning.
Creativity, uniqueness or individuality helps television commercial or learning experiences to be more
effective. Multi-sensory approaches are successful in reaching both television commercial viewers and
learners.
6. There are a variety of techniques which work in helping reach both television commercial viewers
and learners.
7. Technological advances have an influence on both television commercials and learning
environments or learners.
8. Insights offered to educators by television commercial professionals should be implemented where
possible. Educators need to overcome entrenchment and interface with the real/working world as well
as try to reach more learners. 
TEACHING AND LEARNING--THE THIRTY TO 
SIXTY SECOND TELEVISION COMMERCIAL
by
Betty Ann Conard
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment 
of the requirements for the degree
of
Doctor of Education
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 
Bozeman, Montana
April 1994
© COPYRIGHT
by
Betty Ann Cbnard 
1994
All Rights Reserved
<^•743
11
APPROVAL
of a thesis submitted by
Betty Ann Conard
This thesis has been read by each member of the graduate committee and 
has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, 
citations, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the 
College of Graduate Studies.
y Af / JV
Date Chairperson, Graduate Committee
Approved for the Major Department
Date
■
-
Head, Major Department f
Approved for the College of Graduate Studies
D ate ' Graduate Dean
Ill
STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a 
doctoral degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it 
available to borrowers under rules of the Library. I further agree that copying of 
this thesis is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with "fair use" as 
prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for extensive copying or 
reproduction of this thesis should be referred to University Microfilms 
International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, to whom I have 
granted "the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute my dissertation for sale in 
and from microform or electronic format, along with the right to reproduce and 
distribute my abstract in any format in whole or in part."
Signature ______
7
Date
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
No research project can proceed without the encouragement and 
cooperation of a number of people. I would like to thank the following 
individuals: Dr. Robert Fellenz for his belief in my study topic, his total support, 
encouragement, and open-mindedness from the initial discussion of the idea 
through the proposal and final acceptance of the project; Dr. William Neff for 
serving on my committee with interest, enthusiasm, and unique personal 
perspective; Dr. Dennis Aig for the valuable viewpoint arising from his 
professional accomplishments in film and documentaries; Dr. Douglas Herbster 
and Dr. Richard Horswill for their support as our paths have crossed many times 
over the years. I am grateful to all my committee members, for their help, advice, 
individual contributions, teachings and professionalism. As a person and educator, 
I have been fortunate to work with such well qualified people.
Thank you to the interview study participants. I appreciate you taking time out 
of your busy schedules to meet with me .one-to-one and share your professional 
and human experiences.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT................................................................................................ .........  viii
1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................  I
Statement of the Problem ..................................... -.............................. I
Purpose of the S tudy ..........................................
The Influence of Television ..............................
The Link: Advertising, Teaching, and Learning
General Methodology..........................................................................  13
Lim itations.................................................    15
Delim itations........................................................................................  16
Definition of Terms .....................................................   17
Organization of the Research R ep o r t ....................    20
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................  21
L earn ing .......................................................................   21
Teaching................................................................................................  25
Television’s Influence on Learning in Our Society............................  30
Advertising............................................................................................  32
Television, Commercials, and T each ing ............................................  35
The F u tu re ............ ................... ..............! ...........................................  37
Summary........................................................   41
3. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................  42
The Study Design ................................................................................... 43
Population ...................... ................................................................. • • 44
Selection Procedures............................................................................  46
Development of the Interview Questionnaire..................................... 47
Conducting the Research ....................................................................  49
Data Collection Technique..................................................................  52
Treatment of the D a ta ..........................................................................  54
<N
 
x
f OC
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued
Page
4. ANALYSIS OF THE DA TA ......................................................................  55
The Form at...........................................    55
Responses to Interview Questions......................................................  56
Question #1 - Advantages of Utilizing
Television Commercials......................................................  56
Question #2  - Most Important Goals of
Television Commercial Advertising ................................   64
Question #3 - Targeting Audiences for
the Marketing Campaign ....................................................  68
Question #4  - Specific Marketing Strategies
for Television Commercials............................................  72
Question #5 - Teaching and Learning
from Watching Television Commercials............................  76
Question #6  - Capturing the Viewer’s A ttention......................  86
Question #7  - Techniques Used to Help
the Viewer Remember the Commercial............................  89
Question #8 - Visual Imagery and/or
Techniques Used in the Commercial ................................  93
Question #9  - Deciding on the Sound
Track Portion of the Commercial ......................................  96
Question #10 - Basic Structural Components
Utilized in Developing the Commercial............................  99
Question #11 - Techniques Used to Change
the Viewer’s Behavior or A ttitude.................................. ... 104
Question #12 - Recent Technological Advances
Influencing the Message of Commercials............................  108
Question #13 - How Ideas or Commercials
Are Unique or D ifferent........................................................  112
Question #14 - Final Say Regarding What .
Goes Into the Television Commercial................................  116
Question #15 - Favorite Television Commercials....................  119
Question #16 - Importance of CLIO Awards
and the AICP/MOMA Show ................................................  123
Question #17 - Information, Observations,
Techniques or Insights for T eachers..................................  123
V ll
TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued
Page
5. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS............  129
Findings ................................................................................................  129
Conclusions............................................................................................  138
Recommendations................................................................................  143
Further Research Areas ......................................................................  151
The F u tu re ........................................   152
REFERENCES............................................    154
APPENDICES......................................................................................................  160
Appendix A-Letters to Study Participants............................................  161
Appendix B-Press R elease....... ........................  164
Appendix C-Study Questionnaire..............................................................  166
Appendix D—Interview Release Fo rm ........................................................  169
Appendix E—Production Resume ..............................................................  171
Appendix F-Current Production Resume ................................................  173
Appendix G—Interview Study Participants ................................................  176
Appendix H-Study Participants’ Professional Experience......................  179
Appendix I-The Cost of Advertising..........................................................  189
V lll
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching and/or learning 
applications for adult educators of the 30 to 60 second television commercial. The 
study was designed to delve into the insights and/or recommendations that creators 
and producers of television commercials had to offer. This approach offered the 
potential to help educators increase their knowledge regarding adult education, 
teaching, and/or learning via a unique perspective. The researcher believed there 
was a link between television commercial advertising, teaching, and learning.
The 25 study participants were asked 17 interview study questions. Study 
participants represented advertising clients, advertising agencies, or commercial 
production companies. The researcher looked for similarities among responses in 
order to discover insights or recommendations that could be transferred from the 
professionals of television commercial advertising to teaching and adult education.
The study findings and conclusions indicated the following:
1. Television commercials are teaching and/or learning devices which 
have the capability to reach the masses and influence many viewers. This type of 
teaching and/or learning tends to occur in small segments. The medium is also a 
transmitter of messages via non-verbal communication and visual images.
2. Both educators and television commercials utilize mission statements, 
goals and objectives to reach their audience or learners.
3. Professionals in the world of television commercials and education need 
to target and know their audience in order to reach and teach them effectively.
4. Personal views, experiences, and learning preferences influence the 
viewer or learner if behavior or attitude changes are a goal. Emotional or 
meaningful connections to the viewer or learner may help bring about a behavior 
or attitude change.
5. Basic structural components are important to the success of television 
commercials and learning. Creativity, uniqueness or individuality helps television 
commercial or learning experiences to be more effective. Multi-sensory approaches 
are successful in reaching both television commercial viewers and learners.
6. There are a variety of techniques which work in helping reach both 
television commercial viewers and learners.
7. Technological advances have an influence on both television 
commercials and learning environments or learners.
8. Insights offered to educators by television commercial professionals 
should be implemented where possible. Educators need to overcome entrenchment 
and interface with the real/working world as well as try to reach more learners.
ICHAPTER I 
INTRODUCTION
Learning takes place in a multitude of environments, both formal and 
informal. Usually, educational researchers tend to focus on the more traditional 
learning environments. Unfortunately, in doing so they have overlooked one of 
today’s most prevalent and powerful teachers: television advertising. More 
specifically, the 30 to 60 second television commercial. The researcher believes 
that there is a link between television commercial advertising, teaching, and 
learning.
Statement of the Problem
Is it possible to transfer and incorporate some successful ideas, concepts 
or techniques that clients, advertising agencies and production companies of 
television commercials utilize in 30 to 60 second commercials? Could these 
insights, ideas or techniques be applied to the areas of adult education, 
teaching, and/or learning? If so, what were the unique or beneficial goals that 
the television commercials were trying to achieve? What recommendations or 
insights would be helpful to adult educators? These questions and others were 
answered in Chapter 3, Methodology, and Chapter 4, Analysis of the Data.
2Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to explore the potential teaching and/or 
learning applications for adult educators of the 30 to 60 second television 
commercial. The goal of the advertiser or teacher/educator is to impact the 
viewer, learner, and/or consumer in a visual and/or auditory manner. This 
interview study was designed to delve into the insights and/or recommendations 
that the creators and producers of television commercials had to offer. This 
method or approach offered the potential to help educators increase their 
knowledge regarding teaching and/or learning via the unique perspective of 
television commercial advertising.
Seventeen interview study questions were asked of each of the individual 
study participants who represented advertising clients, advertising agencies or 
commercial production companies. Similarities between responses were 
examined in order to discover insights and recommendations that could be 
transferred from the professionals of television commercial advertising to the 
world of teaching, learning, and adult education. The study participant’s 
responses offered some valuable insights useful to adult educators as well as the 
general field of education.
Educators are constantly researching the areas related to both teaching 
and learning. There are numerous studies, reflecting hundreds of perspectives 
regarding teaching, learning, learning styles, learning theories, and education in
3real-life situations. Adult educators such as Knowles (1984), Houle and Tough 
have been instrumental in the development of the adult education field (Peters 
& Jarvis, 1991). Regarding Tough and self-directed learning, Candy (1991) 
noted, "Tough, who is usually credited with having ’sparked the revolution,’ 
traces the origins of his own interest to a time in January 1963 . . .  he has been 
one of the mainstays of research in the field" (p. 25). Tough’s studies of adult 
self-learning projects and his contributions to the field of adult education have 
been legendary.
Classroom teachers have learned from daily experiences that there is a
"teachable moment" and that much can be learned from adult real-life learning.
Such research and information has been beneficial for adult educators as well
as others from all levels of teaching and education. Jarvis (1992) highlighted
the importance of studying learning when he wrote:
Learning is a subject worthy of study, not merely because by 
understanding it people can be encouraged to learn more 
effectively, but because it lies at the foundation of all human 
being. Tb study learning is, therefore, to study people . . . people 
in time, space and society, (p. 3)
This study of television commercials and the teaching/learning process was 
definitely a study of people learning in their everyday environment or society 
and it presented useful data related to the field of education.
In reviewing this study, it was important to remember that in today’s 
American society television is readily available to millions of people. Television 
is a popular and widely used form of communication. Television commercials
4rely upon an ability to communicate with others, as do teachers or educators. 
Some television commercial industry professionals believe that television 
commercials serve as a form of art, entertainment, communication, teaching 
tool and/or resource for the American viewer. Additionally, television 
commercial advertisers believe that viewers of television commercials remember 
information from commercials and that some television commercials are 
capable of changing viewer or learner behaviors. Teachers are often faced with 
the task of reaching their learners just as television commercials are expected to 
reach their viewers. Thus, there seemed to be a similarity between some of the 
tasks, goals or techniques of television commercials and the teaching/learning 
process.
The Influence of Television
learning takes place in a wide variety of locations in the real world.
This is especially true for adults. Whether people want to admit it or not, 
television has a tremendous impact on American lives. "Today, more than 
95 percent of American families have at least one television set-some have two 
or more-and children spend a significant amount of time watching TV" 
(Glencoe, 1992, p. 194). Additionally, Sorensen (1993) reported that 98% of all 
households in the U.S. have television sets and that 97% have color TV sets 
(p. 84). America seems to be tuned in to the world of television.
5How powerful is television and how far is its reach? Some of the
N
research reflects viewers habits, the market, and the power or influence of
television. Adults do spend a tremendous amount of time watching television.
Television has the power to inform and sometimes persuade its viewers. As
Fridell (1986) notes, "The average household in the United States has its TV
set(s) turned on for six and a half hours a day. Up to seven minutes of every
hour is devoted to selling something" (p. I). Fridell (1986) goes on to quote
some other astounding as well as extremely relevant statistics:
. . .  the television advertising industry has grown to a 
multibillion-dollar business, (p. I)
• More than three hundred dollars are spent each year on 
advertising for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. Most of 
that money goes to TV ads. This is an age when one million 
dollars are spent for 58 1/2 seconds of advertising.
• From birth to age twenty-one, an average person in the 
U.S. sees at least a quarter million ads on television.
• By the age of three, a child in the U.S. will have seen 
more than twenty thousand television commercials.
, • By the time a child enters kindergarten, he or she will 
have spent more time in front of the TV than will be spent in 
school for the next five years.
• By age eighteen, an average person in the U.S. will have 
spent a total of two years of his or her life in front of the 
television set. (p. I)
Unquestionably, television is powerful and impacts American lives on a daily 
basis.
How many viewers do television shows actually attract? The number 
varies from program to program. However, recently, "Michael Jackson 
Talks . . .  to Oprah" and 90 million viewers tuned in to watch. According to
/
6Lisa de Moraes (1993) of The Hollywood Reporter, such viewer response
helped in "making it one of the most-watched entertainment shows in TV
history" (p. I). Other big draws for viewers included the Super Bowl, Academy
Awards and the Olympics television extravaganzas.
Depending on who is doing the research, and/or what they are looking
for, the results can be either positive or negative regarding the actual impact of
television and television commercials upon the viewers. The influences on both
children and adults have been thoroughly documented. Silver (1993) noted
that, "Parents who peek at kids’ shows may be shocked - by the
commercials. . . . More than 6 million children glue themselves to the screen
for each weekly episode of ’Dinosaurs.’ . . .  A  typical child sees over 350 TV
commercials a week" (p. 65). Another source, Akst (1992), reflected upon the
impact of television when he wrote that:
Children watch nearly four hours of television per day -- and see
about 40,000 TV commercials yearly___ To be sure, some major
children’s marketers, such as Nike and Fox Network, have also 
spent heavily on cause-oriented campaigns that help teach children 
vital lessons about key issues, such as the environment and race 
relations. And some marketing experts insist that children are not 
being exploited at all. (p. D-6)
Children will one day grow up to be adults and all adults were once children, so 
these viewer experiences, at any age, have an impact on the teaching or 
learning process. Television and television commercials are forces that have a 
widespread influence on Americans’ lives and learning.
7Based on a 1982 study on television impact, reviewing 3,000 scientific 
studies, and 20 plus years of research, it was determined by Pearl (1982) 
that:
Television can no longer be considered a casual part of daily life, 
an electronic toy. Research findings have long since destroyed the 
illusion that television is merely innocuous entertainment. While 
the learning it provides is mainly incidental rather than direct and 
formal, it is a significant part of the total acculturation process.
(p. 1:87)
What was true in the 1980’s remains true today.
According to other researchers, television still has tremendous potential; 
even after the educational success of programs such as Sesame Street, Rescue 
911 (Chagollan, 1993), National Geographic, and others. Sesame Street is a 
program which has had a profoundly positive impact on young children and 
their early education (Rice, 1990; Smith, 1990; Lewis, 1983). By using attention 
getting visuals, movements and/or techniques that are often found in television 
commercials, they were able to successfully teach their viewers new skills and 
positively impact a whole generation.
Overall, Glencoe (1992, p. 196) and Singer and Singer (1983) believe,
"On the positive side, TV has a rich and largely untapped potential for 
educating and enhancing children’s development." Peterson (1992) of USA 
Today appeared to concur by reporting, "Television gets a ’satisfactory’ oh its 
social report card, the American Psychological Association said. . . . But there is
8still ’much need for change,. . . The good news is, TV can: Teach kids 
academic and social skills" (p. I).
Interestingly enough, though researchers praise the future of television in 
general, no one seems to have investigated the fascinating subject area of 
television commercials, teaching, learning, and adults. This researcher’s study is 
the only interview project to look at the above mentioned combined subject 
areas. The topic was timely and definitely deserved more research.
The Link: Advertising. Teaching, and Learning
Educational, corporate and business researchers know that people of all 
ages remember information from watching television commercials. It is 
obviously apparent that big business caught on to this premise years ago. 
Otherwise, they would not spend billions of dollars each year on advertising.
The goal of television commercial advertising is to increase viewer 
awareness, teach something new, remind the consumer about the product, 
possibly change the consumer’s behavior and hopefully persuade the viewer to 
purchase the product. For example, if you are unaware of a product or do not 
purchase the product, advertisers try to increase your awareness and change 
your behavior by converting you into a loyal product purchaser. The television 
commercial promotes a new idea or product and in the process captures the 
viewer’s attention. If successful, the viewer has learned something new and 
buys the advertised product. In some cases, it is a matter of arousing curiosity
9so the viewer will travel to a specific marketing dealer to find out more 
information regarding the product. Ultimately, the manufacturer wants 
individuals to buy the product.
On the surface, it is a simple premise. But under a more complicated 
examination, it becomes a smooth matter of creativity, timing, style, and proper 
execution of human learning principles.
Advertising-Teaching-Learning. Advertising for the 30 to 60 second 
television commercial and teaching was broken down into six basic steps by the 
researcher. The goal of the advertiser or teacher/educator is to impact the 
viewer, learner, and/or consumer in a visual and/or auditory manner. In order 
to accomplish this, the following six components are utilized:
1. Capture the viewer /learner's attention or interest.
For teachers or educators, this may be done visually by drawing on the 
chalkboard or using dramatic behavior (acting or role playing) and/or auditorily 
via the use of the instructor’s tone or loudness of voice. In television 
commercials, attention or interest may be captured in a variety of ways which 
might include the use of celebrities, dialogue, faces, humor, style, sound and/or 
film editing.
2. Present the idea or product.
A  certain amount of content is presented in a logical progression. A 
teacher or television commercial might simply present one thought or build on
10
it to "tell a story" and illustrate a point. The process typically has a beginning, 
middle and end. In some cases, a television commercial may be presented as 
an "image" and the product would not necessarily be shown.
3. Create a desire to learn more about an idea or product.
Educators and advertisers both want their audiences to be motivated or
be "curious" about the product, topic or idea. They want them to have a desire 
for more information and in doing so they maintain the viewer/learner’s 
attention.
4. Remember the idea or product.
For television commercial advertising and teachers, this involves 
individual product/idea identification, recognition, recall, and/or positive 
discussion or networking about the product/idea to one’s Mends, family, and/or 
associates. Oftentimes, a relevant connection for the viewer/learner is 
necessary regarding the information being remembered or learned. The 
networking or linking of ideas sometimes helps; especially with concepts 
previously presented or learned. Remembering is typically encouraged by vivid 
demonstrations, questions, answers, or repetition.
5. Change the viewer/learner’s attitude or behavior.
Television commercial advertisers aim at leaving the viewers with a sense 
of wanting the product, feeling a need for the product, or at least being open to 
the idea of trying out a new product. Teachers have the same objective; they
11
want learners to develop insight or attitudes that will ultimately change 
behavior.
6. Apply the information.
In education, this may be done by demonstrating the retention and/or 
integration of new information via higher level thinking. A learner or viewer 
may apply the new knowledge and/or problem solving skills. Typically, teachers 
evaluate this by a mastery skills test, classroom discussions, study or review 
guides, student projects, and/or having the student apply the information to his 
or her own personal life.
By remembering or applying the information previously presented, the 
television commercial viewer then has an increased chance of buying the 
product. The information gained from the television commercial advertising is 
then used or applied to the viewer’s own personal needs or environment.
All of the above mentioned six steps involve some degree of attention^ 
focus, or, in some cases, excitement for the viewer or learner. All of those 
items may be a positive influence to help viewers or learners remember any 
information presented.
For the teacher/educator, simple or complex learning is translated into 
success via the learner demonstrating that basic or higher level knowledge is 
memorized, retained, and/or applied to other situations. This is shown via 
teacher-learner discussion, exams, or tests that bring out the learner’s ability to
12
simply recall basic facts or apply their learned knowledge via higher level 
problem-solving skills.
Perhaps, at times, teachers make the task of learning more complicated 
or difficult than it should be. This is where education may gather some small 
but valuable bits of learning information from the world of television 
commercial advertising.
The importance of the comparison of the six steps or components for 
television commercial advertising, teaching, and learning is that there is a 
similarity among them all. Perhaps what will stand out relates to techniques. 
Overall, the process or goals of the two groups, as it relates to learning, is 
important. Both groups are striving for a change in attitudes or behaviors. It 
also implies that there is something for others to learn by examining the process 
that television commercial advertising goes through and how insight into that 
creative process, the visual/auditory approach, and the actual presentation of 
ideas or material might benefit educators.
Television commercial advertising deserved a closer look. The ideas and 
ways of presenting materials from television commercial advertising was 
1 interesting. The benefits, outcomes, and recommendations for educators were 
surprisingly and refreshingly helpful.
13
General Methodology
There are a variety of people who are instrumental in the creation and 
production of a television commercial. These professionals come from three 
major areas-the advertising client (often a business or corporation), the 
advertising agency, and the film/commercial production company. All three of 
these components must work together to achieve the objective of creating, 
producing, and airing a television commercial. There are a number of people 
from each component who are actively involved in creating, producing, and 
filming a television commercial. Each of them has a job to do and also has a 
unique viewpoint or objective to achieve. Each of them is indispensable to the 
process of creating and completing the commercial.
Those interviewed were key people from each of these three component 
areas. Face-to-face interviews were the preferred mode of interaction. Two 
written interview responses were completed and returned by mail. The written 
response approach was not solicited or encouraged. This method of reply was 
better than no reply at all.
The study participants interviewed were professionals in specific jobs 
from the three components previously mentioned. The initial goals were as 
follows:
I. For each business or corporate client contacted, ideally interview at 
least one representative such as the group product manager, product manager,
14
director of commercial production, regional marketing manager, or other 
company representative.
2. For each advertising agency contacted, ideally interview at least one 
representative to include the chairman, creative director, producer, head writer, 
art director, or other agency representative.
3. For each commercial production company/house contacted, ideally 
interview at least one representative to include the director, cameraman, 
production head, executive producer, producer, production coordinator, assistant 
director, or other company representative.
One study goal was to interview at least 25 people for the study. In 
some cases, people agreed or offered to be interviewed because they heard 
about the project from a colleague who had been mailed the interview packet 
and/or heard about it from other professional colleagues. All of the above 
mentioned goals were met.
This research/ interview study project provided a valuable opportunity to 
access some very successful people who offered insights into the theory that 
television commercials act as communicators with the masses while 
simultaneously touching upon teaching and/or learning. The interview results 
were summarized and recommendations to educators were compiled and 
included in later chapters.
15
Limitations
The study was limited in four ways:
1. The study was a descriptive research project utilizing the interview 
method of research.
2. The answers to the interview questions were very lengthy and needed 
to be condensed in order to summarize the important points.
3. Some interview participant’s answers drifted away from the topic 
question or subject and portions of the answer were not specifically appropriate 
to the research question asked.
4. Some portions of interview answers were asked to be kept in 
confidence; especially when discussing some specific brand names or clients.
. The transcribed pages of the interview question responses and some 
basic background information were reviewed and analyzed. Specific quotes and 
selected relevant responses were considered and/or included in Chapter 4 of 
the dissertation. The criteria used to evaluate whether or not an answer was 
considered or quoted in the study results was simply whether or not it answered 
the interview question.
16
Delimitations
Some information pertaining to this study was as follows:
1. The study was limited to a specific number of advertising agencies, 
corporations, and production companies throughout the United States.
2. The study was limited to a specific group of advertising agencies, 
corporations, and production companies throughout the United States.
The majority of respondents from the two groups mentioned above were from 
the Hollywood and greater Los Angeles, California area.
The reasons for the above two limitations were as follows:
The researcher’s professional work in feature films, television commercials and 
print ad campaigns have offered her access to professional people that are 
normally extremely difficult, if not impossible, to access. This work experience 
was helpful in providing her with a "door" from which to enter in order to gain 
the type of information requested in this study. Without the personal contact, it 
was highly probable that the many professionals the study sought out would 
have been "too busy" to concern themselves with the study or find time to 
respond. In fact, even with the personal contacts, that very problem was a 
constant delay factor for this study.
Specifically, the researcher has worked as a professional free-lancer with 
a number of television commercial production companies that have been hired 
to film a wide variety of television commercials both in and out of Montana.
17
These professional experiences have given the researcher an opportunity to 
work with, be an active part of, and objectively observe first hand the method 
by which television commercials are actually made while on location. This has 
also allowed the researcher to work with numerous production company 
professionals and to interact with both advertising agency and corporate 
personnel. Because of this experience, the researcher has basic professional 
knowledge that helps in interacting with film, television, advertising, and 
corporate professionals in the field. It was also a benefit in helping accomplish 
the goals and objectives of the study. As stated previously, these work 
experiences were a positive influence in providing interaction and accessibility 
to the professional people in television commercial advertising and production
Definition of Terms
V
There were a variety of terms that needed to be defined for the study. 
They were included here because many educators were unfamiliar with the 
definitions as they related to the film, television, and commercial industry. The 
terms listed below and defined in this section were by Fridell (1986) and 
Flexner and Hauck (1987):
Advertising - "The art or practice of calling public attention to one’s 
product, service, need, etc., esp. by paid announcements in newspapers and 
magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc.: to get more customers 
by advertising" (Flexner & Hauck, p. 29).
18
Agency - "The advertising agency employed by the client to develop an 
advertising campaign" (Fridell, p. 154).
Assistant Director (A.D.) - "This stands for the assistant director, who is 
in charge of many things and is your on-and-off-the-set liaison with the director" 
(Fridell, p. 154). This person works as a freelance hire for the production 
company.
Cameraman - "A person who operates a camera, esp. a movie or 
television camera" (Flexner & Hauck, p. 300). This person works as a freelance 
hire for the production company.
Client - "The company that owns the product or service for sale" (Fridell, 
p. 154).
Commercial - "Prepared, done or acting with sole or chief emphasis on 
saleability, profit or success: a commercial product. . . . Suitable or fit for a 
wide, popular market. . . . Paid for by advertisers: commercial television. . . .  A 
paid advertisement or promotional announcement" (Flexner & Hauck, p. 411).
Director - "The person responsible for the interpretative aspects of a 
stage, film or television production; the person who supervises the integration of 
all the elements, as acting, staging and lighting, required to realize the writer’s 
conception" (Flexner & Hauck, p. 559). This person works as a freelance hire 
for the production company. "The person in charge of the shoot. This person 
may also operate the camera. The director usually works for (or owns) the 
production company" (Fridell, p. 154).
19
Producer - "This term can mean a lot of different things. There can be a 
client producer, an agency producer, and a productiomcompany producer all 
working on one commercial" (Fridell, p. 154). There may be an advertising 
agency producer as well as a production company freelance producer. "A 
person responsible for the financial and administrative aspects of a stage, film, 
television, or radio production; the person who exercises general supervision of 
a production and is responsible chiefly for raising money, hiring technicians and 
artists, etc., required to stage a play, make a motion picture, or the like" • 
(Flexner & Hauck, p. 1544).
Production Company/House - "The company that was hired to shoot the 
commercial" (Fridell, p. 154).
The above mentioned definitions provided a clear understanding of terms 
that were relevant to the remainder of the research information and data. 
Chapters 2 through 5 also provided more specific information which pertained 
to the study.
It was important to remember that research may be found in a variety of 
forms; some more non-traditional than others. Such was the case with this 
interview study of television commercials and learning. According to Merriam 
(1991):
Research is broadly defined as systematic or disciplined inquiry; 
that is, it is a purposeful, systematic process by which we know 
more about something than we did before engaging in the 
process, . . . The knowledge that is produced through research is a 
function of the questions the researcher asks and the methods the
20
researcher uses to answer those questions. . . .  In adult education,
. . .  we observe something that puzzles us, we wonder about it, we 
want to know why it is the way it is, we ask whether something 
can be done to change it, and so o n . . . .  However, what one 
person is curious about or mystified by may not be what puzzles 
others. . . . The questions raised and methods used are functions 
of the researcher’s worldview, (p. 43)
Organization of the Research Report
The report was organized into five chapters with a bibliography and 
appendices. Chapter I included the introduction, statement of the problem, 
purpose of the study, the influence of television, the link between advertising- 
teaching-learning, general methodology, limitations, delimitations, definition of 
terms, and organization of the research report. Chapter 2 consisted of the 
review of related literature which included learning, teaching, television’s 
influence on learning, advertising, television, commercials and teaching, the 
future, and a summary. Chapter 3 explained the study methodology, study 
design, population, selection procedures, development of the interview 
questions, conducting the research, data collection technique, and treatment of 
the data. Chapter 4 offered an analysis of the data which consisted of the 
question and rationale, responses of clients, advertising agencies, and production 
company professionals, and the relevance to educators. Chapter 5 contained 
findings, conclusions, recommendations, the future, and further research areas.
21
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter reviewed literature that was concerned with the areas of 
learning, teaching, television’s influence on learning, advertising, the cost of 
advertising, television, commercials and teaching, the future, associations and 
awards, and a summary. Educational researchers have spent years examining 
the human learning process and have approached it from a wide variety of 
viewpoints. Traditionally, they looked at factors influencing learning such as 
teachers, classrooms, students, environmental influences, achievement, aptitude, 
and academic success. They have studied the relationships between these 
variables and other extraneous influences.
Learning
Learning was an important component of this research study. It was 
critical that the reader understand the issues and concerns which related to 
learning. Seldom do students learn merely for the sake of learning. Usually 
adults learn because what they are studying is interesting and useful to the 
individual. Knowles and Houle have both explored this area and have come to 
similar conclusions. Knowles (1984) noted that adult learners tend to be
22
self-directed and that their own personal experiences, readiness, outlook and
motivation towards learning were important influences (pp. 9-12). Another
researcher, Piskurich (1993), expanded upon adult learners and their activities
when he maintained that such activities may come in a variety of forms:
Individualized instruction, prescriptive learning, self-instructional 
packages, programmed learning, computer-mediated instruction, 
contract learning, computer-based training, interactive video, and a 
dozen other terms are used interchangeably with self-directed 
learning, (p. I)
Learning may occur in a multitude of settings and/or environments.
Dressel (1980) understood that theories of teaching and learning could
be quite varied when he noted, "There are many and contrasting views about
the nature of human learning and the efficacy of various teaching methods and
learning experiences which expedite whatever learning is desired" (p. 9). It all
depends upon the message that is intended to reach the learner and the
methods utilized in the process. Learning definitely involves more than merely
reading books. According to Freire (1985):
The act of study, in sum, is an attitude toward the world. . . . The 
act of study should not be measured by the number of pages read 
in one night or the quantity of books read in a semester. To 
study is not to consummate ideas, but to create and re-create 
them. (pp. 3-4)
He tended to have a global view of studying and education for the masses.
"For Freire, education includes and moves beyond the notion for schooling. 
Schools represent only one important site where education takes place, where 
men and women both produce and are the product Of specific social and
23
pedagogical relations" (Freire-Forward by Giroux, 1985, p. xiii). In many ways, 
Freire’s thoughts reflect the ideals of many adult educators across the nation. 
Such ideas also correspond with the ideals of lifelong learning for society at 
large.
Ultimately, the student, learner or viewer shares the responsibility for a
successful educational or learning experience. As Wilson (1965) wrote:
We must always make clear to prospective students one simple 
fact: The education a student gets depends much more on his 
own aptitudes, interest, resolution and dedication than on the 
college he happens to attend. We must help students to see that, 
wherever they go, they will get what their interest, ability and 
resolution deserve. No college gives any student an education; it 
gives him only an opportunity to acquire one. (p. 259)
Allen Tough is an adult educator that specializes in adults and
self-directed learning. He has often taken a leadership role in examining
research areas that were new to the adult education field. Tough recognized
the importance of examining learning where it occurred; even in non-traditional
learning areas. As Brocket! and Hiemstra (1991) noted about Tough, "He
found that learners prefer to assume considerable responsibility for planning
and directing their learning activities if given the choice" (p. 9). Learners
wanted to take an active role in their own lives and educational experiences; no
matter how small or insignificant this may seem to others.
Professionals in the adult education community are aware of a
responsibility for professional educators to examine or research areas that
24
impact adult learning. This includes non-traditional interview studies such as 
this research project.
Adult educators are responsible for the professional vision they project 
regarding learning. Knowles (1985) wrote, "The leadership of the adult 
education movement in this country has historically come from its practitioners. 
Accordingly, the literature of the field has been concerned predominantly with 
principles of good practice" (p. viii). This researcher’s study upheld the ideals 
of good practice and simultaneously examined one of the diverse and lesser 
examined areas of learning and television commercial advertising. Boone 
(1985) appeared to support this position when he stated that, "The diversity that 
characterizes adult education is one of the field’s major strengths. . . .  In daily 
practice, adult education serves a vast array of adult audiences through an 
almost equally broad variety of programs and institutions" (p. ix).
Education and learning is important because it provides a wide variety 
of benefits to people from all walks of life. The medium of television and 
television commercials are capable of reaching people, educating them and 
helping them learn. This research report explored the existence of such 
possibilities.
"Every new generation of Americans is assured that it is the smartest, the 
best educated, the most idealistic ever" (Crawford, 1970, p. 307). For some 
members of our current society, Aiken (1967) noted that "Education is to get 
where you can start to learn" (p. 89). What was true then is still true now.
25
This research project has allowed for the discovery of something about the 
masses as well as short-term or 30 to 60 second learning.
Teaching
Teaching was an important component of this research study. It was 
necessary for the reader to understand some general issues, beliefs and 
background about teaching as it related to the study. Teaching is not an exact 
science. Some teachers have observed that it is more of an ability to capture 
the attention of students and motivate them to learn. Others teachers believe it 
is an extraordinary ability to impart knowledge and simultaneously allow 
students to enjoy the learning experience.
Research shows that people have different learning styles and learning 
preferences. Jarvis (1992) specifically mentioned nonreflective types of learning 
such as memorization, the learning of skills and incidental learning (pp. 74-75). 
Such tasks relate to the learning that accompanies the viewing of television 
commercials because they often utilize those three types of learning. He also 
discussed reflective learning which included contemplation, experimentation, and 
reflective skills (p. 77). The latter three seem to be less commonly found when 
viewing television commercials. Teachers need to keep this relationship 
between information processing, teaching, and learning in mind at all times. 
McKeachie (1988) identified some important insights for teachers when he 
examined a person’s information processing and/or learning and broke it down
26
into five areas which included "senses-attention—perception-working memory- 
long-term memory" (p. 6). If a teacher is aware of such relationships it may 
help them reach their students in a more effective manner. Hart (1992) also 
was interested in the relationship between "a learning rhythm which alternates 
between short-term learning processes where information is gathered and 
accumulated . . . and long-term learning processes where . . . the parameters of 
experience itself are transformed" (p. 214). The above mentioned research 
provided another link which enables the teacher to be more aware regarding 
the importance of the student learning process.
There are a variety of methods or approaches for teachers to use in 
teaching. Of course, some teachers are more successful in achieving their goals 
than others. Teachers or instructors who are successful and demonstrate 
teaching excellence are often in demand. Overall, the teacher’s goal is to 
impart knowledge and promote student learning.
What constitutes teaching excellence is debatable. Lowman (1991) 
touched on many traditional views of successful teaching techniques and 
mentions that recollections regarding a masterful teacher include some sort of 
interaction with students:
The images all convey a sense of impact, of an instructor having a 
potentially profound effect on the students. In each, the students 
are emotionally as well as intellectually stimulated by the 
proceedings, whether as members of an audience or in one-to-one 
relationships (p. 2).
27
He also went on to suggest that classrooms resemble dramatic arenas. In 
one sense, it is a comparison of teachers to actors. Lowman (1991) believed 
that in this dramatic arena successful teachers were good at fully captivating 
their audience of students, capturing their "attention and stimulating their 
emotions" and that this ". . . has long been a universal part of human 
experience. People today seek out a wide range of theatrical experiences . . . 
just as people always have . . . instructors play themselves rather than having 
assigned parts as actors do" (pp. 72-73). The results might even be called 
instilling/conveying excitement or some passionate interest in the topic or 
subject. If all of this is accomplished, learning becomes a more memorable 
experience for the student. Enthusiasm, interest, and attention are extremely 
important. On this basis, it appears that teaching and advertising share a 
common bond.
Apparently, there was some wisdom to be gained from the acting field. 
This information might be transferred directly to the teaching situation. As 
Lowman (1991) pointed out, "Any good actress or actor knows the importance 
of entrances and exits to capturing the audience’s attention. College teachers 
should also note the way they enter a classroom" (p. 88). Thus, it is important 
for instructors to immediately set the tone or mood.
This study maintains that it is the same in teaching as in television 
commercials. There is a beginning, middle, and end to each lesson or segment;
28
whether it is 30 seconds, 60 seconds or 60 minutes. Every second or minute 
counts. It is important to capture the learner or viewer’s attention.
Lowman (1991) also suggested that "Speaking clearly with variety and 
projection helps to engage an audience; so does movement. An additional 
quality easily as important as these is eye contact" (p. 88). In other words, as a 
teacher, never underestimate the influence of eye contact. Do not be afraid to 
look directly into the eyes of the students as it will draw them into what you are 
doing. It also puts pressure on them to be accountable and participate. In 
turn, students become more focused because of the instructor’s own projected 
intensity and enthusiasm.
Teachers as well as actors should be concerned with audience contact. 
Referring to actors, instructors and audience contact, Lowman (1991) 
commented that they "are acutely aware of the necessity of maintaining that 
fragile connection between themselves and the audience. . . . The delicate visual 
bond so critical to facilitating understanding between instructors and students 
requires constant cultivation and protection" (pp. 89-90).
Business and advertising professionals set minimum performance levels 
as do teachers and instructors. Whether information is committed to short-term 
or long-term memory will vary with the individual learner and his or her own 
personal needs or priorities. This is somewhat dependent upon the importance 
that the individual learner places on the incoming information and whether or 
not they determine that it holds a relevance or need to their lives. Presentation
29
quality, learner desire, and learner satisfaction also play an important role in 
whether material is remembered and learned.
At the same time, teachers need to be concerned with the goals and 
growth of their students. "The development of emotional maturity and the 
formation of identity is crucial if the student is to be capable of becoming a 
mature learner and able to adopt a deep-level approach to learning" (Wright, 
1982, p. 158). One researcher suggested that teachers are the ones who need to 
become more approachable in order to facilitate such learning and maturity in 
their students. Rothman (1977) believed, "Teachers should unmask themselves, 
admit into consciousness the idea that one does not need to know everything 
there is to know and one does not have to pretend to know everything there is 
to know" (p. 273).
There is pressure across the nation for our public schools to change. 
Experts cry out that America’s public education system is outdated. There is an 
urgent need for restructuring. As the Associated Press (AP) (1993) reported, 
Comer told the Montana Education Association yearly convention, "Our schools 
have been designed for a different purpose and a different time. . . . Everything 
else has changed, but our schools have remained virtually the same" (p. 5). As 
such, they have become unresponsive to the current needs of the students in 
numerous schools across the state and nation. It is truly time for some 
innovative, creative, and challenging alternatives to rise to the forefront of
30
education. This provided the researcher with yet another reason to explore the 
non-traditional study of television commercials and learning.
Perhaps the fact that there is no teacher to be faced when one views a 
television commercial has an impact on viewer learning. It is a safe 
environment. There is no pressure or need for the viewer to perform well. 
There is no immediate evaluation or test. The viewer is in control and decides 
whether they want to pay attention or not. There is no discipline nor failure. 
For some of those viewers, learning just happens. It is possible that they even 
enjoy that type of learning experience and environment; a form of self-directed 
learning.
Television’s Influence on Learning in Our Society
Today’s American society looks for immediate gratification and 
immediate learning experiences. Our lifestyles reflect these subtle changes. 
Now, more than ever, students expect to be entertained. They often complain 
of being "bored" or a teacher isn’t being "interesting" enough. The student’s 
living and learning environment has changed and so have their individual 
expectations.
Whether they admit it or not, teachers are in competition with the world 
of electronic games, computers, videos, movies, television, and commercials. 
Students of all ages may be immediately entertained at the push of a button. If 
they do not like what they hear or see, they push a button and achieve instant
31
change or gratification. They may view something else or do something else to 
keep their interest level challenged. Davis (1993) found that in 1991 "nearly 
90% of homes used remote-control zappers" (p. 223). The use of the remote 
control allows the viewer to develop an impatient habit called "channel surfing" 
or "channel changing." It gives the viewer instant control even to the point of 
turning off all sound by "muting." It is a phenomenon which directly affects 
television commercial advertisers, television commercials and viewers. There is 
now a demand to make television commercials even more visually entertaining, 
interesting, fast paced, and/or educational in order to meet the growing needs 
and demands of the American public.
The "catch all" phrase for a portion of this impatient, demanding, and 
high expectancy group is the "MTV Generation." William Link, producer and 
award winning writer, accurately expressed the dilemma when he stated to 
Stuart (1993), "Everything is becoming streamlined now. . . . There’s too much 
going on in their lives. It’s the MTV generation; give it to us quick and we got 
it, onto the next" (p. 181). In the same book, Ron Shusett, executive producer 
of Alien, addresses the issue when he stated, "You damn well better have a 
high powered concept to blow the audience’s mind or else the MTV generation 
is going to get bored" (p. 184).
Teachers in a traditional classroom do not change with the push of a 
button. They are entrenched in the slow-to-change formal institution of 
education. The typical classroom does not have the flexibility to change as
32
quickly as the societal environment experienced outside the classroom. The 
specifics of subject matter and course content are as important and influential 
as the individual teacher. So, teachers are faced with a new dilemma. How 
might they reach their students in new ways, keep their attention, and teach 
them at the same time? How do they adapt their conservative educational 
institution to incorporate some "new" ideas? Can teachers or schools afford to 
make some of these potential changes? These and many other questions can 
only be answered by individuals and research projects that ask questions and 
move in new directions that educators don’t normally consider. The goal of this 
study was to examine new directions and suggestions for learning via a 
somewhat non-traditional project. The results of the research study offered 
some interesting results and recommendations regarding learning and some of 
the previously mentioned problems and dilemmas that are being faced by 
today’s adult educators.
Advertising
It was important to this study for the reader to understand the general 
ideas, background, goals and concerns of the advertising industry in American 
society. Advertising principles, in general, have a direct influence on the 
development of television commercial advertising which was an intricate portion 
of this interview study.
33
Advertising is a lucrative business and is dependent upon success. 
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent each year on market surveys, 
advertising campaigns and the creation of new images for products. The goal? 
Teach the consumer/viewer something new and get them to buy the product.
As Barry (1990) suggested, "Never include an ad that does not stress a positive , 
and specific benefit meaningful to the consumer" (p. 16). In doing so, teach 
them to recognize the product, commit it to memory and change their buying 
behavior/loyalty. In many cases, this involves capturing a person’s attention, 
showing the product, being repetitive, influencing one’s memoiy and selling the 
product. According to Ogilvy (1985), "People who register a change in brand 
preference after seeing a commercial subsequently buy the product three times 
more than people who don’t" (p. 103). In this case, the presentation of 
information paid off with more than learning something new.
Advertising has played a very important role in society for years, if not 
centuries. "As early as 3,000 B.C. Babylonian merchants hired barkers to shout 
their wares to passersby" (Pattis, 1990, p. 2). The same source maintains that 
advertising existed in the fifteenth and seventeenth century. Pattis (1990) went 
on to explain a big advertising change that occurred and provided a basis for 
the current advertising agency when "in the late 1860’s, a man by the name of 
N.W. Ayer changed the whole advertising system . . .  he hired writers, artists, 
and other creative people . . .  his firm could create advertising . . .  he brought a 
measure of respectability to the profession" (p. 3).
34
Edmonds (1982) noted:
We tend to forget how new both of these media-film and 
television—are. Film in 1980 was barely eighty-five years old, and 
in the same year, television in America was barely thirty years old.
They are the children among the media, (p. 174)
As young as they may be, however, film and television are now very evident in
our society. Television has the networks, cable channels and satellite dishes
which provide immediate access to various cultural, educational and world
events.
The twentieth century also brought with it drastic changes in the form of
technological advances. Suddenly, radios, television, and computers became
everyday items that almost every family in America either owned or had access
to. Cable television and home shopping shows are now everyday entertainment.
The available markets for advertising to tap are absolutely incredible.
Television opened up great possibilities for advertisers. The 
ability to reach millions of households with a visual image led to 
unprecedented growth in the advertising industry . . . the magazine 
with the nation’s largest circulation is TV Guide . . .  a 
thirty-second commercial on prime-time TV-which costs anywhere 
. from $50,000 up to $500,000-may be seen by 50 million people at 
the exact same time. Special events, such as the Super Bowl, are 
seen by as many as 100 million people. (Pattis, 1990, p. 5)
The depth and reach of advertising is astounding and its magnitude to reach
and teach the masses is incredible. Communications technology has come a
long way and it holds an exciting future.
According to the definition of advertising, the purpose and use is far
reaching. Pattis (1990) stated, "As one can see, there are many purposes for
M35
advertising, but the main goal is to motivate and persuade people to buy a 
particular product or service" (p. I). Over the years, advertisers have used a 
wide variety of methods to reach their targeted advertising audiences. The 
common methods included the newspaper, magazines, radio, and television. Of 
course, the latter was the most important one that pertained to this study.
It was also important that the reader understand the cost and extent of 
expenditures pertaining to advertising. A  list of sources and financial costs for 
various advertising projects were included as a quick reference in the appendix. 
This list gave the reader an understanding of how expensive, pervasive, 
powerful, and far reaching advertising could be. Adult education, and 
education in general, typically does not have the proportionate amount of 
spending available for their projects as does a 30 or 60 second television 
commercial. An examination of the costs of advertising reveals the major 
spending statistics of many television commercial projects.
Television. Commercials, and Teaching
The 30 second television commercial may be viewed as a microcosm of 
the teaching process. In a very short time frame commercials capture the 
attention of the viewers and, if successful, elicit a response and/or a change in 
behavior. Specifically, advertisers want the buyer to purchase their product.
Similarly, teachers are faced with the same sort of task. They need to 
capture the attention of their students, present a concept or idea and teach
36
them something new or reinforce an idea. Ultimately, they too enlighten or 
change ideas, attitudes, and behaviors. Again, teachers and advertising appear 
to share a common standard goal. They both measure their progress by 
success. At times, they learn from their failures.
Television has been successfully used for various learning activities. 
Depending on the audience and goal, television may be advantageous to use 
over other types of media. Advertisers have frequently chosen the television 
commercial as a means to reach the masses. Some television programs, 
infomercials, and/or television commercials do provide learning experiences for 
people. However, the type and quality of the learning experience would greatly 
differ between what is learned in a television commercial as compared to a 
television program. Even with television programming, there is a vast 
difference between what is educational and what is not. Seaman and Fellenz 
(1989, p. 76) noted, "Television is widely used today . . . "  referring to adult 
learning activities. They go on to state, "A number of presentation strategies 
are suitable for instructional applications through television" (Seaman &
Fellenz, 1989, p. 77). Although they were not specifically referring to 
commercials, the researcher believes their ideas easily carried over into the 
medium of television commercials, learning, and communication.
The Future
The future will include more electronic technology than Americans 
utilize today. There will be tremendous amounts of information available upon 
demand. It comes to the user via their television set using fiber optic phone 
and cable television lines. Five hundred channel capabilities (although they all 
may not be utilized), an electronic information superhighway, and interactive 
television are not far away for the everyday person at home with a television 
set. Pacific Telesis jumped on the information superhighway when it was 
publicized in The Hollywood Reporter (1993) that "Pacific Telesis is investing 
$16 billion over seven years in a fiber optic superhighway that will allow 
subsidiary Pacific Bell to deliver voice, video and interactive services to 
California homes through a single wire" (Week In Review, p. 51).
Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter (1994) announced that, 
"Telephone company US West Inc. . . . will spend $750 million over the next 
two years to build multimedia networks serving customers" (Tobenkin, p. 4). 
Paths of communication are changing and they bring with them the ability to 
change our lifestyles as well as education and lifestyles for future generations. 
Education and entertainment will be a stimulating, viewer participant activity; 
no longer will television viewing be a passive experience. Currently, many 
interactive games, books and movies are already available and on the market
37
38
via CD’s (compact disks). All of this is or will be available for homes, schools 
and/or business.
Television will play a new role in the home. According to Maney (1993), 
"It’s ready to drag couch potatoes, businesses and the whole economy into an 
age when we’ll make video phone calls, tap into Harvard’s library from rural 
classrooms, and teach our TV sets to find what we like and fetch it (p. 1A).
An example of specific capabilities were "if a high school music student in Joe, 
Mont., wanted to research the history of the tuba, the TV/computer could 
search university libraries around the world, retrieve the documents and store 
them" (p. 2A). Interactive television offers a future where people will be able 
to access enormous amounts of information, be provided with a wide range of 
choices and have the power to control their own learning. Individuals will have 
random access to programming; precisely when you want or need it and 
according to what interests you.
The technology is expected to be available to everyone at minimal costs; 
including small, rural schools and low income families. According to Spotnitz 
(1993):
Experts say that within three to five years, many viewers will have 
’switched’ televisions. Rather than sifting through the hundreds of 
broadcasts . . . viewers will be able to pick and choose which 
broadcasts and services they want from a central electronic library. 
Communication with their televisions will travel in both directions 
(p. S-8).
IS.
Another technological advance, the ability to read captions while 
watching television, is already available. New televisions today have closed 
caption capabilities. Yant (1993) commented on the immediate possibilities 
when writing that, "For the estimated 30 million immigrants learning English, 
the 27 million illiterate adults and the 12 million schoolchildren learning to 
read, captioning could turn TV into a . . . 24-hour classroom" (p. A-13). Yant 
continued on and reported that some ESL teachers have already tried using 
television in this manner and were pleased with the results and believed it to be 
a real motivator. The secret? Turn off the sound to the television set and 
allow the viewer to follow along by reading. Simple but very effective.
IBM has already invested in the future of this new technology. They 
commissioned Bob Abel, an extremely successful documentary and television 
commercial professional (winner of Emmy awards as well as 33 Clio Awards), 
to develop a major interactive multimedia project. He and his company, 
Synapse Technologies, Inc., "went on to develop, with IBM as a partner, the 
largest interactive multimedia educational project ever, COLUMBUS: 
ENCOUNTER, DISCOVERY & BEYOND. The project contains over 5 hours 
of video, 11 hours of audio, 4,500 ’articles,’ and over a million cognitive, 
conceptual links . . ." (Abel, 1993, p. I). The project cost to IBM was 
$5 million dollars.
The program was designed for use in schools across the nation. It allows 
for customized learning according to individual interests and preferences by
39
iaccessing information in a new manner. Individual choices determine what you 
learn next. You, the user, actually control your own personal learning 
destination by navigating through the options. Computers, laser discs, and 
interactive multimedia; the present and future learning opportunity. It should 
be noted that Bob Abel is also working on projects for the Smithsonian Air and 
Space Museum as well as the Air Force Academy. Abel and Synapse 
Technologies are on the cutting edge of development in this rapidly growing 
field.
40
Does America need interactive television and an information 
superhighway? Trip Hawkins offered insight in an interview with Tierney 
(1993) that noted:
The practical fact is that we like to interact. It’s how we learn.
You know, we learn by doing; in other words - that old Chinese 
proverb - 1 hear and I forget. I see and I remember, I do and I 
understand. People need to do things, (p. S-39)
If the new technology increases the opportunity for people to interact and learn,
it also promises to be an exciting and interesting communication tool.
D’Antona (1993) summarized it well when he wrote:
Learning how to manipulate this technology is quickly becoming a 
responsibility. It is inevitable that interactivity will permeate most 
things we do: how we educate ourselves, how we educate others, 
how we retrain our work force, how we select tonight’s TV 
programming, how we advertise, (p. 4)
Communications, television, information, and technology appear to be the
future of education and entertainment.
u y
. 41 
Summary
There were a variety of components that needed to be drawn together in 
order to organize this interview research study. It was necessary to examine 
four areas which were not typically grouped together. The four areas were: 
advertising, teaching, learning, and television commercials. This chapter 
presented relevant research to set the stage for the interpretation of the 
interview study results.
In the next chapter, the methodology of the study was explored and in 
doing so the reader experienced a closer examination of television commercial 
advertising, advertising agencies, advertising clients, and commercial production 
companies. Through it all, there was significant evidence that the 30 to 60 
second television commercial was worthy of studying.
42
CHAPTER 3 
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this chapter was to explain the methods and procedures 
used to conduct and complete this study. The researcher decided to use a 
naturalistic approach to the study in order to be open to the varied insights that 
the responses of the interview participants provided. The case study interview 
method was the primary technique used in gathering information for the study.
The purpose of the interview study was to examine potential teaching 
and/or learning applications or insights for adult educators that the study might 
offer. Those involved in the creation and production of the 30 to 60 second 
television commercial were interviewed. The researcher asked 17 interview 
study questions of each of the 25 individual interview participants.
This chapter contains seven sections: (I) the study design, (2) the 
population, (3) selection procedures, (4) development of the interview 
questionnaire, (5) conducting the research, (6) data collection technique, and 
(7) treatment of the data.
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43
The Study Design
The study was designed to be primarily an interview study. Three major 
groups that are actively involved in the creation and production of television 
commercials were interviewed. Those groups included (I) the advertising client, 
(2) the advertising agency, and (3) the film/commercial production company. 
The researcher examined the answers and information that was provided by 
representatives from these three groups. In doing so, similarities and 
differences were noted by comparing and contrasting the interview participants’ 
responses and replies. The researcher also looked for any effect that the 
interaction of the three groups might have in producing the finished product or 
television commercial.
. A thorough analysis of the responses was included. Attention was paid 
to discover whether the various interview participants believed that actual 
teaching and/or learning occurred in a television commercial. The researcher 
also looked for any specific steps, goals or techniques that this might 
encompass. Finally, those recommendations or insights that would be 
applicable to those involved in the teaching and learning process were
examined.
44
Population
The study population consisted of the following three major groups:
1. The advertising client. This consisted of a business, major 
corporation, or specific product to be marketed. In this study, it included 
mailing interview packets to and/or approaching advertising clients/products 
such as E. Sc I. Gallo-Totfs Champagne, RJR/Nabisco-Fleischmann’s 
Margarine, Yamaha Motorcycles, Cadillac Automobiles, Saturn Cars and 
Coca-Cola.
A  sample of job titles for people included in the advertising client group 
included: Director of Commercial Production, Advertising Sales and 
Promotion, Head of Client Advertising Services.
2. The advertising agency. This was the agency specifically hired by the 
client to carry out an advertising campaign. Although overall advertising 
campaigns are frequently completed in more than one media area, this study 
only focused on the television commercial component. Nationally known 
agencies that were sent interview packets for this study included J. Walter 
Thompson, Hal Riney Sc Associates, DDB Needham, Stem Advertising, Wieden 
Sc Kennedy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and other agencies.
A sample of job titles for people included in the advertising agency 
group included: Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Director, Writer, 
Advertising Agency Owner.
45
3. The film/commercial production company. The production company 
supplies all of the technical personnel for the actual commercial filming of the 
product. This is done on a sound stage or oftentimes on location. The crew 
includes the producer, director, director of photography, lighting personnel, and 
so on. It is the director who has an artistic or creative vision of how the 
commercial should look in the medium of film. This vision might easily be the 
same or somewhat different than the view of the client or the advertising 
agency. Making it all come together is an integral part of the creative process 
of film.
Production companies that were sent interview packets for this study 
included HKM Productions, RSA-USA, Inc., HSI Productions, Pytka, Barry 
Dukoff & Associates, Propaganda Films, Inc., Sandbank & Partners, Porter 
McNamara Films, Zuma Films, and others.
A sample of job titles for people included in the production company 
group included: Executive Producer, Head of Production, Producer, Director, 
Director/Cameraman, Assistant Director, Producer /Assistant Director, 
Production Coordinator/Manager, Production Coordinator/Assistant Director, 
Assistant Production Coordinator.
Interviews were conducted with various personnel from each of these 
three major groups. In doing so, the researcher utilized the expertise of key 
people from a variety of the above mentioned groups. Each person’s
46
professional role was examined as well as their influence and interaction with 
the creation and production of a television commercial advertising campaign.
Selection Procedures
The researcher interviewed key professionals in specific jobs from the 
three groups of advertising clients, advertising agencies and television 
commercial production companies. Some of the groups chosen for the study 
were ones that the researcher had already had contact with on a professional 
basis. This greatly increased the chances of their participation in the study. 
Additionally, some groups that the researcher had not worked with previously 
were also invited to participate.
The selected potential participants from each of the three groups were 
contacted individually when the researcher mailed them a packet which 
contained four items. Within the packet of materials, the study was explained 
and potential participants were asked whether they were willing to participate in 
the interview study. If they agreed, they were to call the researcher and 
schedule a mutually convenient interview time. The exact time and location 
differed for every participant. All personal interviews were tape recorded and 
the interviewer also took some written notes.
In some instances, when these professionals were unavailable to 
participate in the study, the researcher asked for a personal referral to someone 
else who was qualified and might be available to participate. Although very
47
limited, such referrals were then actively pursued. When the interviews ended, 
the researcher had 25 participants involved in the study.
Development of the Interview Questionnaire
The development of the specific interview questions was completed with 
the specific input of Dr. Robert Fellenz, Dr. Bill Neff, and Dr. Dennis Aig. 
Committee members Dr. Richard Horswill and Dr. Douglas Herbster also 
reviewed the interview questions before the actual interviews started.
The questionnaire had three general headings under which the 17 
questions were grouped. The three areas relating to the television commercial 
were: advertising, teaching-learning, and production. There were both general 
and specific questions. The interview questions were as follows:
Television Commercial Advertising
1. What do you see as the advantage of utilizing television commercials 
over other media avenues?
2. What are the most important goals of television commercial 
advertising?
3. How do you target various audiences for your marketing campaign?
4. What are some of the specific marketing strategies for the 
television commercials you make?
IL
I
The Teaching-Learning Process
5. Do you believe "teaching" and "learning" occurs from watching 
television commercials? If so, how?
6. How do you capture the viewer’s attention and make a commercial 
interesting?
7. What techniques do you use to help viewers "remember" your 
commercial?
8. How do you decide on the visual imagery and/or techniques you use 
in the commercial?
9. How do you decide on the sound track portion of the commercial?
10. Are there basic structural components you utilize in developing a 
television commercial? If so, what are they?
11. What techniques do you use in the television commercial to change 
the viewers behavior and/or attitude?
Television Commercial Production
12. What recent technological advances in cinematography, editing 
and/or special effects techniques influence the advertising message of television 
commercials?
13. How are your ideas and/or commercials "unique" or "different" than 
anyone else’s?
14. Who has the final say as to what goes into the television
48
commercial?
49
15. Name two of your favorite television commercials. Why do you 
think you like and remember them?
16. What is the importance of the CLIO awards and/or inclusion in the 
AICP/MOMA Show—"The Art and Technique of the American Television 
Commercial"?
17. Do you have any information, observations, techniques or insights 
that would be helpful for teachers so they might incorporate your ideas into the 
teaching-learning situation?
Note: It is important to remember that, in the traditional sense, teaching 
and learning may occur exclusive of each other. Not all television commercials 
are expected to include teaching or learning as a goal. Teaching and 
advertising is not necessarily the same. There is a difference between some of 
the goals of advertising and teachers. Television commercials have a definite 
sense of immediacy which must be fulfilled. Adult educators and television 
commercials are not working under the exact same constraints. Adult educators 
are also expected to utilize educational strategies or techniques which lead to 
more in-depth learning than is expected of a television commercial.
Conducting the Research
In November of 1992, the researcher traveled to Los Angeles, California 
and began the interview phase of the research project. The Hollywood/Los 
Angeles area is the major west coast center for the production of television,
Jl
television commercials, and film projects in the United States. The researcher 
needed to travel to that area in order to be taken seriously by the professionals 
in the industry. It was also necessary to travel there to actually meet with 
people and complete the individual interviews. The researcher ultimately 
traveled to the Hollywood/Los Angeles area on three different occasions in 
order to complete the interview study because of the difficulty that professionals 
in the industry had in finding time to schedule an interview time. The 
professionals of this industry work in a hectic and fast-paced environment.
Packets were sent out to some of the most successful and well-known 
people in the television commercial industry. The packets consisted of four 
items: a cover letter, press release, the questionnaire, and the researcher’s film 
and television resume. All of the individuals sent packets were experienced 
with national television commercials and the products which they have 
advertised could be easily recognized by most consumers. Many of these 
professionals have also been affiliated with award winning campaigns. The 
study attempted to contact the "best of the best." There were also many other 
extremely successful industry people who were not contacted for this study.
The three main groups (production houses, advertising agencies, and 
clients) received mailings from the researcher. A variety of production houses 
were sent 32 interview packets in November of 1992. Twenty-seven interview 
packets were sent out to advertising agencies in January of 1993. Six interview 
packets were sent out to clients in January of 1993. A total of 65 interview
50
51
study packets were mailed out. The above mentioned mailings were staggered 
because of potential interview scheduling problems.
After the mailings were completed, the researcher started to receive 
telephone calls from those who had received the study packet. Most of those 
who called did so to express their interest in participating in the study. 
Respondents were given ten days in which to call after receiving the mailing 
packet. After that time, if they had not been heard from, then the potential 
study participant, individual, or company was contacted via telephone to confirm 
whether or not they would be participating in the study.
As mentioned previously, the television commercial advertising industry 
operates at a hectic pace. Oftentimes it was nearly impossible for people to
I
schedule interviews well in advance because of the professional’s heavily booked 
time schedule. The interviewer had to be very flexible about the timing/ 
scheduling of interviews and also be available on a moments notice to meet 
with people.
People seldom booked interviews very far in advance, and frequently it 
took many phone calls and some re-scheduling to accommodate their busy 
schedules. It is an industry where professionals work any hours that the project 
requires and also whenever the work is available. The booking of jobs could 
have changed at any given moment. Extreme flexibility on the part of the
researcher was essential.
52
Data Collection Technique
The preferred method of interview used in the study was that of "in 
person." However, there were two instances in which the people are 
unavailable for face-to-face interviews and they sent their written responses to 
the researcher.
The researcher met with the participant to be interviewed and went 
through the standard list of interview questions used in the study. Responses 
were audiotaped and then transcribed into a written form. The researcher also 
took notes in case there was a problem with the audiotaping.
Nineteen production house respondents were interviewed /participated 
out of 32 mailings. That was a 59.3% participation rate. There were five 
additional individuals who wanted to participate but were never able to 
coordinate schedules so they could be interviewed.
Four advertising agency respondents were interviewed/ participated out of 
27 mailings. That was a 14.8% participation rate. There were two additional 
individuals who wanted to participate but were unable to coordinate schedules 
so they could be interviewed.
Two advertising client respondents participated or were interviewed out 
of six mailings. That was a 33.3% participation rate. The total number of 
interview study participants equaled 25 out of 65 mailings for a 38.4% 
participation rate.
53
The specific breakdown of respondents within these three sub-groups 
were as follows:
Production houses had a total of 19 respondents.
4 Executive Producers 
I Head of Production
I Producer ^
3 Producers/ Assistant Directors 
I Production Coordinator/ Assistant Director 
3 Production Coordinators/Managers
1 Assistant Production Coordinator
2 Directors
2 Directors/ Cameramen 
I Assistant Director
Advertising agencies had a total of 4 respondents.
I Chairman/Chief Executive officer 
I Advertising Agency Owner (Former owner)
I Creative Director 
I Writer
Advertising clients had a total of 2 respondents.
I Advertising Sales and Promotions 
I Director of Commercial Production
IOf the 25 total respondents who were actually interviewed, 15 of them, or 60%, 
were known by the researcher.
Treatment of the Data
All interview responses were transcribed into typed copy. The 
information was then examined for similarities and differences so comparisons 
could be made. Any anecdotes considered important were noted. Short
quotations that offered valuable bits of information were marked. The
\
relationship of the answers to teaching and learning were always considered by 
the researcher to be of the utmost importance.
Some information gathered from the study needed to be converted into 
statistical percentages. These percentages were utilized when it was necessary 
to analyze and interpret the compiled data in that manner. Overall, a 
descriptive narrative approach was the method best suited for and used with 
this research study.
54
CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
The purpose of this interview study was to explore potential teaching 
and/or learning applications for adult educators that the 30 to 60 second 
television commercial might reveal. This study gathered insights that people 
involved in the television commercial industry were able to communicate by 
answering a specific list of 17 interview questions asked by the researcher. This 
information and individual responses were then linked to the field of education.
The study participants’ professional involvement in the television 
commercial industry was noted by discussing the number of years they had been 
working in the industry as well as providing a partial list of national television 
commercials they had worked on. This information may be found in the appendix.
The Format
The format for the full discussion of each interview question was as 
follows:
1. Actual Interview Question and Rationale.
2. Responses - Clients, Advertising Agencies, Production Companies.
3. Relevance to Educators.
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Responses to Interview Questions
There were 17 questions that respondents answered for the interview 
study. They were discussed one at a time.
Question #1 - Advantages of Utilizing 
Television Commercials
Interview Question. What do you see as the advantage of utilizing 
television commercials over other media avenues?
Rationale. Television commercials have the capability of reaching 
specific audience groups as well as large masses of people. In discovering the
I
advantages of television commercial advertising, could this help adult educators 
Ieam more about how to reach more learners?
Advertising Client Responses. According to the two clients interviewed, 
they use television commercial advertising because it enables them to reach a 
broad market and/or a large mass of people. They also mentioned that the 
repetitive use of a television commercial was advantageous. As one client 
explained,
The reason that we’re doing TV advertising this year is that we 
have the budget to do it, which we haven’t been able to in the 
past. . . . And we’re going to be able to reach a lot more people 
and a broader market than we would have been able to do with 
print. . . . We’re going to be on ESPN and ABC . . .  so we’re 
going to get a very large piece of the pie. (Interview Respondent #17)
Another client responded that the most important reasons for utilizing 
television commercial advertising is because of the "reach and visual elements 
and instantaneous nature of receiving information, entertainment" (Interview 
Respondent #24). Again, the need to reach a large group of people was 
mentioned.
Advertising Agency Responses. The advertising agency interview 
respondents seemed to agree on the advantages of using television commercials 
over other media avenues. Everyone concurred regarding the ability of 
television commercials to reach the masses in an efficient, quick and affordable 
manner. They can reach very narrow or specific viewer groups or markets if so 
desired. Television commercials also offer a variety of ways to get information 
to the, viewer by the sophisticated, rapid and creative use of sight and sound. 
Television commercials can be a very powerful tool.
As one advertising executive noted,
It’s certainly a way to reach everybody. If you can afford it, you 
can reach the masses. You can reach them quickly. You also do 
have the opportunity on television nowadays to narrow cast. You 
can reach a smaller audience through cable, etc.
The appeal of television commercial advertising goes beyond the idea of
reaching the masses. There is also the allure of the prestige of television
commercial advertising.
There’s something magic about television that gives your product 
a certain . . . position within the advertising spectrum. . . .  You 
sound like you’re big time. . . .  So, television, the rub-off of the
11 U J l
show itself, the environment that you place yourself in. [Another 
advantage is that] a lot of people just don’t read anymore . . . 
television is a passive medium, so if you’re just sitting there, the 
old couch potato, he’s more apt to see your advertising, feel your 
advertising, experience your advertising. . . . You want the sight 
and the sound and the movement and the noise and the speed 
and whatever it takes to make an interesting commercial. . . .  So, 
television gives you sight and sound and a lot of other things.
(Interview Respondent #11)
Another interview respondent with an extensive background in 
advertising believed that,
Television commercials are one of the most excellent and effective 
ways of advertisings providing the market that you are reaching is 
available in terms of observing the television commercial. . . . But 
when it is an appropriate market, there is no more effective 
method of advertising, by virtue of the media itself. (Interview 
Respondent #14)
Marketing research helps the client to decide where their money may be spent 
most effectively in an advertising campaign. Television commercials may be 
very effective in assisting clients and advertising agencies in reaching their goals.
One agency writer summed it up rather quickly when she said, "If you 
want presence in the culture, from a mass population standpoint, there’s no 
other way. Not in today’s visually driven society" (Interview Respondent #16).
Finally, an advertising chairman/CEO echoed all of the above responses 
when he stated,
Television is the one medium that attacks all the senses. It uses 
sight, sound, motion. You get to see it. You get to hear it. It 
just does other things that other mediums can’t. It’s more 
complete. The second big advantage of television is that it can 
give you very, very broad reach. You don’t find mediums today in 
print or in radio that can give you the kind of reach that
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59
television can. . . .  You can target a certain audience, children on 
Saturday morning, and run with great, great frequency against that 
particular niche of an audience. . . .  So, there’s a great deal of 
flexibility. (Interview Respondent #19)
Production Company Responses. Production professionals answered in
much the same way as both the clients and advertising agency personnel. They
often expanded upon the basic reasons. The television commercial advantages
emphasized by one executive producer were that,
A  well-focused spot that has a strong message, that’s pretty much 
simply delineated, can be very powerful. Good examples of that 
are some of the jobs that are done for the Advertising Council 
where you’re not selling a product so much as a concept, like 
there’s some very strong AIDS advertising out.
We did a commercial last year for the Ad Council targeted 
at parents, to get parents more involved in their kids’ education, 
to take an active interest in their school, for example. And we 
did that by casting real kids in New York and photographing them 
in their school environment, talking about, complaining about, the 
lack of their parents’ interest in what they did, and it ended up 
being really a powerful spot.
So, a well focused spot, I think, can have a lot of effect. It 
all depends on what the media buy is and how widespread it can 
be. So, I think it’s good, It can deliver a strong, focused, 
consolidated package. (Interview Respondent #1)
A director from a different production company noted,
Some of the advantages are, that you are being, your message is 
being, seen by an awful lot of people. With the good media buy, 
and with the proliferation of various outlets for programming 
these days . . . with cable and specific sorts of programming, you 
can really tailor your media by certain demographics, and you 
have relatively low cost per thousand. (Interview Respondent #2)
60
A producer/assistant director stated,
The immediate advantage I see is the instant access it has to an 
enormous audience. Network television is still, I would think, the 
primary source of entertainment within the masses, and television 
commercial advertising-even beyond the networks now, going into 
cable television-reaches, I think, the broadest market in the most 
instantaneous way. (Interview Respondent #3)
An interview respondent, who is a director/cameraman, noted,
I believe it’s the most effective tool of communication. . . .  In 
general, statistically, film, because it’s both video and audio, is a 
very successful means of burning the message in and also reaches 
the broadest market, the most millions of people for the dollar 
spent. So, it’s obviously very effective from a cold, hard statistical 
standpoint. (Interview Respondent #4)
The visual presentation and repetition held great importance for many of those 
interviewed.
One producer was relatively brief and to the point when she mentioned,
Television commercials, in my opinion, are just simply only 
marketable depending on the market you’re going for. There’s 
some people that don’t watch TV. . . . Whereas, certain ages, 
obviously in your teens and that younger marketplaces, all they 
ever do is watch MTV, so you’re going to want to gear towards 
that. And that’s the typical advertising marketing mentality . . . 
(Interview Respondent #5)
Another producer was very quick in pointing out the media advantages 
of television commercials by focusing on "the visual image in motion, along with 
music and sound. It’s much more powerful than just like print advertising or 
billboards, something like that. It seems to stay in the mind longer" (Interview 
Respondent #6).
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61
A producer/assistant director keyed in on,
The fact that it’s multi-faceted. It deals into the multi-sensual
areas. . . . You’ve got the visual, the audio, the story line, the
words themselves and how they’re used, and in many cases they’re
real spots. . . . There’s a lot more you can do in television than
you can any other medium. It can reach larger groups of people {
you’re targeting to begin with, depending on what time of day or
week your commercials are airing, time of the year and
everything. (Interview Respondent #7)
An executive producer expressed the advantage as, "The immediacy of it. 
The fact that we have an illiterate society. That television commercials are 
quick read. Visual stimulation seems to be a very . . .  big important part of it. 
And most people watch TV now instead of reading" (Interview Respondent #8). 
A  producer/assistant director felt that,
The biggest advantage is you can reach the maximum amount of 
people. Everyone in America has at least one television. Most 
people have two. Some have one in the bathroom, kitchen, living 
room, dining room, den. So, you’re going to reach the most 
people via television than you’re ever going to reach in print ad or 
radio or anything else. . . .  You can use the visuals to put across 
what you want, but bottom line, it’s just the amount of people that 
you’re going to reach. So, you use television to reach the people.
Now, how you cover it and how you grab their attention and keep 
their attention, for that 30 seconds, versus going to the kitchen and 
getting a beer, that’s where the creative has to do it. But I still 
believe the bottom line, you’re going to reach the most amount of 
people. (Interview Respondent #10)
A production coordinator/assistant director believed that,
The visual part of television is probably the biggest over the other, 
and the repetition of television commercials, even though they’re 
probably irritating to a lot of people. . . . you’re going to 
remember. . . . With the national campaign, which we mostly work 
in, they’re being seen across the country and across the world, 
depending on whether it’s an international spot, and reaching
millions of people, depending on when they air the commercial.
If they air it during prime time, with the ratings . . . that they’re 
being seen, if they repeat i t . . .  they are getting pounded with the 
information. (Interview Respondent #12)
Another producer/production coordinator referred to the importance of 
visuals when he said,
People remember something if they see it, better than they 
remember if they hear it on the radio or glance in the paper.
Plus you can really pound it in. There are some ads that I 
. remember because they’re so bad and they played them so 
often. . . .  I enjoy the good stuff, but I’m disgusted by the bad 
stuff. And I think that television is what a lot of people do. They 
come home at night and they decompress or whatever they do or 
they watch a sports event. You put your product there. (Interview 
Respondent #13)
An executive producer believed the advantage over other media was, 
"Immediately, it’s live action. Live action is usually always more interesting 
than something in print or radio even. . . . Let’s face it, television hits a huge 
audience, certainly in this country" (Interview Respondent #15).
A  production manager commented,
It depends on what you’re trying to teach. If you’re trying to 
teach pop culture, television commercials are the best way to 
teach. . . . That’s where you really see what was popular in 
society, what was hip, what people were doing, what they were 
eating, what they were playing with, how they were exercising, 
these kinds of things. . . . With television commercials you have a 
little bit more time and you can play with the craft of film making 
a little bit more, and you can make pretty pictures to inspire an 
emotional response. (Interview Respondent #20)
Respondent #21 also agreed with this respondent’s answer.
63
A person who is head of production wrote,
Some products benefit from TV advertising, others do not. It 
depends on the marketing strategy created by the advertising 
agency, and where the client sees their product positioned in the 
marketplace. TV’s advantage is strictly a function of the kind of 
advertising the agency has produced. (Interview Respondent #23)
Finally, a director/cameraman went beyond the traditional response
regarding the advantages of television commercials when he noted,
What they do best is create an image of something, some 
nebulous thing that someone attaches to a product that basically 
the idea is if I buy this product, whatever it is, I will be this type 
of person. Their identity becomes connected with the 
product. . . . People buy a beer. They all taste the same. They 
buy it because, Fm a Budweiser guy. Fm a Miller guy. And it’s 
an identity thing. . . . What the advantage of the TV commercials 
is, they can actually feed a thing in our society, which is really 
unfortunate, that people express themselves with their buying. I 
mean, what do people do on their day off? They go shopping. . . . 
They’re doing that rather than painting a painting or doing 
something creative. They’re expressing themselves. Who am I?
This is who I am. I buy this; I buy that. That makes me a 
certain person. . . . The primary place that idea comes from is TV 
commercials. (Interview Respondent #25)
Interview respondents expressed definite advantages of utilizing television 
commercials over other media avenues. They mentioned the importance of the 
ability to reach the masses in a cost effective, immediate manner with a 
multi-sensory approach. They also mentioned that a strong and simple message 
may be transmitted by using television commercials. Commercials also have the 
ability to zero in on specific groups by targeting specific buyers, marketing 
groups or viewer groups via television audience buy times. The prestige of
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television commercial advertising was also mentioned as. a consideration of 
advertisers.
Relevance to Educators. The interview responses offered some relevant 
information for educators and their ability to reach the American masses.
Adult educators should explore the viability of further reaching out to the 
community and using television as a communicator to the masses for both 
commercial program advertising as well as teaching and learning. Television 
offers a variety of means to reach out to students across the state and nation in 
an effort to reach more people in a more efficient manner. -
Educators are also constantly faced with the expectation of reaching all 
students that they teach even though they come from a wide-variety of 
backgrounds, interests, experiences and personal needs. Perhaps educators 
should consider whether or not it would be beneficial to target their potential 
audiences and/or learners in a more precise fashion utilizing some of the 
methods or techniques mentioned by the interview study respondents.
Question #2  - Most Important Goals of 
Television Commercial Advertising
Interview Question. What are the most important goals of television
commercial advertising?
65
Rationale. Could adult educators discover more about selling their 
educational product or program as well as reaching their learners by looking at 
the goals of television commercial advertising?
Advertising Client Responses. The client participants in the study both 
noted that the most important goals of television commercial advertising were, 
as one client stated, "To convince someone to purchase goods and/or services" 
(Interview Respondent #24). The response was brief and to the point.
Another client emphasized the ability to sell more of the product and 
took it one step farther by mentioning the need to expand the client’s potential 
buying market. As she stated, the goal was to, "Reach the market that we 
haven’t reached before . . . they’re going to be a whole different target audience 
and broader . . .  so our goal is to broaden our reach and to get those people 
that we haven’t been able to reach in the past" (Interview Respondent #17).
Advertising Agency Responses. Interview respondents from this category
mentioned that selling the product in a memorable fashion was very important.
One writer also felt it was important to entertain, and in doing so, "You’ve got
to establish your presence. If you can’t be remembered on television, then
you’ve failed, I think, to capture the medium" (Interview Respondent #16).
Another respondent added to this position when he maintained,
That the benefit and need of the product be illustrated in a way 
that’s very compelling, and that the communication of this product 
be put forth in such a way that it’s both attractive, shows it in the
best light, and delivers the product benefit so that it peaks the 
interest of the viewer. (Interview Respondent #14)
Additionally, a chairman/CEO felt that it was important, "To change
someone’s attitude toward a product or a service . . .  to get them to buy it. . . .
Make you familiar with that brand. . . . Recognition. Feeling comfortable with
it. You’ve seen it" (Interview Respondent #19). Ultimately, you trust that
product.
Finally, a creative director believed in the individual differences and
goals of each product, idea or television commercial when he commented,
Each one is different, but I guess generic is cutting through the 
clutter . . .  to be intrusive . . .  to do advertising that ingratiates 
yourself and that has a halo effect, and that the take-away from 
the commercial is more, ultimately, than what you actually said. 
Sometimes all you want is top-of-mind awareness. Sometimes all 
you want is for people to think of your brand. (Interview 
Respondent #11)
Production Company Responses. Respondents from this category also 
felt that selling the product was important. Some mentioned it was beneficial 
to improve product identity and awareness via the use of images and ideas. An 
effective, creative and memorable commercial was also an important goal. As 
one director commented,
You’re supposed to sell a product or create an image if it’s more 
of a corporate kind of thing. . . .  You try and create something 
that is memorable. You want to have the viewer remember your 
commercial for whatever reason, whether it was something funny, 
something visually stylish, something outrageous, something 
touching. It’s got to be some kind of core thing that you can 
remember, and you want to associate that with whatever that
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product or service is that you’re advertising. (Interview 
Respondent #2)
A director/cameraman mentioned that, "For the client, for the
advertising agency, it’s to sell the client’s product. For the production side, I
think it’s to produce an effective form of communication and a creative form of
communication" (Interview Respondent #4).
The goals for one production company executive producer went beyond
that of selling something. As he mentioned,
Our goals and what we think they should be, and what we always 
fight for in every job we do, is to not speak down to the viewer.
What we try to do, regardless of what the product is or the client 
is or whatever, we try and deliver a piece of film that respects the 
intelligence of the viewing audience and does not speak down to 
them or cater to what a lot of advertising unfortunately does, 
which I think perpetuates the sort of low common denominator of 
intelligence. I think the viewing public is a lot smarter than a lot 
of advertisers give them credit for. . . . The spot, in the end, is 
something that effectively communicates the message without 
being overly sticky or schmaltzy or stupid in communication to the 
audience. (Interview Respondent #1)
There was a certain quality and integrity that this respondent wanted to carry 
over in the work that their company is affiliated with.
The number one goal of television commercial advertising was to sell the 
product or service. In selling the product, it was important to show the product 
benefit or image and try to expand the existing buying market. Interview 
respondents also mentioned that the television commercial needed to be 
respectful of the viewer’s intelligence, creative, memorable, effective, intrusive, 
and project a stand-out quality.
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Relevance to Educators. Some of the important goals of television 
commercial advertising were related to those of educators. Adult educators are 
also in the business of selling; educators sell learning and education to 
individuals and the masses. During the mandatory school ages, teachers have a 
captive audience. Society has required that America’s citizens need to be 
educated. Beyond those mandatory years, educators need to let people know 
that education and learning may improve their lives. Whether it is for personal 
learning or job improvement, education improves one’s personal lot in life.
Adult educators need to capture the attention of their learners in a memorable 
fashion. Instructors need to have a personalized stand out quality. It is also 
important for the student to maintain their personal integrity and intelligence by 
having an instructor who does not talk down to them. Adult educators and 
learners need to remember that lifelong learning may be interesting, fun, and 
helpful; not harmful.
Question #3 - Targeting Audiences for 
the Marketing Campaign
Interview Question. How do you target various audiences for your 
marketing campaign?
Rationale. Would the methods or techniques used to target audiences 
be helpful to the adult educator in targeting their current learners or potential 
program participants?
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Advertising Client Responses. The clients reported that they target 
various audiences for the marketing campaign via marketing research and the 
use of demographics. One of the clients also reported that there was "strategic 
development" and "demographics" involved regarding the competition and the 
client’s product (Interview Respondent #24). This comment could be meant to 
include the overall development of the television commercial advertising 
campaign from beginning to end.
Another client mentioned that they used product research and planning.
According to her, they have meeting sessions,
That tell us from research what our target audience is so that we 
can know how to better market towards them . . . they have a lot 
of background information . . .  so, then we can know how to do a 
marketing campaign toward that person that’s going to be buying 
the product. (Interview Respondent #17)
In these cases, clients geared their overall advertising campaign to a very 
specific targeted audience or group. When they were researching and planning, 
it was a combination of not only promoting their product, but also knowing the 
competition and what age group buys their product. Then, they looked at the 
overall advertising for various competing products, as well as their own 
advertising campaigns, and strived to come up with something new, unique and 
memorable.
By looking at the overall buying group for their product, as well as the 
competitor’s product, the client was examining the total market group as
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potential purchasers of their own product. Then, they developed an advertising 
campaign that attempted to break through to that targeted group.
Advertising Agency Responses. Interview respondents in this category 
believed it was important to identify potential product users, the media and 
market share available, demographics and a specific strategy to reach the 
targeted market or audience. A chairman/CEO summarized the agency 
position when he mentioned, "First, you study the users of a product. . . .  You 
would have to find out who’s buying. . . . Then you start looking at media" 
(Interview Respondent #19). Interestingly enough, you never know for sure 
what’s going to work; what’s going to sell. That’s part of the risk and the 
challenge. There are no 100% guarantees; just well researched and/or 
educated guesses.
Production Company Responses. Some respondents in this group were 
totally aware of the audiences targeted for marketing campaigns and others 
were not so well informed. Such awareness sometimes appeared to depend on 
the person’s individual job. However, if the target audience was not always 
clearly stated to the production people, they were oftentimes very perceptive in 
figuring out the potential audiences because of their previous personal 
experiences in the television commercial industry. For example, individuals 
would be able to tell who the product was targeting by the type of product 
being advertised, the locations, casting, and camera shots or angles.
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One producer/assistant director was fully aware of the audiences
targeted and marketing process when he stated,
We have what we call pre-pro meetings, which are pre-production 
meetings, where we all get together: the production company, the 
ad agency people, the creatives, the producers, the account 
executives, and the client all get together to discuss the project.
At that time, normally they give us their input as to the 
demographics of the job and what target audience they’re trying to 
reach. This helps us, for example, if we know that we want to sell 
to a youthful audience, our selection of location may be different 
from another commercial, selection of wardrobe, selection of 
colors used in the background, actual camera techniques, the 
pacing of the commercial, how quickly it goes, how slowly it goes, 
casting obviously. So, we’re definitely affected by all that, but it’s 
not really our bailiwick to determine that. That’s already been 
predetermined by the advertising agency. (Interview Respondent 
#3)
Another producer/assistant director explained the dilemma of those who 
were not specifically told about the target audience marketing campaign when 
he said,
No, you really don’t [know], but you can be aware of. that 
anywhere from the product itself, the director’s who hired. The 
first AD and myself, we laugh every once in a while. Michael will 
say, "Steven, look around. We’re the oldest people on this set!"
So a set of 40 people, he’s 42, I’m 3 0 . . . .  So, you can tell if it’s a 
young, hip ad. It filters all the way down from the ad agency to 
director on down through wardrobe. (Interview Respondent #7)
The targeting of various audiences.involved research, demographics and
specific strategic developments for the product or service and television
commercial advertising campaign. There was identification of the users, market
share and buy time. Interview respondents mentioned a need to understand the
people being targeted in order to reach them more effectively.
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Relevance to Educators. The targeting of an audience is also important 
to educators. It has to do with looking at the specifics of the group they are 
trying to reach. For teachers, that could be an invaluable tool because they 
often have to look at an overall group and focus on the specific needs of the 
individual. They need to identify, target and know about the individuals they 
plan to reach and teach. They need to understand the learners and their needs. 
It is important to study the users or learners in order to reach them and 
successfully meet their learning needs.
Question #4  - Specific Marketing Strategies 
for Television Commercials
Interview Question. What are some of the specific marketing strategies 
for the television commercials you make?
Rationale. Identification of some of these specific marketing strategies 
could be helpful to adult educators in the marketing of their product to the 
learner as well as the American public.
Advertising Client Responses. The clients reported that they use a 
variety of marketing strategies for their television commercials. Oftentimes, 
clients want a commercial developed for their product that stands out from the 
others. In the television commercial industry it’s known as "cutting through th e . 
clutter." So, they will stress something different or take a unique point of view.
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For example, one client’s television commercial involved not only a 
"beauty shot" of the product but also included a humorous and non-traditional 
woman character to teach the viewer about a very important new feature of the 
product. The viewer would not expect this woman character to be associated 
with this particular product and the contrast made the commercial both 
attention getting and memorable. The commercial was also done in a "fun and 
hip" style to attract the 30 to 35 year old buyer.
As the client mentioned, the specific marketing strategies, definitely 
needed to be different.
That was the one thing we made clear to the agency: it’s got to 
be something different. . . . You’ve got to explain the concept yet 
make it fun and also something that’s going to get someone’s 
attention. . . . The way we did this, with using the character that 
we did, certainly gets your attention. . . .  It looks fun to ride and 
it also gives the message. . . . This product’s different than 
anything else. And so we just wanted something that was going to 
stand out amongst all the other TV commercials that are 
done. . . . We. were looking for something MTVish . . .  it seems 
that type of TV commercials are real popular right now . . . the 
commercial that we did is very attention getting. (Interview 
Respondent #17)
This client was pleased with the commercial and the response it got. Although 
the product was not actually available at the time the commercial started 
running, it brought potential buyers into dealers to ask for more information 
about the product. The client was pleased with the resulting advance orders for 
their product before it was actually available at the dealer’s place of business.
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They also noted a cross-over of orders from younger buyers in addition to the 
targeted advertising age group.
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising respondents indicated that 
specific strategies were important and needed to touch the viewer. It was also 
beneficial to have the viewer identify with the product. Overall, everybody has 
to work towards a direction of meeting the goal of an overall mission statement. 
A writer explained it,
Everything that we do now, because we developed that mission 
statement, has to support that statement. All year, or for however 
many years they decide, that’s their positioning. It’s all a matter 
of positioning and strategy. So, as a writer, you don’t do anything 
that deviates from that strategy. . . . We developed a tag line out 
of that mission statement. . . . "[Store Name], A world of 
difference." . . . "[Motorcycle Name], We set the trends; we don’t 
follow the trends." (Interview Respondent #16)
A chairman/CEO summarized marketing strategy when he said,
You have to tell people, "It will change the way they think about 
[Wine Product]". . . .  So, we did the commercial. . . . They put it 
in the marketplace in two markets against another campaign by a 
New York agency. . . . Sales exploded instantly. . . . And it’s been 
going crazy ever since. . . . The strategy is critical. (Interview 
Respondent #19)
These responses were teacher oriented in that they stressed the need for an 
overall strategy or mission in order to succeed.
Production Company Responses. The 19 responses from this group were 
varied: 12 were aware of specific marketing strategies, 4 were unaware, 3 felt it
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did not apply to their job area and that it was a question better addressed by 
advertising agency personnel or clients.
One director noted, "Yeah, there’s usually a goal or a desired goal of 
some sort. Quite often it’s just to inform people of the nutritional value of this 
or to create an image" (Interview Respondent #4).
Another director felt that,
I’m more interested in making it look good. Their marketing 
strategy, as far as they’re concerned with me, is that they want the 
best product. . . . They want the best commercial they can get. . . .
They want me to do the best I can d o . . . .  They want it to be 
better than anything they’ve done before. And they want it to. be 
more eye catching. (Interview Respondent #18)
An executive producer commented,
We are trying to get across, hopefully, whatever their marketing 
strategy is. A lot of times we’ll get, some people will get very, 
very specific with us. They’ll have goals and objectives of their 
marketing strategy that we will see and be a part of in the 
pre-production stage. And this has all been established by the 
time it gets to us. And then hopefully we’ll be able to make the 
best commercial we can which will meet those objectives. A  lot 
of times we don’t have objectives, and here’s the idea we want to 
get across and hope it reaches a broad market, I guess. . . . They 
do seek out different directors because of their style, because of 
what they’re best at, because of their talent. . . . And if we forget 
that there is a message that we’re trying to get across, then I don’t 
think we’re doing our job. (Interview Respondent #8)
Specific marketing strategies were somewhat varied according to the
contrast, style or product identity. A mission statement, goals and objectives
were important to the marketing strategy. For production personnel, the
television commercial should be the best it can be and stand out. In doing so
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that would help the viewer be touched by the message or identify with the 
product. The production team tries to follow the mission statement but how 
that is specifically accomplished would vary from project to project because of 
individual creative differences and goals.
Relevance to Educators. Specific marketing strategies may be helpful to 
educators by giving them new ideas on how to reach various individuals or 
groups of students. There is a need for a mission statement of what the adult 
educator is trying to accomplish and then follow it with specific goals and 
objectives. Strategy and creativity are also important in accomplishing the 
goals. Teachers and their programs also have to work at cutting through the 
clutter in an attempt to stand out for the learner and potential student.
Question #5 - Teaching and Learning 
from Watching Television Commercials
Interview Question. Do you believe "teaching" and "learning" occurs 
from watching television commercials? If so, how?
Rationale. If teaching and/or learning occurs from watching television 
commercials then there may be some insights or techniques which could be 
transferred to the field of education and utilized by adult educators.
Advertising Client Responses. Both clients agreed that teaching and/or 
learning occurs from watching television commercials. As one client stated,
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"Look at drunk driving campaigns, AIDS spots, environmentally correct
advertising, etc." (Interview Respondent #24). The clients believed that such
advertising has reached many viewers and made them more aware.
Another client noted that television commercials give the viewer valuable
information, create curiosity so the viewer wants more information on a
product, and are informative about the product itself and new technology. In
some cases, the viewer will use the television commercial as a starting point. If
the viewer finds the television commercial interesting, they will recognize it
when it is aired again. In some cases, they will purposefully watch for it to run
again and purposefully pay attention to the advertising. This client noted that
the viewer may say to themselves,
How can I find out more about this? And then they go and find 
more information. . . . What can you tell me about it? Do you 
have any information, any literature? So people will learn from it 
just by wanting to know more about it. And I think that’s what 
it’s going to do. It’s going to create a curiosity in the people that 
they’ll want to know more about i t . . . .  And that’s our goal:
Bring the people to the dealership. (Interview Respondent #17) 1
Advertising Agency Responses. All four respondents in this category
agreed that there was some type of teaching and/or learning that occurred in a
television commercial. Their responses were interesting in that they keyed in
on different perspectives of the issue. Sometimes, what was learned may have
been intended or unintended.
As one creative director explained,
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I believe teaching and learning occurs constantly. . . . More 
learning, I think. . . .  I believe that advertisers don’t teach too 
much on television. I think if there’s a teaching process to be 
done, they tend to use other media. They tend to use print. . . .
They say, "Well, you know, people aren’t going to know how to 
use this product, so let’s just get them into the dealership and 
then the dealer can explain how the camera works. Then the 
dealer can explain how the car drives." But sometimes, if it’s a 
teachable experience, like those . . . Reeboks? With the pump 
thing. They just show you, pump, pump, pump, pump, and it 
looks like you jump higher. Well, you can teach that in 30 
seconds, but most advertisers don’t set out to teach on television.
They set out to change their image or to adjust their image or to 
refresh your memory about the product. (Interview Respondent 
# 11)
It could be debatable that the latter is actually accomplished via the teaching
and learning process rather than just learning. It would probably depend upon
the manner in which the information was presented.
The same creative director specifically remarked,
However, learning occurs in much greater quantities [than 
teaching]. If you watch Cindy Crawford drink Pepsi, you just 
learned how cool Pepsi is. If you look at Cindy Crawford open 
the new can of Pepsi, you say, "Oh, I just learned that Pepsi has a 
new design on their can.". . . There’s a learning process, and it’s 
learning through imagery.
It’s just like you can learn from reading poetry. You can 
learn about the 18th century from reading their poetry even 
though the writers aren’t really teaching it. You can Ieam from 
the poets and you can learn from the history book. One is drier 
than the other, and maybe advertising is more of the poetry and 
advertising in print is more of the how-to or how it was done, the 
history book. Interview Respondent #11)
Another advertising respondent also believed in the teaching and 
learning of television commercials when he stated,
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I think that all good television commercials teach you about the 
product. They certainly deliver the benefit, as we’ve said a 
number of times already in this discussion. Delivering the benefit 
tells you what good is that product. Again, the unique selling 
attribute of the product, emphasizing what is unique about a 
particular product is very important. So you learn about a 
product in that sense. You Ieam what is the benefit of it. You 
learn What’s unique about it. And you learn sometimes in general 
about a product that you might not know about. For instance, I 
once developed and advertised a product that was an astronomy 
map. Not only did you have to educate the population on what 
an astronomy map was, after you’ve done that you had to educate 
your market that you had the best astronomy map that was 
available. So, it was a two-fold problem. And that’s probably the 
hardest type of advertising there is. One, educating the people on 
the product in general, and then convincing them that you’re the 
best product available. (Interview Respondent #14)
Teachers might find themselves in the same situation; educating students and
convincing them that your way of teaching is the best way for them to learn.
One advertising writer concurred when she responded,
I think teaching and learning occurs every time you sit down in 
front of the television, whether it’s for a commercial or whether 
it’s for a sitcom or whatever, I think there’s a lot of cultural 
teaching and learning that goes o n . . . .  It’s everything from how a 
woman, say for example, presents herself and what she wears. I 
think a teenage girl pays attention to, "Oh, boy. I can get a 
sweater like that and put it with some pants like that and I would 
be kind of cool and groovy just like that chick on that commercial.
Oh, boy, I really like her hair." It’s all kinds of cultural teachings 
and learnings . . . commercials reflect it. Very rarely does a 
commercial introduce something new to the culture like movies or 
programming. . . .  I think kids are probably even more visually 
sophisticated than adults . . .  I mean if you look at kids, like 
Saturday morning TV, that’s so more innovative than anything you 
would see on prime time. MTV, it’s all different. . . . It’s like kids 
today are just more sophisticated. They’ve grown up with the 
medium from day one. (Interview Respondent #16)
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MTV has been around for quite a few years. Many of the learners raised on 
the visual pace of MTV are currently among the population that adult 
educators are serving. Teachers sometimes complain that this generation of 
students have difficulty sitting in class and maintaining their attention to the 
topic or teacher.
The advertising chairman/CEO also believed that teaching and learning
occurs, both in an intended and unintended way,
Because all the visual images we get, I think, influence us 
positively, negatively, whatever. . . . An example: Gillette wants to 
bring out a new razor blade. It’s going to be more expensive. . . .
It’s the new one they’ve got out. And they introduced a huge, buy 
time, on the Super Bowl. They taught about it. They showed 
diagrams. It’s a 30 second commercial with music, but there’s 
teaching in it. It shows a new thing, how to use it and what it 
does. And it exploded the market. Hugely, the most successful 
new product of the year. . . .  It taught people how to do it. It 
taught them the brand name. It taught them why it was a better 
razor, and it implied that it’s worth a lot more money. And it 
does cost a lot more. So that teaching goes on there. (Interview 
Respondent #19)
Production Company Responses. Of the production company interview 
respondents, 16 agreed that teaching or learning occurred in television 
commercials and 3 believed it did not. Respondents did mention a concern 
regarding the quality of learning and whether or not it was a positive or 
negative learning experience.
As one executive producer mentioned,
I think teaching and learning occurs. Whether it’s good teaching 
and learning or bad all depends on the stuff. But it’s amazing . . . 
the recall ability of little kids relative to commercials. Like we
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did this Oscar Mayer commercial in which a little kid was the star 
and he was complaining to his mother about all the different stuff 
she was putting in his lunch, leftovers and this and that and 
whatever. And then the payoff at the end was she began putting 
Oscar Mayer Lunchables in there. We did the job, and months 
later we hear from different people that their kid absolutely loves 
that spot because it’s from a kid’s point of view and it’s all shot 
from a kid’s point of view. It’s all down at the kid’s level in the 
kitchen. You never see the adults, and it’s all the kid. And these 
kids remember that spot incredibly well. So, in that regard it was 
a very successful spot. . . .  You have to do work that respects the 
viewer to strike the cord. . . .  I just think it’s a stronger, more 
effective commercial if you respect the viewer in making that 
connection. (Interview Respondent #1)
A director agreed that teaching and learning occurred, "In a very broad 
sense, and certainly there are public service announcements that I think have 
been effective in that regard" (Interview Respondent #2).
. One producer/assistant director noted the differences and changes that
have occurred in television commercial teaching and learning.
I think one of the most profound changes we’ve seen, at least in 
my generation, is the speeding up of information processing. And 
I personally believe that a lot of that has come from the television 
commercials and music videos and that sort of thing. I believe 
that children today process information much quicker than we did 
when we were children. And certainly we did more quickly than 
our parents did. And I think it’s an ongoing process. But I think 
it’s aided and abetted by television and the absorption of the 
visual image more quickly. (Interview Respondent #3)
Another director noted that teaching and learning probably occurred,
If you’re speaking of it in the classic positive sense . . . and I think 
unfortunately most of the learning and teaching that goes on is 
negative, and needs to be balanced. . . . Advertising definitely 
affects cultural, in my mind, definitely affects society. It affects 
the cultural view of ourselves. I think it’s a mirror of our culture, 
and it projects culture and it projects hipness and it projects
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style. . . .  I really agree with what you’re doing. I hope that kind 
of what your doing is that there’s a balancing. Because I really 
think that a very critical curriculum in schools, as part of just 
dealing with life in general, is how do you deal with advertising 
and all this stuff that’s going on. Fm not anti-advertising at the 
same time. I believe that it is a necessary link, maybe it’s a 
necessary evil, in the capitalist scheme of things. (Interview 
Respondent #4)
Another producer/assistant director definitely believed that teaching and
learning was prevalent. "I mean, we learn so much about how we dress, how
we act. There’s education there at every turn during a commercial. . . . It’s just
a question of how much." [Researcher: So, it’s more of an unconscious thing
that they’re presenting styles of behaviors and people pick up on them, whether
you’re children or adults. You sort of buy into that if you see enough of it.]
"Sure. Exactly. . . . And you get some of these that will try to educate and be a
little more overt with it" (Interview Respondent #7).
A  production coordinator/assistant director noted,
I learn from it personally by watching certain ways that they put 
things together. I’ll see it being filmed, and then seeing it on the 
air it looks like a totally different commercial and how they’ve cut 
it. So, the creative decisions and all of that are made after we’re 
gone is interesting and a learning experience.
But as far as for kids and for people, I see more of the 
negative. It’s teaching people to try to be like whatever they’re 
selling, the product like Diet Coke, being cool or using the 
product to make things more sexual, of selling beer to be . . .  if 
you don’t drink [beer product] you’re not a beautiful or cool 
person. But I think there’s also some value for kids to learn 
about advertising. If they watch and if they have a class that 
teaches advertising in the media, playing the commercials in the 
classroom and maybe having somebody speak about how they do 
everything, it can be exciting for them to learn about television 
and how it’s done. (Interview Respondent #12)
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Regarding the teaching and learning of television commercials, one
executive producer commented,
I think there’s a positive and a negative. . . . We hear that 
advertising agencies receive letters all the time about responses to 
their commercials either this way or that way. I’m always 
surprised that it has an impact of any kind on the viewers out 
there. But it does. It does.
So, I think there is a teaching. In the negative sense, the 
teaching or learning that occurs that you see [2 beer products 
mentioned] is known for its, what we call the bimbo advertising.
It’s all these pretty girls selling beer. That is a learning device. Is 
that a positive one? No, I don’t think so.
On the positive side of teaching and learning from 
television commercials, particularly in the last couple of years, 
there’s some wonderful messages being gotten across, particularly 
the PSA’s, the anti-smoking, the keep kids off drugs, learn to read, 
all of those I think really send a positive message to the viewers 
out there. (Interview Respondent #15)
A production manager echoed portions of the above stated viewpoint
regarding teaching and learning by saying,
I think so. Not all commercials, of course. Some commercials 
have great entertainment value. Other commercials are very 
effective in enlightening people, to say, sexually transmitted 
diseases. Public Service Announcements on AIDS are effective in 
inspiring people to practice safe sex or whatever. Or, to get into 
drug rehabilitation. Definitely. The same techniques that 
advertising agencies use to sell product can also be used to inspire 
a behavioral change in the same fashion.
Look at these great commercials for people to quit smoking 
that have these executives sitting around a board meeting and 
they’re talking about how they’re losing 3,000 smokers every day;
1500 of them are quitting and then the other 1500 are dying.
How are they going to get 3,000 new consumers every day?
Those are very effective. (Interview Respondent #20)
Finally, one producer/assistant director echoed a similar opinion when
he referred to teaching and learning by saying,
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Yes, it does, but whether it’s in a constructive sense, I don’t 
know. . . .  I mean that’s the whole reason they took cigarettes off 
the air. It used to be they were as much fun as beer commercials, 
because that’s all they were showing was people having a great 
time doing things. The Marlboro ads, manly men riding, and the 
guy would walk a mile for a Camel, and all this great stuff. . . .
Now you can only work on them for the European market.
But they’re essentially the same thing as beer. Here you’d 
have these beautiful women with a 23 inch waist and they’re out 
there with beer, and like this woman sits and her idea of a good 
time is grabbing a six-pack. So, you’re calling beautiful women 
beer. . . . These [brand name beer] girls probably don’t drink a lot 
of [brand name beer]. . . . Life should be a beer commercial.
(Interview Respondent #10)
Interview respondents concurred that teaching and/or learning occurs in 
television commercials. They also discuss how it occurs and used specific 
commercials or campaigns as examples. Respondents also brought up the issue 
of whether the teaching and/or learning was intended or unintended, the quality 
of the learning, and/or whether there was a positive or negative effect for the 
viewer. Individual viewpoints, backgrounds and values were expressed in 
answering this question.
Some commercials were identified as demonstrating teaching and 
learning because they introduced a product and either taught the viewer 
something new about the product or how to use the product. Television 
commercials that were mentioned as being most beneficial for the public were 
public service announcements on AIDS, drunk driving, drug rehabilitation, 
environmental concerns, anti-smoking campaigns, learning to read, and safe sex. 
Respondents also mentioned that some cultural learning occurs just by watching
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television commercials because of the groups they target and the lifestyles that 
are portrayed.
Relevance to Educators. Overall, the interview responses offered 
valuable insights for educators by looking at teaching and/or learning. Even 
those respondents that started out saying they were unsure whether any learning 
occurs, ended up talking about something that was memorable to the viewer.
This allowed educators to look beyond the traditional view of teaching and/or 
learning. Maybe what interview respondents were talking about here was 
learning as it relates to small snippets of information. Sometimes, this was 
related to short-term memory as well as long-term memory. However, it was 
still difficult to precisely explain why specific bits of information were more 
memorable than others for individuals.
Teachers could consider whether or not their own teaching tends to be a
positive or negative experience for learners. Most survey responses regarding
. * ' l!lthis question tended to emphasize learning more than actual teaching or
teaching techniques. Learning was a by product of what was presented. Adult 
educators need to look at ways to create a curiosity for learning in both current 
and potential learners.
Question #6  - Capturing the Viewer’s 
Attention
Interview Question. How do you capture the viewer’s attention and 
make a commercial interesting?
Rationale. Adult educators could benefit from learning more about 
capturing the attention of viewers and transfer that information or insight to 
their own ability to capture the attention of their learners.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients mentioned that faces, action, 
editing pace, intrusiveness and new information are components that were used 
to make television commercials entertaining and/or memorable. As one client 
mentioned, "The action and the way that this spot’s put together, the quick pace 
of if, is attention getting" (Interview Respondent #17).
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising respondents mentioned that 
there were a variety of things they do to capture the viewer’s attention. 
Specifically, they mentioned that they use casting to seek out a specific look, 
face and/or demeanor. They also examine the environment and competition 
for the commercial in order to make it "stand out." Advertisers want the 
product, marketing and television commercial to be believable, relevant to the 
audience, and allow the viewer to identify with the product or lifestyle portrayed.
As one advertising man mentioned,
What captures the attention of a viewer is again marketing,
identifying the uniqueness of a particular product and delivering
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that benefit in such a way that the viewer feels in tune with it in a 
compelling way. That’s what brings the attention about. Enough 
cannot be said about explaining and delivering product benefit. 
(Interview Respondent #14)
The chairman/CEO mentioned,
If you’re really, really good, you try to get the attention through 
the product, or through the service. And the more you have to 
borrow from something else to get the attention, the weaker the 
story on the product is going to b e . . . .  And I’m very leery of 
attention-getting devices that have nothing to do with the product 
whatsoever. And lots of advertising is like that, and a waste of 
lots of time. (Interview Respondent #19)
Teachers could look at using attention getting devices to support their teaching
or instructional topic; not replace it.
Production Company Responses. Interview respondents in this category 
tended to focus more on the technical portion of creating the television 
commercial as a means to benefit the product advertising. At the forefront of 
importance was the director and his vision, casting and faces, celebrities, dialog, 
humor, sexuality, reality, believability, honesty, action and visuals.
As one executive producer commented,
I think, first of all, you have to know who you’re trying to attract.
What audience are you trying to attract? And then I think it’s 
important to have a finger on the pulse of really what’s going on 
out in the world in any sub-culture, whether it’s men or women or 
age groups, ethnic groups, whatever it is. And you pull from all 
these things. And commercials are beautiful pieces of quick film, 
and so you prey upon those aspects of beautiful light, beautiful 
people. I think beautiful people, real people, real situations, 
emotion, drawing out emotion from the actors or putting them in 
situations where it all just kind of gels together. So, there are 
techniques that one learns to capture that audience. Mostly, it’s
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all in the body of the film. How does it look? If it succeeds in 
looking the way it’s suppose to, then a gut level of being sensitive 
or beautiful or hard edged and dark, if it succeeds in what it’s 
trying to do, then you know that you can reach who you are trying 
to reach. (Interview Respondent #15)
Some of the methods mentioned by the interview respondents to capture 
the viewer’s attention included the use of people, faces, action, editing pace, 
colors, action, camera movement, voices, sexuality, youthfulness, visual style, 
emotional content or connection, uniqueness, product benefit, humor, honesty, 
celebrities, and personal interest and relevance. Some respondents maintained 
that the information needed to be believable, real, and memorable. The 
director’s style and creative interpretation of the material also had an effect as 
well as the overall look of the film piece.
Relevance to Educators. This study question provided an opportunity for 
adult educators to examine a variety of methods used to capture people’s 
attention. Teachers are faced with the dilemma of capturing the student or 
learner’s attention a number of times each day. It is a constant problem any 
time a teacher is involved with students and learning. Teachers at all levels of 
education should be interested in any insights this question had to offer such as 
making the information memorable and relevant to the learner.
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Question #7  - Techniques Used to Help 
the Viewer Remember the Commercial
Interview Question. What techniques do you use to help viewers 
"remember" your commercial?
Rationale. If specific techniques are used to help viewers remember a 
commercial then perhaps some of these techniques could be applied to the 
teaching and/or learning environment of adult education.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients commented that what is 
memorable depends on the concept presented. One client referred back to her 
answer for the previous question pertaining to faces, action and pacing.
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising people felt that it was
important for the product or name to be memorable as well as an ability to
persuade the viewer. Dialog, music, commercial style and camera moves were
mentioned. One goal was to keep the viewer tuned in long enough to view the
television commercial.
As one creative director pointed out,
It’s like how do you keep them from pushing the button and 
changing the channel when the commercial comes on? How do 
you hook them into watching the 30 seconds? . Forget 
remembering it. Just get them to watch it. Nowadays everybody’s 
got one of those guns that they point at the television set, and 
they’re zapping and they’re zipping. Zapping is when you’re 
watching live television and you see the commercial, you go,
"Bam, I want to see what’s on Channel 2. Bam, I want to see
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what’s on HBO. Bam." And they have buttons where you can 
jump [channels]. You don’t have to go I, 2, 3. You can go from 
27 back to 4. Zipping is when you tape it. I’ve actually taped 
television shows, and when I get to the commercial part I zip 
through it. But every now and then I see a commercial that has 
some kind of visual imagery or something that just grabs me.
(Interview Respondent #11)
Another advertising agency person keyed in on the overall appeal of the 
commercial and noted,
A  commercial that is beautifully and intelligently produced often 
becomes memorable. One can use various cinematic techniques, 
be it beautiful photography or beautiful music or interesting voice 
over or a combination of all those. And back again to the most 
important aspect of it, the benefit of the product. If you can 
really deliver the product benefit in a compelling fashion, they will 
remember it because they’ll want the product and they’ll go out 
and buy it. The best way for them to remember the product is to 
purchase it. And that’s your goal. (Interview Respondent #14)
The chairman/CEO had some very interesting observations regarding
remembering commercials. As he stated,
You do those attention-getting things and, if you can, you focus it 
on the product, because when they remember the commercial you 
hope they also remember the brand. Lots of time they don’t.
What brand is it that the bunny is in? [Researcher’s Response: 
EverReady.] Are you sure? Stake your life on it? [Researcher:
I don’t know. See, it’s the one I don’t like.] My point is made. 
[Researcher: I know it’s not Duracell, so it is EverReady.] It 
runs lots and people don’t know. People don’t know. But did you 
remember the bunny? You can see it in your mind. They’re very 
clever. You laugh. It’s hard to remember the damned brand. It’s 
easy to get people to remember the commercial. It’s hard to get 
them to remember the brand. And if you spend too much time 
remembering the brand, they don’t remember anything because 
it’s too dull. So, that’s why there are very, very few really great 
commercials and great people in advertising, because it’s hard to 
get you to remember a damned egg commercial or a battery 
commercial. Because you know what? You don’t care. . . .
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You’ve got to register the brand properly, use mnemonic devices 
at the end. You do everything you can to really stick that brand 
in there but not so much that it kills the interest in the 
commercial. So, it’s these delicate balances. . . . Sometimes you 
get fooled when you see these great commercials and you go, ’Ah, 
it’s so great. It’s great. What was the product?. (Interview 
Respondent #19)
The point that techniques should not overshadow the purpose of name brand 
recognition were aptly illustrated by the last quote. It was a point well-made 
and worthy of remembering.
Production Company Responses. Respondents from the production 
companies seemed to be concerned with the director’s interpretation and visual 
style, photography, music and graphics, sound, editing, words, humor, strong 
performances, honesty, integrity, and making an emotional connection or 
relevance to the viewer.
One executive producer summed it up well when she stated,
Comedy is often something that helps you remember a good 
commercial. . . . Something that’s really funny is usually 
memorable. Things that are outrageous, silly outrageous. Things 
that are sort of unbelievable, that you can’t figure out how 
somebody did something. . . . Famous celebrities are always 
memorable. Once in a while maybe something that’s just 
extraordinarily visual, where it’s just like the whole thing just 
sweeps you away just like a movie does . . . and you’re just 
amazed by what you’re seeing. I think little kids are used 
sometimes in that way as well. Little children, babies. Sometimes 
that stuff can be memorable. And again, I think music plays a 
role in that and good writing, good copy writing. Good words can 
be memorable. Think about the jingles. . . .  You can think of 
jingles since the time you were a little kid up until now. And 
logos, in general, kind of logos, jingles, catch all phrases.
[Researcher: "Just Do It!"] Exactly. That’s a brilliant one.
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Absolutely brilliant. That’s one of the best examples. (Interview
Respondent #9)
There are specific techniques consciously used in television commercials 
to help viewers remember the commercial. Some respondents noted that it was 
the personalization of the material, an emotional connection, and/or making it 
memorable for the viewer. One client said it depended upon the concept 
presented. Other respondents maintained it was influenced by the product, 
casting, faces, action, pacing, dialog, music, camera moves, individual style of 
the commercial, sound, music, graphics, strong visuals, honesty, integrity, the 
director’s visual style, voice overs, phrases and photography. In some respects, 
the answers were similar to those given for the previous question.
Relevance to Educators. It was important for educators to look at 
various techniques that might help learners remember things. It was helpful 
that the study participants were able to articulate specific techniques that they 
utilized to help viewers remember a television commercial could be useful to 
educators such as an individual’s style, pacing, dialog, visuals, phrases and so on. 
It is possible to transfer this information to the field of education and thereby 
aid learners in remembering information.
Making things memorable is an important component of teaching and 
learning. Sometimes the learning may be either subconscious or incidental. 
Conscious learning may also occur. An important component of learning is that
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when the learner’s information is put into short- or long-term memory, it then 
becomes easier to measure and evaluate what was learned.
Question #8  - Visual Imagery and /or 
Techniques Used in the Commercial
Interview Question. How do you decide on the visual imagery and/or 
techniques you use in the commercial?
Rationale. Suggestions regarding the use of visual imagery and/or 
techniques may be beneficial to adult educators in their ability to reach
i:
learners; especially visual learners.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients mentioned that it depended upon 
the situation or commercial. The use of color, black and white and storyboards 
were mentioned as important. As one client mentioned, ;
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When we saw the storyboards up front to see how it was all going :
to work, and that took quite a few meetings to go through the
storyboards. The agency did a really good job putting this
together and actually visually showing as much as they could from
these storyboards and how the spot was going to go. (Interview
Respondent #17)
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising people mentioned that the 
intent of the ad, the product and creative strategy was important. Innovation, 
uniqueness, feeling and/or emotional connections, the mood, film type, frames
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per second, mood, pace and editing were also mentioned as being very 
influential.
As one creative director said,
In this commercial it seems like motion is important. The mood.
The quick cuts that you’re going to have in editing. Fast 
paced. . . . They’re using color and black and white. They’re using 
different lighting . . . gels . . .  a mesmerizer . . .  8 millimeter . . .
16 millimeter. . . . Part of the decision is based on what the 
audience can relate to. (Interview Respondent #11)
An advertising person reminded the researcher, "The visual imagery or
techniques come from, are born of, the combination of delivering the product
uniqueness and benefit to the audience in a compelling fashion" (Interview
Respondent #14).
The chairman/CEO maintained,
I think that if you’re doing it right it goes back to the strategy.
First, you start with a concept, an idea. What do we want people 
to do after they’ve seen this? And then you make the imagery 
and the techniques fit that goal. If part of the strategy is to make 
you think, "This place is so cool and so happening, so hip," already 
that suggests certain imagery to you sitting there. If I want you to 
think, "This is a very stable, very conservative place to put your 
money," I don’t want cool, hip and happening. What I want you 
to think is dull, solid, safe, those guys will always be there when 
I’m through. . . .  So, the strategy will dictate the image. (Interview 
Respondent #19)
Production Company Responses. Respondents in this category were 
especially concerned with the director’s look and style as being very influential. 
It was also very important that the style suit the script as well as the agency
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ideals and goals. Film, frames per second, photography, lighting, special effects
and reality were also deemed important.
One executive producer explained the process.
It’s a collaboration clearly between the director and the 
advertising creatives and further up the line, the client. . . . And 
then there are certain dictates that just by virtue of what the 
storyboard is. Each piece of work is different from the next one, 
and whatever it takes to put across the idea is really what gets put 
into that spot. . . . [Regarding the director, Joe Pytka’s role] I 
would say the visual quality and his capturing a certain sensitivity 
with his talent. And that he can tell a story. He can tell a story 
in 30 seconds, 5 seconds, or 5 minutes. It’s his ability to pull from 
his casting a very high degree of sensitivity, I think. And let’s face 
it, his visual quality. And there’s a simplicity involved. It’s real.
It’s not full of tricks, although he does quite a bit of special 
effects, whatever, but it’s not about that. There’s a realness about 
it. Everyday stuff. Even when it’s flash and the uh-huh girls in 
their sequined dresses, there’s a realness about it that I think kind 
of speaks for itself. (Interview Respondent #15)
Another director refers to a lesson he learned from director Joe Pytka in 
answering the question regarding visual imagery and techniques. As he tells the 
story,
I had preconceived a scene, how it was going to look, where the 
camera was going to be. . . .  I set it up and proceeded to go 
through, fight with all kinds of technical problems to make it 
work. And Joe came in and said, "Let me just show you 
something. You do whatever you want, but let me just show you 
something." He moved the camera over here and he turned one 
thing around and I looked through the camera and all of a sudden 
there was an incredible clarity to the frame. The shot is framed 
right when you see everything in it and nothing draws your 
attention away from what you want to see. . . . Well, the way he 
found clarity was by looking for it. Where is it? By responding to 
what’s there. Creating a circumstance or situation to respond 
t o . . . .  Respond to what’s going to happen and make sure I get it. 
It’s a different approach. (Interview Respondent #25)
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Interview respondents mentioned that the visual imageiy needed to 
support the style of the script or storyboards as well as the agency goals, 
creative strategy and intent of the advertising. Some visual imagery or 
techniques mentioned included the use of color, black and white, motion, 
graphics, visual contrast, different film speeds as well as 8, 16 or 35 mm films, 
special effects versus what is real, locations, lighting, the director’s interpretation 
of the visual look and style, computers and special effects. Visual imagery may 
be both stimulating and eye-catching for the viewer. It also has the ability to 
send subtle messages to the viewer.
Relevance to Education. Some learners are especially susceptible to 
visual modes of presentations. In some cases, it is the preferred or primary mode 
of learning for some students as compared to the auditory or written mode of 
learning. Television commercials are a very visual medium. It was important 
for educators to understand how the use of visual imageiy is successful in the 
making of television commercials. Some of the information should be 
transferrable to the teaching and learning environment of adult educators such 
as the use of visual contrast, motion, video tapes, computers or locations.
Question #9  - Deciding on the Sound 
Track Portion of the Commercial
Interview Question. How do you decide on the sound track portion of
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the commercial?
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Rationale. The sound track is important to a television commercial. 
Answers regarding this question might offer some suggestions to adult educators 
that could be utilized with learners; especially auditory learners.
Advertising Client Responses. Again, clients mentioned that it depends
upon the commercial. They listen and participate in decisions in the editing
room. As one client answered,
How do we decide? We listen . . . they give us music and we 
listen to it. And that just can take forever, especially listening to 
it without seeing, and then putting it together and trying to decide 
. . .  we went back and forth quite a few times on the sounds. . . .
That was very time consuming, and I was surprised at how 
important that i s . . . .  It can be extremely tedious, the sound 
mixing. (Interview Respondent #17)
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising people mentioned the
importance of the overall creative strategy. The music needed to support the
strategy and visuals. Again, the sound track needed to suit the commercial.
One advertising agency person summed it up,
You decide on what is appropriate for the creative approach to 
the commercial. It’s simple, the way you decide is easy. What 
you decide might be very difficult. . . . And if you do it properly, 
then a good advertisement isn’t only the clever one, the funny 
one, the beautiful one, the one that you remember. It’s when you 
remember the product. How many advertisements have you seen 
that you remember something very clever about the advertisement 
but you can’t even remember what product they were advertising?
It happens so often. So you can’t let the advertisement take over 
the function of what the advertisement is. It’s a common error. 
(Interview Respondent #14)
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As one writer explained,
It’s like once you knew what was happening, the music only 
reinforced it. The music is supposed to draw out the emotion in 
you. It helps fill in the colors of what can’t just be accomplished 
by looking at a picture. . . .  I think music is 100% raw emotion. 
(Interview Respondent #16)
(
As the chairman/CEO mentioned about the sound track portion of the 
television commercial, "It’s the same thing. It goes back again to your strategy. 
What do I want you to carry away?" (Interview Respondent #19).
Production Company Responses. Respondents were concerned that the 
sound track needed to work for the script and advertising agency. Directors 
were often in a position to make suggestions to the advertising agency regarding 
their personal ideas concerning the sound track.
One executive producer explained,
The advertising agency really has a lot to do with that, although 
depending on the director, the one I work with [J.P.] certainly gets 
involved with it. It’s an evolution. . . .  You roll the camera and 
you see what you get. And things fall into place because of that.
It’s like five waves crashing into each other at the same time.
The result is what you get at the end. And from that process 
often the music changes completely than what everything thought 
it would be, and it’s very often done at the end. . . . The creatives 
have to be as flexible as the director. . . . They never know what 
they’re getting ahead of time, buy they know what they get at the 
end is going to be magic. And if they’re flexible enough and 
secure enough to be able to deal with that, and egoless enough, 
then they get some great work . . .  If they don’t, they learn very 
quickly. (Interview Respondent #15)
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One director commented,
I have input into this. I don’t decide it. . . .  Often I will make 
suggestions. I always ask about the sound track in the first 
conversation. I want to know. It is an important part of the 
personality. I want to know what they are going to do with it. . . .
So, I just try to have input and I try to create a certain identity 
just as I would with the visuals. . . . Music supports the images 
and gives either a sense of energy or a sense of emotion. And it 
can be overdone very easily. So we’re very careful of that.
(Interview Respondent #  25)
The respondents noted that the sound track portion needed to suit the 
script, the commercial, advertising agency and client. It could include sound 
effects, music, dialog, jingles or phrases. Directors often were able to provide 
suggestions regarding the music. The music should always be used as a support 
to the commercial strategy and visuals.
. Relevance to Educators. As mentioned previously, not all learners use 
or prefer the same mode of learning. In this case, suggestions may benefit 
learners who have an auditory preference instead of a visual or written learning 
preference. The use of dialog and music can be an extremely powerful way of 
conveying information to a learner. The use of sounds, music, auditory methods 
or tape recorders should assist the learner in remembering the lesson.
Question #10 - Basic Structural Components 
Utilized in Developing the Commercial
Interview Question. Are there basic structural components you utilize 
in developing a television commercial? If so, what are they?
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Rationale. If basic structural components of television commercials are 
utilized, then that structure or format might be useful for adult educators to 
examine and/or implement.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients mentioned that structural 
components are influenced by the specific commercial. However, storytelling 
and humor were important as well as the need for a good idea.
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising people mentioned that it was 
important to carry out the structural progression from the overall concept to the
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specific idea. The advertising strategy and mission statement was important as
was the need to research the product and audience in developing the concept.
As one creative director explained,
Fm a big believer in structure. I think the first structural 
component is an idea, is a concept. Without a concept you have 
nothing. You can come up with the coolest piece of advertising, 
and unless it’s really an interesting concept and relevant to the 
target audience, all you have is something that’s cool but doesn’t 
make any sense. You build on the idea, and there’s no way to 
develop it, because sometimes it happens, like any inspiration, it 
happens out of sync and out of order. . . .  It helps to have a 
foundation. . . .  I like to get a logic going, even if it seems like an 
illogic. (Interview Respondent #11)
Production Company Responses. Production people believed that the 
storyboards, story line, and director’s creative ideas and/or frame of reference 
were very important issues. Also, the visual structure, voice overs, copy and 
music were mentioned as also being influential and relevant.
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This executive producer was very aware of the needs of the advertising
agency as well as the production company. As he explained the process,
Most of the time the agency will give you a script and a 
storyboard and this is their ideas, and a lot of times we forget-I 
don’t forget, but a lot of people forget-is that this has taken close 
to six months for them to get it to this point to give it to us. It’s 
gone through, most agencies or most clients nowadays are doing a 
lot of testing on things. So, it’s sort of like this baby of theirs that 
started six months ago and now it’s being handed over to us. And 
we then get on the phone and we discuss different ideas, and 
again the creative process starts hopefully, and either the board 
goes in a certain direction or stays exactly as it is or certain 
elements are added or subtracted, and the idea is to try and make 
it the best we can. . . . Basically, that idea has been sold to every 
one of their bosses up the line, and, rightfully so, this is what they 
want. (Interview Respondent #8)
One producer/production coordinator explained the overall process as,
When agency and client come to town, I have my own goals of 
how to get the job done and they have theirs. If you were asking 
about structural components as far as shooting it, then you get 
into casting, location, scouting, getting a crew organized, tech 
scout, shoot it, wrap it.
Depending upon the client and agency, the director these 
days still has quite a bit of latitude in what he can do with a spot 
after he gets it in terms of developing it and making it maybe 
better, more pleasing to look at, that kind of thing. Some 
agencies will come in and say, "Our client is really hard nosed 
about it. They want what’s in the board." And so you’ve got to 
go shoot their board. Other ones are saying, and I think it’s the 
better way to do it, is that, "We’re going to pay this director a lot 
of money to do this for us. Let us give him the latitude to make' 
it a good spot." In this case you don’t have to be shooting the 
storyboard. You come up with your own action or location, things 
like that. (Interview Respondent #13)
An executive producer who works with a very creative and powerful 
director commented,
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I work a little bit differently by virtue of the fact of who I work 
with. There’s, some people come in with pictures and storyboards 
and tear sheets and all this rigmarole, and we don’t work that 
way. We have a basic idea. We never shoot from a story board.
We know there’s a theme to get across, and that’s probably the 
most important thing. What is it you’re trying to say? And how 
ever you achieve that goal is up to the particulars at the moment, 
and that’s what I mean by being flexible. And I think that’s where 
good work comes, not being static and structured and set into 
something that’s been conceived weeks ahead of time and just 
passed along on paper. So there are structural things to follow, 
but we don’t follow them. . . .  I normally think you have a 
storyboard. You have an idea of what you’re trying to say, who 
you’re trying to say it to, and certain dictates from clients. You 
have to have this weird in or this look or whatever. There are 
always little dictates that one follows. And it probably starts and 
ends with a story board. (Interview Respondent #15)
Regarding structural components, a young director mentioned that,
It depends again. Yes, you pretty much stay within the 
boundaries. Some agencies want you to stick right up to it. Some 
agencies want you to really take it away and do something with 
it. . . . Actually what I got from them [ad agency] was a piece of 
paper saying, "This is what we want to do. Here’s some suggested 
vignettes. We want you to come up with more ideas." And I just 
went in with a bunch of ideas, and during the month you just start 
to work out things, and logistically you worked out whether or not 
it was possible to do all these things and actually could we afford 
to do this?. (Interview Respondent #18)
Interview respondents noted that the overall concept or idea is important 
as well as the advertising strategy or mission. In many cases there is a specific 
storyboard, storyline, or beginning-middle-end to the television commercial. 
Sometimes these specifics are influenced by the director and his style or 
creative vision. The use of a stoiyline is often the backbone or spine which 
holds the television commercial together. It provides a plan by which to get a
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point across to the viewer. A basis structural component or blueprint for an 
idea is necessary to the building of a good foundation for successful 
communication with others. There is no solid substitute for it and success.
Relevance to Educators. It was valuable for educators to look at the 
basic structural components that were utilized in the development of a 
television commercial. Some of the ideas such as a basic structural component 
with a beginning-middle-end is already used by educators via quality lesson 
planning.
Teachers work in an environment where planning and organization is 
important if they want to get their ideas across to the learner. In order to 
successfully meet goals and objectives, it is imperative that teachers do careful 
planning. In doing so, they oftentimes develop organizational skills or patterns 
very similar to story lines which are used in television commercials.
In other words, teachers look for a specific beginning, middle and end 
for a lesson plan or learning experience. It is organization, planning and action 
which enables educators to meet many of their goals. However, they also need 
to be flexible, secure and creative in moving beyond the mere teaching of 
content material. It is important for adult educators to leave room for the 
immediacy of creativity while a teacher is in the process of teaching.
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Question #11 - Techniques Used to Change 
the Viewer’s Behavior or Attitude
Interview Question. What techniques do you use in the television 
commercial to change the viewers behavior and/or attitude?
Rationale. Techniques used in television commercials to change 
behaviors or attitudes might be beneficial for adult educators to examine.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients did not have a lot to say about 
this question. Some of the techniques mentioned by clients included the 
importance of the product itself, creating curiosity in the viewer, the use of 
humor, and the choices for casting, individual faces, and/or product attitude 
that the client might want to project.
Advertising Agency Responses. Product benefit was important from the 
advertising agency perspective as was an image. Additionally, the use of 
psychology, depicting lifestyles and making a connection with the individual 
viewer was mentioned.
A creative director explained,
I t r y t o  get inside the mind of the target audience. I try to be 
that person, if Pm not that person. And 50% of the time Pm not 
because Pm a man. And a lot of the things that I sell are to 
women. I talk to the target audience. . . . The best way for me to 
change the viewer’s attitude or the viewers behavior is to really 
understand what makes her tick, what makes him tick. Why do 
you go to the gas station? Why do you buy that expensive thing 
when there’s something cheaper here? Or why do you buy the
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cheap paper towels? And whatever it i s . . .  you’re trying to think
like the person you’re trying to talk to___ It’s all psychology.
(Interview Respondent #11)
An advertising person explained techniques for behavior change based 
upon lifestyle portrayals.
Here they are describing lifestyle itself and telling the viewer the 
way to live, what is the proper lifestyle, what is an appropriate 
lifestyle for a particular age group. And if you have that lifestyle 
or there is a desire to have a particular lifestyle, therefore, in 
order to be like the person that you’re seeing in the 
advertisement, then you need to consume the product that you’re 
advertising. So it sort of works the opposite way around. ITiey 
describe the lifestyle and then say the consumption of the product 
brings you to that lifestyle. That is probably the most used 
method of subliminal advertising and molds our whole society, 
sometimes for the worse. (Interview Respondent #14)
Production Company Responses. Production people felt that it was
important to create a television commercial that was memorable. In doing so,
the work could teach problem solving, be positive and upbeat, change a product
image, emotionally connect with viewers, reflect real life, exhibit honesty and
integrity, utilize PSA’s to help society, and/or utilize real people in getting the
message across to the viewer.
One head of production explained that, "It’s all in the presentation. You 
can use comedy, drama, emotional vignettes, simple graphics, etc. The 
effective presentation of information is the only way to effect a change" 
(Interview Respondent #23).
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An executive producer mentioned that,
The thing that needs to happen now, and what most all advertisers 
want to happen, is they want to stand out from the thousands of 
other commercials that are running on the air. So if you can 
make it different, then you can make someone not switch the 
channel or if you can make someone not get up and go to the 
bathroom, if you can keep them for those 30 seconds or those 
15 seconds, then that’s, I think, how you can get them to buy your 
product or something like that. (Interview Respondent #8)
Then, because they are watching the television commercial and interested, that
is going to make it easier for the viewer to remember the product; because they
are focused in on the commercial.
As an executive producer mentioned,
The bottom line is if you don’t have a good product, it doesn’t 
matter. You can initially get people to change over based on a 
new campaign that excites them, like a car that’s going to make 
you feel more excited about your life. Somebody’s going to 
. advertise something that’s going to supposedly cure the rest of 
your problems in your life-if you just buy this car, if you just use 
this perfume, if you just drink this soda. All of a sudden you’re 
going to be instantly popular and beautiful and all this stuff. I 
think that can work on a certain level if the writing is good and if 
the execution of the commercial is really exceptional. (Interview 
Respondent #9)
Interestingly enough, this respondent as well as others, mentioned that 
they often see great advertising campaigns attempting to change viewer 
behaviors and attitudes towards car companies, banks, restaurants, hotels, or 
beverages but the downfall lies in there being no real change in the product or 
service itself. The result? The consumer tries the product or service and is 
unhappy with it. The company actually needs to change their product or service
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to coincide with the advertising campaign because they only have one chance 
with the consumer. If they blow that chance, they have spent a lot of money on 
advertising and failed.
The same may be true for adult educators. Oftentimes a learner comes 
to an educational setting with previous negative experiences. Each time they 
return for the class is the educator’s chance to reach and teach the learner. If 
they fail even once, an adult will merely choose not to return and the educator 
will never know why.
The interview respondents noted that it was important to use psychology 
on people when trying to bring about changes in human behavior. It was also 
necessary to connect with the individual viewer in some manner and present the 
benefit of the product. The viewer needs to know that use of a product will 
bring about some change in their life; whether real or merely self-perceived.
Clients believed it was good to use the product, humor, curiosity, casting, 
and faces to help change viewer attitudes or behaviors. Ad agency people 
noted that it was important to depict lifestyles that would connect with the 
individual viewer as well as presenting a product image and benefit. It was also 
important to understand the viewer. Production people saw viewer changes 
would result from the creation of memorable, positive, upbeat, honest, real 
people testimonials, and emotionally connecting commercials. Public service 
announcement commercials were mentioned as effectively changing some viewer
behaviors.
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Relevance to Educators. The techniques that are used in television 
commercials to change the viewers behavior and/or attitude are helpful to the 
field of education. On a daily basis, educators are asked to examine, evaluate, 
and deal with learner behaviors. They are also required to deal with individual 
learner attitudes; both positive and negative.
Educators oftentimes are in the position of seeking ways to change the 
learner’s behavior or attitude into that of a more positive nature. Sometimes it 
involves a basic awareness, the presentation of additional or new knowledge, 
and then an encouragement to change ideas or behaviors. Even if well 
planned, educators know that it is difficult to change human behavior; even if 
the person is a willing participant. Educators need to be aware of human 
psychology, the psychology of learning and truly understand their individual 
learners. They need to effectively present information to the learner and make 
it memorable.
Question #12 - Recent Technological Advances 
Influencing the Message of Commercials
Interview Question. What recent technological advances in 
cinematography, editing and/or special effects techniques influence the 
advertising message of television commercials?
Rationale. There are a variety of technological advances that relate to 
the production of television commercials. Many learners have been exposed to
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some of these advances and it might be valuable for adult educators to be 
aware of such advances.
Advertising Client Responses. Clients listed a variety of technological 
advances such as morphing, non-linear editing systems, film stocks, cameras and 
lenses, sound mixing and editing.
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising people also mentioned
advances such as computers, morphing, editing, sound mixing, graphics, MTV,
cinematography and the influence of features on commercials.
One chairman/CEO believed everything was influenced by recent
technological advances. He explained that,
Like if it's something about morphing or whatever new device, 
whatever new cameras, whatever new lens, whatever new 
technique, editing . . .  all of that is jammed in. I think MTV for 
the last few years, and still today, has more influence, have a huge 
influence on animated commercials over the next year. I just 
watched it and I said, "People will steal from that." (Interview 
Respondent #19)
Production Company Responses. Production company personnel noted 
that technological advances have had an overwhelming impact on the industry. 
A  number of the changes have occurred with film stock, cameras, lenses, 
computers, computer animation, morphing, sound, editing, post-production, and 
special effects.
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Entire magazines are devoted to this topic. The myriad of 
technological advances in special effects photography have 
presented innumerable options to advertisers. Once again, 
tempting techniques could create ineffective ads without a strong 
concept. Advances in non-linear editing allow editors to work 
much faster and allow clients to request multiple versions with the 
click of a button. Rather than relying on instinct, the revisions 
instill an environment of second-guessing. (Interview Respondent 
#23)
. Regarding technological advances, one executive producer believes,
It allows you, if it’s not abused. I mean, I think if it’s used with 
an idea, with a point, then when it’s used, again it will help it stick 
out from the crowd. It will make people see it. It will make 
people want to see it. "How did they do that? What did they do 
there?" If you go overboard with it and push it too far, then it 
maybe becomes too much for people to see. There are certain 
things, because we have a group of kids that grew up on MTV 
that are used to these quick sound bites, and that’s sort of how 
they pick up their information and how their brain works or has 
been trained to work. And sometimes those techniques will help 
and it will make it more interesting to someone who’s 17 or 15 or 
16. But a lot of times I don’t want to watch that stuff. (Interview 
Respondent #8)
More than one respondent has commented on the MTV generation. 
There is an opinion that it is a whole different approach to how they view 
visuals and hear things compared to people of other age groups who were not 
exposed to the MTV information processing style. The interesting note is that 
MTV has been around for over ten years so there are a number of adult 
education learners who have been exposed to this rapid method of presenting
This head of production noted,
small bits of information.
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Interview respondents mentioned technological advances such as editing, 
morphing, non-linear editing, camera lenses and stocks, sound mixing, 
computers, MTV, graphics, and special effects as having an overwhelming 
impact on viewers and the finished television commercial.
Relevance to Educators. The television commercial advertising industry 
is on the cutting edge of many new technological advances and utilize these on 
a daily basis. Adult educators might be able to utilize some of these techniques 
such as computers, graphics, scanners, CD-ROM, or computer input of sound 
and pictures to edit a program for use in the classroom.
Technological advances are of the utmost urgency and importance for 
educators. Advances are happening extremely rapidly in this field. Educators 
should be involved and attempt to implement some of these technologies into 
the teaching and learning situation. If not, they will be using outdated and 
outmoded methods of teaching to reach the learner; it will be difficult to attract 
and keep their attention.
If the educator is unfamiliar with such technological advances, this lack 
of exposure has the potential to put the educator at a disadvantage when trying 
to act as an instructor to help facilitate learning. Learners in an adult 
education setting might well have been exposed to and/or currently utilize 
newly created technological changes or products in their own personal lives
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separate from their formal, traditional or voluntary learning/educational 
experiences.
Question #13 - How Ideas or Commercials 
Are Unique or Different
Interview Question. How are your ideas and/or commercials "unique" or 
"different" than anyone else’s?
Rationale. Each person tries to personalize and incorporate their own 
ideas into the collaborative effort of making a television commercial. Then- 
unique ideas might be helpful to adult educators.
Advertising Client Responses. The clients mentioned that they wanted to 
stand out from the competition and this may be accomplished by the use of 
style, fun, and/or MTVish spots.
Advertising Agency Responses. Advertising respondents pointed out that 
the advertising message and individual personal styles were very important as 
was the overall work and creative strategy. Individuality was valued from 
various professionals.
One creative director mentions,
If anything is different or unique, it doesn’t start with the 
commercial. It starts with going back to the source, what’s out 
there. And that’s how my ideas are different. My ideas are 
different because I try and look for the message that hasn’t been
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told, or look for the way to say the message that hasn’t been told 
yet. (Interview Respondent #11)
Another advertising person emphasized,
I think that it’s important that the staff or style of the people who 
work on an advertisement, and particularly the art director, writer, 
and directors of films and advertisements, use their creative selves. 
They don’t insulate or try to copy others, but use what they have 
themselves to bring a uniqueness to it. . . .  I know as an agency 
owner and creative director that what I would look for in a 
cinematographer or a director would be a particular style that I 
like. You don’t want somebody who copies others. You want 
somebody who can make a strong statement through their own 
particular style. That’s what’s interesting and brings out good 
advertising often. . . . For the most part you have to have a 
uniqueness to your approach. (Interview Respondent #14)
The chairman/CEO describes his unique view,
I think, if there’s anything unique or different, is we avoid a 
difference in technique, having a certain style of commercials we 
make or a certain technique, because we tiy to fit the commercial 
to the product and the problem we’re trying to solve. So, when 
we’re done, hopefully a Lawry’s commercial, one of our clients, 
could only be for Lawry’s. . . . Well, it’s so about Lawry’s that how 
could anybody else be there. Or Great Western Bank . . . one of 
our commercials. If you see one of their commercials, it’s about 
Great Western Bank. It’s unique to Great Western Bank. It’s not 
so unique to Dailey & Associates and our technique, but it’s 
certainly unique to the company [client]. (Interview Respondent 
#19)
Production Company Responses. Production people noted that unique 
ideas or style have a major influence from the director’s personal point of view. 
Unique ideas or style has to do with visual interpretation and effects, respecting 
the viewer, communicating images, and overall quality and beauty of the
television commercial.
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As one executive producer mentioned,
If the producer maintains that level of integrity, it definitely 
affects the options that a director or the ultimate outcome of the 
spot, what they have to work with. . . .  I think that the most 
important thing for a director is to have a vision, to have a style 
there. How many hundreds of directors are out there? And I 
look at so many reels that I can’t tell one from the other. The 
ones that are truly separated from the rest of them are those that 
have a vision. No matter what it is, you can look at it and say,
"That one was done by so and so." And that’s a rare ability, and 
the ones who have sort of separated themselves from the pack, 
pretty much it’s because of that. (Interview Respondent #15)
A producer/assistant director commented on the work of Joe Pytka to
answer the question regarding uniqueness.
I’ve done enough of Joe’s spots. He’s the best commercial 
director out there. There’s nobody better than Joe Pytka. And 
basically because he’s the Spielberg in his own way of 
commercials. What makes commercials difficult is everything’s a 
committee, whether it starts by the ad campaign, and then you 
have the agency and the production company. Let’s all gather 
’round the video monitor and look at takes. Everything seems to 
be done by committee decision. Someone like Joe shoots in a 
spontaneous way at times, in a creative way. It’s not always the 
most cost effective way. But when he does a project he’s really 
involved with it. . . .  Anything he does, he will put his signature on 
it. He will make that commercial unique. (Interview Respondent 
#7)
A director commented that his work is unique or different because,
I put a lot of myself into them, just use a lot of humor. . . .  I use ' 
a lot of my own experience to really influence it. . . .  I think that I 
have a definite style, but the thing with me is t h a t . . . I’m still 
exploring. So, I try to do things differently every time. (Interview 
Respondent #18)
A production head summarized the question quite well when he wrote, 
"Like a fingerprint, all directors are different, and see a project in their own
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way. Many have unique styles, trademarks, or specialties - the way you can 
identify a Renoir from a Monet" (Interview Respondent #23).
Interview respondents noted that individual interpretations and personal 
styles needed to stand out from the crowd. Individuality was valued by various 
professionals. It is necessary to go back to the source of information and 
interpret it in a creative and individual manner. A  priority was to respect the 
viewer, communicate successfully and produce a quality television commercial. 
Creativity also meant the freedom to explore new avenues of interpretation.
Relevance to Educators. The "uniqueness" that television commercial 
professionals discussed in their interview responses were important to educators 
because it offered them an insight into some ideas that may work for them as 
individual teachers. Interview respondents described, on an individual level, 
how they were able to bring their personal trademark or style to their 
profession. A  professional’s individual vision was crucial to communicating with 
others. It not only applies to the television commercial industry but also to the 
field of education. Adult educators should respect the learner, utilize the 
freedom to be creative in interpreting and presenting materials and express 
their own unique and individual style as a teacher or educator. It is important 
for teachers to take a personalized and humanistic approach in order to reach 
students at all levels. Such an approach often has the potential to enhance 
both the individual’s and teacher’s learning experience.
Question #14 - Final Say Regarding What 
Goes Into the Television Commercial
Interview Question. Who has the final say as to what goes into the 
television commercial?
Rationale. Education has an administrative hierarchy or chain of 
command. The teacher is a vital link in the hierarchy. How television 
commercial professionals fit into their own professional hierarchy, and balance 
the "control" issue, could be useful for adult educators.
Advertising Client Responses. The clients mentioned that they have the 
final say but often it may be a combination of the client and agency or the 
client, agency and director. As one client stated, "We have the final say as far 
as if there’s a question and we don’t like something. If the agency wants to 
suggest something, that’s fine, but we have the final say of how we want it to 
look" (Interview Respondent #17).
Advertising Agency Responses. Interview respondents in this category 
agreed that the client has the final say but often the decisions may be between 
the client and agency or as a group decision including the director’s input.
The chairman/CEO commented that the final say,
It’s very, very much influenced mostly by the creative director of
an agency. The client plays a role in that. The producer you hire
plays a role in it. Almost always a final say is a group final say,
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because there’s pre-production meetings, things are discussed. . . . 
But mostly it’s a group thing. (Interview Respondent #19)
As one advertising person explained,
There’s an old axiom that says good clients produce good 
advertising. The smart client will hire a really top notch 
production team that has really top notch directors, writers, 
creative team and rely on those people. It’s obvious the best 
thing to give confidence in the people that you hire as a client. 
However, it’s a delicate balance of knowing your own product, if 
you’re a client, and being willing to give up some of your control 
so that the professionals that you hire can do their job. It’s a 
balance between that and being strong about what you want, the 
message that you want to deliver. . . .  I think it’s important for 
people who produce advertisements, directors, writers, people in 
the production end of things, to really try to look at things from 
the client’s viewpoint [and vice-versa]. . . . You get a whole 
different view of it. (Interview Respondent #14)
Production Company Responses. The production people agreed that the 
client has final say. Again, there are many instances when it is between the 
client and agency. There is also a collaborative experience which exists 
between directors and the advertising agency.
One executive producer summarized the answers of production 
respondents when she stated,
It’s threefold, really. The ultimate, ultimate final say is, of course, 
the client. It’s their product and they’re paying for it. Then on 
one hand you have the advertising agency who have certain 
dictates within their own, they have their own reasons for wanting 
something. And then the director. . . . Sometimes, different ones, 
each one gets their way at different time. (Interview Respondent 
#15)
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Interview respondents maintained that the client has the final say of what 
goes into a television commercial. In many instances, it is really a collaborative 
effort involving a number of creative people who make, shape and influence the 
vision of the commercial as well as the, final cut. The group of decision makers 
may involve the client, agency and director. The final version of a television 
commercial goes through a variety of cuts, stages, and input from a wide variety 
of people affiliated with the commercial. The overall importance is that 
decisions may be made in a creative and collaborative environment even though 
there is a client who has the ultimate power or control. At times, that ultimate 
control is set aside in order for creativity be given a chance to occur.
Relevance to Educators. It was important to examine who has the final 
say regarding what goes into the television commercial. The interesting finding 
was that creativity is often allowed to occur for the good of the overall product; 
the television commercial. For educators, that could mean administration 
allowing teachers to try out or utilize less traditional methods of teaching and 
learning in the spirit of cooperation and creativity.
Educators sometimes experience pressure regarding what content to 
teach in their courses. More traditional, and less creative, teaching methods are 
often expected of the teacher. There are a number of forces which have an 
impact on teachers regarding this issue. This typically might involve school 
boards, boards of regents, local governing educational units or others depending
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on what level or type of education is involved. It also involves administrators, 
parents, community values and student or learner preferences. Ultimately it 
becomes an issue of trying to meet the needs of everyone involved. Obviously, 
there are a wide variety of forces pulling in their own directions. Sometimes, 
that leads to wide spread fragmentation which can be damaging to education.
Question #15 - Favorite Television 
Commercials
Interview Question. Name two of your favorite television commercials. 
Why do you think you like and remember them?
Rationale. Why people remember their favorite television commercials 
may shed some light on the issue of why learners remember certain teachers 
that have influenced their learning experiences. This could prove helpful to 
adult educators.
Advertising Client Responses. One client mentioned that commercials 
that were "cute" appealed to her. She mentioned a commercial where a 
Yamaha motorcycle passed a Porsche on a racetrack. The other television 
commercial she liked was the Michelin tire commercials with the baby in the 
tire. It appeared that what this individual identified with was that one 
commercial was entertaining and the latter seemed to make an emotional
connection to her.
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Advertising Agency Responses. There were an interesting combination
of responses in this category which included remembering television
commercials which were successful, fresh, fun, humorous, entertaining and/or
innovative. Additionally, commercials with a simple message or ones that did
not talk down to the viewer were remembered and viewed as "favorites" of
various interview respondents.
One creative director remarked that,
I guess one of everybody’s favorites right now is Nike. . . .  I 
looked at a lot of commercials and I asked someone to put 
together the Nike reel. God, as a body of work, not any one 
commercial, but as a body of work the Nike advertising is so 
fresh. It is so wonderful. I guess the ultimate test for me on 
advertising is to be able to say, "Oh, I wish I wrote that. I wish I 
did that." And when I look at that reel, I wish I had been 
involved in that. I wish that I were associated with it. . . .  They 
know how to talk to kids. They never talk down. They’re fun.
.They’re funny. They do a campaign to women that talks a 
different way. It’s just very, very special and inventive, and to me 
on the leading edge of advertising and they break through 
constantly. They are always looking for new ways to do stuff.
(Interview Respondent #11)
Production Company Responses. Television commercials that production 
people tended to remember were said to be honest, great ideas, appeared to be 
real, were beautifully done, emotional, visual, environmental, or memorable. 
Some professionals review their competitors work while others do not want to 
be influenced by the work of other professionals in the field.
A director commented,
One of my favorite TV commercials is for coal fires. He used 
expression. Real expression. Real people. But why that’s good is
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because people will remember it and remember the product 
because they remember what it’s for. . . . People care about things 
like how to improve your life. . . . What we need to know is how 
it looks, how it makes you feel, and what it’s going to do for your 
ego. . . . And beyond that you want to be slightly entertained. 
(Interview Respondent #18)
An executive producer recalled,
My favorite commercial, I’d have to say, is probably the Apple 
Computer 1984 spot when they were introducing Macintosh, and it 
ran once during the Super Bowl. And I remember watching the 
news that night, saying that it was much more interesting than the 
Super Bowl. . . . But that was the 1984 spot that Ridley Scott 
directed. . . . The next day, I believe, the sales, the phones went 
off the hook. I mean it just went bonkers with the first day they 
were introducing the Mac. All the press picked it up. . . . It was 
just that visually it was stunning. From an idea point of view it 
was wonderful, and you just couldn’t take your eyes off it. 
(Interview Respondent #8)
The same respondent went on to discuss the,
Honda commercial where the car was on the wall. That was 
Henry Sandbank, and it was done out here, so I was out at the set 
watching the construction, which was just amazing, and it was just 
such a great spot. Again, great ideas. That’s what I tend to like 
the most, is if it’s got a great idea and you get it across in 
30 seconds. You’re not trying to give them too much 
information. . . .  It was just a great spot. (Interview 
Respondent #8)
One producer/assistant director recalled,
My favorite, hands down, would be the Michelob spot Pytka did, 
'"Hie Night Belongs To Michelob," five years ago. And if you 
really look at that commercial, each-the story is there throughout, 
a moment in each person’s life this evening, and each shot is in 
my mind almost a portrait. . . . It’s just a beautiful spot.
Expensive spot. You wonder how much time went into it to pull 
off some of these shots. . . . The other one is the Budweiser with 
the horses, the Clydesdale horses for the season. And I think that 
all goes back to, in this ever changing world that we live in, it’s
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nice to have something that is the same. I think that’s 
where-hopefully commercials will get back into those values of 
going back to life that we all enjoyed, that was much simpler than 
it is today. And the Budweiser spot’s going to be there every 
year, and it’s a country scene and people care about each other, 
and the snow. It’s how we remember Christmas, even if we’ve 
never been there , before. (Interview Respondent #7)
Interview respondents mentioned a variety of reasons for remembering
various television commercials. Some of the memorable reasons included an
emotional connection with the viewer, an entertaining experience, fresh, fun,
humorous, innovative, nostalgic, or never talking down to the viewer. Other
reasons mentioned were that the work was visually stunning, beautifully done, a
. great idea or showed something that would improve your life.
Relevance to Educators. It was important to look at the television 
commercials which interview respondents recalled as their favorites. The 
interest for educators was that perhaps teachers would be more memorable to 
their students if they were (like some of the memorable television 
commercials): entertaining, fun, humorous, did not talk down to the learner, 
innovative in their presentation of material, utilized great ideas, or taught 
something that would directly relate to the student or possibly improve his life 
situation. In that respect, the responses of the individual study participants 
were valuable to adult educators.
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Question #16 - Importance of CLIO Awards 
and the AICP/MOMA Show
Interview Question. What is the importance of the CLIO awards and/or 
inclusion in the AICP/MOMA show - "The Art and Technique of the American 
Television Commercial"?
Rationale. Awards programs perform an important function by 
recognizing an individual’s professional contribution to his/her chosen 
professional field. Awards are prevalent, in both television commercial 
advertising and the field of education. Might there be some useful information 
that could be passed on to adult educators which would benefit them regarding 
the teaching and/or learning process?
Responses of Advertising Clients. Agencies and Production Companies. 
The interview responses did not provide information which would readily 
transfer to the profession of adult education.
Question #17 - Information. Observations.
Techniques or Insights for Teachers
Interview Question. Do you have any information, observations 
techniques or insights that would be helpful for teachers so they might 
incorporate your ideas into the teaching-learning situation?
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Rationale. Professionals of television commercial advertising and 
production have interesting backgrounds and experiences. They were given the 
opportunity to share information which might prove useful for adult educators.
Advertising Client Responses. One client felt that it was important to
experience hands on learning. Additionally, that no matter one’s age, you are
never too old to learn. As this client mentioned,
Fm learning myself. . . . Nothing replaces being there and hands 
on and actually being involved. . . . You have to be there and to 
experience it, and you can learn so much by just watching, 
listening to see what everybody’s doing and what’s going on. And 
Fm learning, every time I do these I learn something new. . . .  No 
matter what age you are. As long as you get something out of it, 
it’s been well worth it, is the way I feel. You need to get 
something out of what you’re doing. (Interview Respondent #17)
Advertising Agency Responses. A variety of experiences were mentioned 
by advertising personnel which could be beneficial. Research and learning was 
mentioned, as was problem solving and hands on experiences. Additionally, 
internships and school to work programs were suggested as was the idea of 
connecting corporations and/or advertisers with teachers.
A  creative director thought,
It would be great if you could just mesh the on-the-job experience 
together with the academic experience. It would be great if 
teachers worked in advertising agencies and saw how it was 
done. . . . Our getting some more knowledge on a first hand 
basis. . . .  If they can find teachers to send up in a rocketship, why 
can’t they find a teacher to spend her summer working at Coke or 
working at J. Walter Thompson or working at Ford . . . and get a 
taste of what it’s like. . . . We in corporate America who are in
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the advertising industry would get some fresh eyes and some fresh 
ears. . . . It’s that teachers have to be more a part of the world. I 
mean, I took journalism courses in college and it felt Ijke the guy 
never really worked on a newspaper. I felt like he was teaching 
journalism from a book. . . . It’s like oftentimes teachers get out 
of touch. They get sort of entrenched in this one track and they 
don’t do a lot to be creative or grow or whatever it might be. 
What I see going, on in commercials, in all phases across the 
board, is you have to be creative. . . . Teachers would really have 
to believe that the real world, that they can learn something in the 
real world. (Interview Respondent #11)
Production Company Responses. Production people stressed the
importance of respecting the audience, utilizing good preparation, planning,
patience and organization, correlating the concept and visual experience,
understanding the value of public service announcements and community
service, and conducting one’s self as a professional. Additionally, they
mentioned that learning occurs via the process of work. It was suggested that
teachers also utilize guest speakers and professionals while educating others in
order to coordinate with the real life world of work. Being dedicated and
enjoying one’s work or profession was also mentioned.
A head of production wrote, "As simple as it may seem, communication
is the key to most successes in life. Having learned it’s many aspects, one can
sell themselves, and in turn, their ideals" (Interview Respondent #23). One
first assistant director discussed his own personal learning from his production
experience with television commercials.
Learning how to organize yourself and how to prioritize and to 
take a time frame and try to achieve Something within a time
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frame. And you can apply it to every part of your life, no matter 
what you do. What we have to do, being that there’s a lot of 
money involved, is every minute of our day has to be kind of 
organized and we’ve got to know what we’re doing, from here to 
there. . . . And it becomes so natural that you start applying it to 
your own life. . . . And if children or teachers could somehow 
teach that to kids, it would be great. . . . When I go out and make 
a personal purchase, not only do I know what I want, and now I 
know how to ask for it and be very, very specific when dealing 
with a layman. . . . Little things are very, very important. Detail is 
very important. And so I’ve taken that, what I’ve learned 
professionally and do apply it to a personal life, and it’s made a 
big difference. (Interview Respondent #22)
A producer/production coordinator also mentioned similar benefits.
My work in the industry has taught me a lot about getting things 
done, accomplishing things in a short period of time. Again, these 
are personal observations or changes in my personal life by virtue 
of what I do. I’m much more organized. To be in this business 
or to succeed in this business, you have to be able to do a lot of 
things at once, and you have to have the mentality to handle the 
crunch periods. . . . There is always something on your mind and 
always something to be worried about. So you have to have, that 
I have learned, is a mentality to [know when to] just relax. . . .  I 
never cut short on what I can do. I take it as my personal 
responsibility to do the best job I can. . . . It’s an amazing 
lifestyle. (Interview Respondent #13)
A director had some suggestions.
Never patronize. Use humor. Think of the responsibility you 
have when you’re saying what you’re saying. And make it 
interesting. . . . People care about how they feel. First and 
foremost. Advertising appeals to one person, and that’s the one 
person who sees it. It appeals to the individual, and the 
individual is thinking totally selfish. . . . That’s just the way people 
are. . . . They care about how it’s going to improve the quality of 
their life or how much they are going to enjoy it or how much the 
enjoyment of their life is going to change or how much easier 
their life will become because of it. And they want to know that 
they’re going to go and buy something that’s going to satisfy them.
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And that’s what they need to know. . . . And it’s very, very simple.
I think people like stories too. (Interview Respondent #18)
Finally, an executive producer explains,
I think the best piece of information in this business-this is a 
unique business in that everything pales to on-the-job experience.
And you can’t say that for very many other fields of study or fields 
of interest. I think studying is great and learning and technique 
and theory and everything, but it’s one of the rare opportunities 
where you really don’t learn anything until you get out there and 
do it. . . . And I think teaching what a commercial is, is important, 
in that what is it supposed to do? What is it trying to say? . . .
It’s far more than what you see, and it’s knowing what it is that 
you’re seeing and what impact does it have. That’s really what it’s 
all about. (Interview Respondent #15)
Interview respondents covered a wide variety of observations and insights 
that they shared concerning the teaching-learning situation. The suggestions 
that they mentioned included the importance of hands on learning, problem 
solving, school to work programs, research and learning, teachers becoming a 
part of the real work world instead of staying isolated in the academic world, 
teachers not becoming entrenched, staying creative, continuing to grow, and 
practicing the idea that a person is never too old to learn. Production people 
also added that it was important to respect the audience, utilize good 
preparation, planning, patience and organization, unite concepts with visual and 
auditory experiences, conduct one’s self as a professional, utilize guest speakers, 
be a good communicator, grow personally, professionally and enjoy the 
profession.
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Relevance to Educators. The interview answers to this question were 
specifically designed to offer recommendations to educators. These 
professionals were able to offer a variety of helpful answers which might not 
otherwise have been mentioned. All of the suggestions mentioned in the last 
paragraph apply to educators. Additionally, adult educators need to remember 
to not patronize their learners, be interesting as an instructor, key in on the 
individual as both a person and a learner, demonstrate an ability to tell stories 
to illustrate points, be knowledgeable as well as entertaining and be willing to 
take the risk, and meet the challenge, to become a better teacher and educator.
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CHAPTER 5
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this chapter was to present a summary of findings, 
conclusions, and recommendations. The researcher also discussed further 
research areas and the future.
Findings
The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching and/or learning 
applications for adult educators of the 30 to 60 second television commercial. 
This study was designed to delve into the insights and/or recommendations that 
the creators and producers of television commercials had to offer. This method 
or approach offered the potential to help educators increase their knowledge 
regarding adult education, teaching, and/or learning via a unique perspective.
The overall findings of this study were listed in Chapter 4. The summary 
findings are as follows:
I. There was an agreement between clients, advertising agencies and 
production companies that television commercials allow clients to effectively 
reach the masses in an efficient, fast, and cost effective manner. Television 
commercial advertising also allows for the use of entertaining visuals,
I •) Il IL--L - I '  I
movement, music, sound, and repetition to influence the viewer. The television 
commercial allows advertisers to deliver a very strong and powerful message 
and in doing so advertisers become very effective communicators.
Educators also need to be concerned with their ability to reach their 
students and the masses in a strong, memorable and effective manner.
2. There was an agreement between clients, advertising agencies, and 
production professionals that the most important goal of television commercial 
advertising was to sell the product. A client also mentioned that it is important 
to expand the product market. An advertising person mentioned it was 
important to sell the product in a memorable fashion; to remember the product 
or brand name and not just the television ad. Production personnel also 
wanted to provide an effective mode of communication in a creative manner.
Educators are in a position of having to sell their programs and classes 
to the learner or masses. They also need to be effective and creative 
communicators.
3. There was an agreement among clients, advertising agencies, and 
production companies that audiences are targeted for a marketing campaign 
and specific strategies are used in the campaign. Research of the targeted 
audience was often done and may be costly. Advertising people mentioned that 
it was very important to develop a mission statement with goals and objectives 
for the product or company. Everything else then relates to the television 
commercial so that it supports or enhances the mission statement or theme.
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Specific strategies used in the campaign include making the television 
commercial different or unique in order to "cut through the clutter" and make 
the product and advertising memorable. To accomplish this, the television 
commercial may employ the use of humor, beauty shots, young and hip 
attitudes, images, fun, style, talent, spokespersons, quick editing, and/or other 
techniques.
Educators often deal with mission statements for their programs and 
develop learning experiences to support their mission or goal. It is very 
important for an adult educator to know their learners or audience in order to 
meet their learning needs. The interview responses offered some examples of 
techniques used to accomplish such goals.
4. There was a general consensus among clients, advertising agency 
personnel, and production professionals that some sort of teaching and/or 
learning takes place from watching television commercials. There was concern 
as to whether such learning is a positive or negative benefit. Teachers should 
also be concerned whether their experiences with learners are of a positive or 
negative benefit. Some interview respondents mentioned that the nature, topic, 
or goal of the commercial was a big influence on the viewer. Positive teaching 
or learning examples mentioned were Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) 
that deal with drunk driving, AIDS, drug rehabilitation, learn to read, 
anti-smoking campaigns, air and water pollution, the environment, the homeless, 
pregnancy, safe sex, and other topics.
JJ JLL
Clients and advertising people felt that some television commercials give 
the viewer valuable information, create curiosity about the product and/or new 
technology, and may be informative about the product. In doing so, the 
commercial may teach the viewer something new. It was also mentioned by all 
groups that learning may be intended or unintended. Television commercials 
also make statements about our culture and society; a type of learning through 
visual imagery.
Interview respondents also noted that the speed of information 
processing has increased from generation to generation and that it has an effect 
on teaching and learning. Numerous professionals mentioned that it would be 
beneficial to teach both children and adults more about the intricacies of 
television commercial advertising.
Educators are faced on a daily basis with the issues of teaching and 
learning. In some cases, adult educators are teaching their learners how to 
Ieam and/or relate learning experiences to their own personal lives. Real life 
experiences hold value for both adult educators and adult learners. The I
, , i.
interview responses were helpful in that they talked of non-traditional learning 
experiences that viewers were exposed to by watching television commercials.
The types of experiences were varied. j
5. There was an agreement among clients, advertising agencies, and
I
production professionals that it was crucial to capture the viewer’s attention, 
make the television commercial stand out, and also make it memorable.
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i
Teachers also often find themselves facing the dilemma of having to capture the 
attention of the learner and making the material memorable.
Specific techniques that may be used in television commercial production 
included the use of casting, real people, faces, colors, action, dialog, music, 
lighting, camera movement, pacing, editing, beauty, sexuality, reality, 
believability, youthfulness, emotional content, personal interest and relevance or 
connection to the viewer, humor, honesty, integrity, celebrities, jingles, vignettes, 
phrases, and/or the director’s personal vision and style.
AU attention getting devices should support the overall advertising of the 
product and its campaign. Visual imagery or techniques which may be used 
include a variety of film stocks, different frames per second photography, the 
overaU photographic look or style and special effects. Music and/or sound 
tracks should make an emotional connection with the viewer and support or 
reinforce the strategy and visuals of the commercial. Finally, there should be a 
priority to remember the product and not just the commercial.
Educators may examine some of the methods, including visual and 
auditory modes, used to capture the viewer’s attention and make things I
memorable. Such methods are relevant to adult educators in that they may 
apply some of the techniques mentioned to improve the learner’s personal 
satisfaction with the teaching and learning experience. i
6. There was a general agreement among all three groups that structural I
components are normally used in the development of a television commercial.
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i
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The process starts with an idea or a concept that is relevant to the targeted 
audience. It may be as specific as a storyline with a beginning, middle and end; 
with accompanying storyboards. Or it may be a general concept or basic idea 
that the client and advertising agency wants primarily developed by the director.
Adult educators are involved in the process of structurally planning 
lessons or units for their learners. The awareness that the same process occurs
I
in another professional field reaffirms the basic need for structure and planning 
to accomplish goals.
7. Techniques are used to change the viewer’s attitude or behavior. 
Respondents mentioned that sometimes they use human psychology, portray 
certain lifestyles and/or make a connection with the viewer in order to 
influence behaviors. The presentation must be effective and memorable in 
order to bring about change. Clients need to have a good product and deliver 
what they promise; no excuses. Methods of accomplishing behavior or attitude 
changes might include the teaching of problem solving techniques, portraying a 
positive and upbeat environment, utilize honesty and integrity, using real people 
testimonials, doing public service announcements and, in general, getting the 
point across to the viewer.
Adult educators are concerned with learner behaviors and change. They 
too need to examine methods of reaching learners in order to accomplish 
attitude and behavior changes as they relate to education and learning.
{  '} JJ 11
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8. There was agreement among clients, advertising agencies and 
production professionals that technological advances have had a sweeping 
impact upon the television commercial production industry. The near future 
also holds a multitude of potential changes for the industry. Typical examples 
of changes mentioned included non-linear editing, morphing, film stocks, 
cameras, lenses, sound mixing and editing, MTV, computers, video playback 
while filming and cinematography. Professionals agreed that the technology 
needed to support the overall concept of the commercial and not replace the 
need for good ideas and structure.
Teachers and television commercials may utilize technology to emphasize 
the information being presented to the viewer or learner. Some of the 
techniques mentioned may be easily transferred to the learning environment for 
use by adult educators.
9. Interview respondents seemed to agree that there was a need for a 
television commercial to stand out from the competition. This could also mean 
that uniqueness is demonstrated as an individual doing their own job or as a 
team of people trying to create and develop a television commercial.
The product is always considered important and needs to be presented in 
a unique way. Individual ideas need to be creative and unique. Individual 
directors needed to bring their own personal style and interpretation to projects. 
Professionals needed to have integrity and a personal vision that contributes to
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their own individual interpretation of the situation. Individual creativity that is 
successful is highly valued in the television commercial industry.
Teachers have a need to express themselves in an individual and creative 
manner in order to be better educators and reach more learners. The adult 
educator’s personal vision combined with the content material to be learned is 
crucial to learner success.
10. There was agreement from all groups that the client ultimately has 
the final say about what goes into the television commercial; the content, look, 
etc. The client pays for the services of everyone else. They are paying to have 
their product, service or corporate image marketed. However, in many 
situations the process works as somewhat of a group decision or input. The 
group typically includes the client, advertising agency creative director, and 
possibly the director and producer. It is a delicate balance of the product, 
creativity, vision, communication and finances.
Adult educators work within a hierarchy or chain of command. Group 
decisions, expectations and academic freedom all need to be balanced in an 
effort to produce the best learning experience for the student while maintaining 
a creative environment for the teacher.
11. Interview respondents noted that they liked and remembered 
commercials that were successful, fresh, fun, humorous, honest, visual, 
entertaining and/or innovative, real, memorable, had a simple message, did not 
talk down to the viewer, were beautifully done and made an emotional
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connection with the viewer. Examples of products mentioned were Nike, 
Michelin Tires, Budweiser Beer and the Clydesdales at Christmas, Honda, The 
Night Belongs To Michelob, Turbo Z  and Macintosh Computers. For whatever 
the reason, the memorable commercials seemed to make a connection with the 
individual viewer. /
Adult educators strive to be positive, influential and memorable 
instructor in the eyes of their students. In doing so, there is a need for 
instructors to appropriately balance the memorability of both the material and 
the instructor to the learner. This is similar to the situation in advertising 
where there is a need to remember the product and not just the television 
commercial. Learners need to remember the learning experience and 
information as well as the instructor. It is of no benefit to remember an 
instructor because of an entertaining approach and forget the information that 
was crucial to the overall learning experience.
12. Professionals in the world of television commercial advertising and 
production had a variety of insights to offer educators. Some of the valuable 
experiences mentioned included hands on learning, you are never too old to 
learn, the need to gain personal satisfaction from learning, internships, school to 
work programs, research and learning, teachers not becoming entrenched in the 
academic world, teachers staying creative and continuing to grow, utilize guest 
speakers and teachers working and/or networking with professionals in other 
fields and in the real world. Professional expectations included the need for
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patience, organization, prioritizing, planning and preparation, respecting others, 
good communication skills, a dedicated work ethic, the ability to do more than 
one thing at a time, ability to handle stress, use humor, be responsible, be 
interested in your work and to do the best job that a person can do. 
Additionally, professionals mentioned that there is a need to educate people 
more about the various aspects of television commercials.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn.
1. Television commercials are teaching and/or learning devices. They 
have a very large reach and influence many viewers. The type of teaching 
and/or learning which occurs tends to be presented in very small bits of 
information, with repetition, and does not involve the transmission of complex 
ideas. However, there are a number of messages or images which are 
transmitted via non-verbal communication, body language and visual images. In 
most cases, learning was observed or experienced by professionals in the field 
more than teaching. The types and levels of teaching and/or learning which 
occur in television commercials and traditional classrooms may be different 
depending upon the goals, objectives, techniques and time period allotted for 
the learning experience.
2. Television commercials utilize mission statements, goals and 
objectives just as adult educators do. With professional planning and execution
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of those plans, both professional groups strive to meet and accomplish their 
goals. The goals of advertisers are immediate and mainly focus upon selling the 
product. The goals of educators may be immediate or long term. Two 
immediate goals of an adult educator may be to have a learner master a simple 
task in order to increase their knowledge of basic material and simultaneously 
improve their confidence in order to continue with the learning experience. 
Long-term goals for adult learners may include mastering higher level learning 
tasks and developing critical thinking skills. There is no doubt that adult 
educators need to plan for the goals, needs and implementation strategies for 
their classes.
3. The techniques used to reach the viewer or learner are similar in 
some cases. For example, both television commercials and adult educators are 
concerned with implementing techniques which are attention getting and 
concerned with the viewer or learner’s perception, memory and possible 
behavior change. Some people call this an implementation of methods in order 
to be effective and bring about viewer or learner change. In utilizing specific 
techniques or methods, it is important to remember that there is a difference 
between mere manipulation and learning for the viewer or learner. An adult 
educator should follow specific missions and goals in order to avoid 
manipulation of students. The learner’s educational experience should include 
some in depth tasks while seeking to achieve their educational goals.
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4. Professionals in the world of television commercials emphasize the 
need to target and know the audience. They actively use research to gather 
information about their prospective audience. A tremendous amount of money 
is spent on advertising research. By comparison, very little money, if any, is 
spent by adult educators to research their prospective audiences. For adult 
educators, this means they need to individually learn about the needs of then- 
current or potential, learners. This is crucial in order to be able to reach and 
teach the learner in an effective manner. Adults in voluntary and informal 
learning situations want their needs to be met. If individual student needs are 
ignored by adult educators, it is not uncommon for adult learners to leave the 
learning environment and never come back. Adult educators need to know 
their classroom population in order to successfully reach and satisfy their 
learning audiences as well as expand their base of learners and educational 
programs in the future.
5. There is a major difference between the amounts of money spent on 
30 to 60 second television commercial advertising spots versus the amount of 
money spent on adult education programs. Without a doubt, second for second, 
or dollar for dollar, television commercial advertising has a budget which is far 
beyond the reach of any existing adult education programs.
6. The audiences of television commercials may be quite varied. The 
same is true for adult education learners. Adult education learners may 
include: students who are high school drop outs seeking their GED or General
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Equivalency Diploma, learners who are continuing their education in a 
profession (i.e., medical education), or community members seeking educational 
learning experiences at a local level for individual personal improvement in 
their daily lives. The learner experiences in these situations will vary greatly. 
The student seeking out such adult education programs will also come to the 
setting with a wide variety of personal experiences. All of these factors will 
have an impact on the learning situation and learner expectations and goals. 
Adult educators need to be prepared to meet the needs of their students in 
order to be effective. They need to be aware of the learner’s individual goals 
to be successful.
7. The personal viewpoint, experiences, and learning preference of the 
viewer or learner is extremely important to the success of learning, attitudes 
and behavior change. It provides the basis on which to build from and make an 
emotional or meaningful connection with the learner.
8. Basic structural components are important to the success of learning 
experiences. Within the basic structure format, teachers should allow 
themselves to be creative and individualistic in their approach to education. 
Uniqueness is important for the learner as well as the teacher. Program
J
content areas which are unique should also be presented to learners.
9. Multi-sensory approaches are successful in reaching both television 
commercial viewers and learners. Teachers need to address the needs of the 
learner both visually and auditorily. Knowing the audience or learner gives the
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instructor the freedom to be more accurate and creative in their ability to reach 
and teach. It is also extremely important for the adult educator to be accepting 
and non-judgmental of the adult learner. Adult educators should never "talk 
down" to the learner. Adult students do not want to be treated like a child in 
the learning environment nor do they want to experience a condescending 
attitude from an instructor.
10. There are a variety of techniques which work in reaching both 
viewers and learners. The implementation of some of these techniques would 
be both helpful and creative for adult educators. Being relevant, attention 
getting, memorable, providing for dialog, utilizing visuals and sound, videos, 
computers, using catchy summaries and demonstrating integrity are successful 
uses of some of the techniques. Educators could also be more successful by 
being approachable, real, humorous, entertaining and knowledgeable regarding 
human behavior, emotions, and learning.
11. Technological advances have an influence on both television 
commercials and learning environments. Knowledge of how to implement and 
utilize these advances gives a teacher the power to supplement their student’s 
learning experiences in a positive and creative manner.
12. It is possible to work successfully within a hierarchy and still 
maintain individual creativity while conforming to basic needs of the institution. 
Group decision making, networking, a vision, and professional respect for one 
another contribute to the success of quality programs. Educators need not be
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threatened by new or creative suggestions. They can be more collaborative in 
working with other professionals in the field of teaching, education, and other 
professional fields as well as embracing the concept of teamwork and 
networking.
13. The insights offered to educators by television commercial 
professionals were valuable and should be implemented in cases where possible. 
Educators should listen and Ieam from the input offered by other qualified 
professionals outside the field of education. There is a real need for educators 
to break away from entrenchment and interface with the real or working world 
in order to accomplish some of their goals and reach more learners in an 
effective manner.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were suggested for educators:
I. Educators need to reach out to the masses in order to promote the 
idea of "Lifelong Learning." Specifically, adult educators should examine the 
possibilities of local television commercial advertisements designed to attract 
the average person in the community. Educators could target specific 
audiences, or people of all ages, and encourage them to get involved in some 
sort of educational experience. To be effective, it would be necessary to 
research more about the target audience’s background, interests, experiences, 
and/or personal needs.
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It is also necessary to develop some entertaining commercial campaigns 
to inform people about the learning opportunities available. Individual 
educators and programs could reach out more to the masses and draw them 
into a rewarding and educational experience. Teach the students to become 
more self-reliant in pursuing knowledge that will benefit them as individuals and 
help them deal with the challenges of life.
2. Educators should adopt a specific marketing strategy for their course 
or areas of interest. Focus on being a learner-centered instructor and treating 
students as individuals. "Cut through the clutter" of education, and programs, to 
make oneself and one’s product memorable in the eyes of the learner. Try 
some of the techniques mentioned in the research such as humor, images, 
acting, and fun. Be entertaining and educational. Push oneself beyond what is 
comfortable in order to explore and learn more about oneself as an educator. 
Adults enjoy both being entertained and actively participating in learning 
experiences. Be creative! Develop a new "mission statement" for oneself and 
learners. Try out new strategies that support and enhance a new theme.
Market education and lifelong learning; to the masses or one learner at a time.
3. The teaching and/or learning that occurs in a television commercial 
may be applied to other educational situations. Adult educators may approach 
a variety of learning experiences by presenting small bits of information and 
then building upon those basics. By breaking down information into smaller 
segments, it could increase the chance of learner success. Perhaps it has to do
with individual differences with information processing speeds. Presenting small 
segments of information is also less intimidating for some learners.
As a teacher, the educator should convey relevant information to the 
learner and create a curiosity within the learner to know more about the topic 
or issue. Visual imagery should be used as a method of delivery of information 
to the learner. Be sure to respect learners and their own personal learning 
needs, circumstances, past learning, and work experiences. Consider the 
learners’ point of view and listen to their needs. Remember, teachers provide a 
service. They are facilitators of learning and education. They have the power 
to change lives as well as attitudes and experiences with learning.
4. It is crucial to capture the attention of learners; no matter what age. 
There were a variety of ways mentioned which educators might try such as 
humor, honesty, being yourself, presenting an open atmosphere in which to 
learn, use interesting visual and auditory presentations, hold relevant discussions 
which connect with the learner, use action, animated discussions, facial 
expressions, real people testimonials or guest speakers. Utilize a variety of 
learning activities such as incorporating stories to make a point, reinforce with 
repetition, and vary the pace of information being presented. All attention 
getting devices utilized should support the overall teaching or learning goal.
Visual imagery is especially important if the student is primarily a visual 
learner. The learner may or may not know their preferred method of learning.
If not, the preferred mode may be discovered by having a conversation with the
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student in which the teacher discusses different methods of presenting 
information and the learner replies based on his or her past learning 
experiences. In such cases, the adult educator should seek to present most 
information in an interesting visual manner or use materials that are visually 
interesting in order to reach such learners. Additionally, the educator may 
develop materials which are visually interesting, and content specific to then- 
own program, based on the concepts presented in this study.
Auditory learners are typically better served by materials which are 
presented with an emphasis on discussion, sound, and/or music. Adult 
educators could utilize the use of phrases or jingles to help students remember 
information. Or, they may use music or sound to emphasize their point; a 
reinforcement of the concept. A combination of dialog and music is very 
powerful. It also has the power to make an emotional connection with the 
learner.
5. Basic structural components are widely used in education and the 
classroom. Normally, a concept or idea is the starting place and instructors 
build on that basis. Typically, it is beneficial to have a beginning, middle and 
end to the lesson or story. It is a logical means of progression; one that is 
familiar to many learners. This is still a valid and valuable method of 
presenting information and should be utilized by adult education teachers.
There is no substitute for a good foundation and planning which then frees the 
educator to be more creative in the learning environment with the student. Use
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structure as a starting point which leads to more spontaneity and meaningful 
interactions with the learner and provides for a more memorable learning 
experience.
6. The changing of a learner’s behavior is desirable if they are 
attempting to learn something new and/or change from a negative experience 
to a positive one. The learner needs to have some self-motivation in order to 
change. The instructor should also present the benefits of change. Typically, 
the learner has already decided to change by being involved in some sort of 
learning experience. The use of psychology and/or awareness of human nature 
is beneficial in helping bring about change. As an educator, it is beneficial to 
structure learning experiences so they are both effective and relevant to the 
learner. This may be accomplished by being positive, utilizing honesty and 
integrity, respecting the learner, acting as a helpful resource person, successfully 
teaching new information and making sure the learner understands the 
information, being approachable for help, and teaching general problem solving 
techniques.
7. Technological advances have already had a large impact on American 
society and learning. Public school students and college students are exposed to 
it more readily than adult education students. Adults are typically more 
involved in technological advances because of their jobs or conveniences that 
such technology may bring into the home. Often, it is children who introduce 
adults into the world of technological advances.
148
As adult educators, it is crucial not to be left behind in the world of 
technological change. If nothing else, it is important for educators to stay 
current with many of these changes in order to facilitate learning with students.
Educators do not want to be left with outdated and outmoded methods and 
techniques of teaching learners. The use of such technology with adult students 
may be very beneficial and should support the overall learning experience and 
goals.
Adult educators should try using computers in their classroom for ^
students or for their own presentations. The availability of scanners for data or 
photographic input, video programs, editing systems, and sound capabilities 
provide instructors with innovative methods to reach their students. Their 
presentations could easily become more visually interesting and captivating if 
instructors would train themselves in the use of the new technologies available.
8. What helps makes a teacher or instructor interesting and creative is 
his or her own personal style and vision of education or learning. Consciously 
or unconsciously, the educator will leave a mark upon the learner. It is critical 
that individual educators be the best that they can be; to be as creative as 
possible. In doing so, they maintain a high level of interest in teaching and 
learning and are also able to combat burnout. The individual’s perception and 
way of presenting learning situations is what endears them to the learner. It is 
important for the teacher to be both liked and respected by the learner.
Otherwise, a negative experience contributes to that learner’s overall view of
149
education in general. Educators should focus on making educational 
experiences attention getting, interesting and memorable. No matter the length 
of the experience, always tiy to take the positive approach.
Many people are discouraged by their past educational experiences which 
have been negative. Adult educators are often faced with the task of 
overcoming such hidden agendas in addition to having provide a positive 
learning experience and environment. It is the individual educator who will 
change the face of education for the better. Hopefully, they will also leave the 
learner with an enhanced, positive and memorable learning experience via the 
educator’s own personal and professional vision and style.
9. Teachers need to work in a collaborative environment in order to 
reach learner goals. Too often mandates are dictated to instructors in 
conservative educational environments. That needs to be discouraged and the 
whole concept of working together to accomplish professional and creative goals 
needs to be encouraged. Unless there is an open, trusting and creative 
environment, it is difficult for teaching and learning to evolve to a higher level 
of professionalism, satisfaction and expertise. There needs to be less emphasis 
on power and control. In turn, there needs to be more positive attitude and 
balance regarding curriculum, learner needs, creativity, teacher vision, and 
communication in order to successfully bring American education into the next
century.
r J I
10. The researcher expects that if learners were asked to describe their 
favorite teachers they would be memorable for their kindness, understanding, 
knowledge, and assistance that they provided to a student in becoming all that 
they could be. What makes ideas or people memorable is their relevance to 
the learner or viewer. Some of the same ideas that were mentioned in 
television commercials should be valued by educators. For example, adult 
educators should be remembered as having a positive teaching or interaction 
style with learners which was fun, humorous, honest, real, entertaining and/or 
innovative, successful, memorable, had a simple message, did not talk down to 
the learner, and was kind and understanding. The instructor needs to be known 
as a real person in addition to being an educator.
11. Adult educators should improve their relationships with learners by 
heeding the advice of the television commercial production industry. They 
should incorporate the following experiences into the teaching-learning 
experience: Hands-on activities, lifelong learning, more interaction of school 
and work, professional networking within and outside of education, gaining work 
experience outside the field of education, exhibiting and teaching good 
communication skills, patience, planning and organization, stress management, 
professional pride and a good work ethic, responsibility, individual growth, and 
lifelong learning. Additionally, educate learners about the power of television, 
television commercials and the new technologies that are inundating our 
everyday world.
150
IIn conclusion, the interview study and overall analysis of the responses 
showed that television commercials have a definite goal and impact upon the 
viewer. This impact may be conscious or sub-conscious, humorous, touching, 
memorable, and/or entertaining. More importantly, the research evidence 
suggested that passive entertainment such as television commercials do actually 
reach the audience.
Educators need to look at what is working in other fields such as 
advertising, television, and business. In doing so, they may be able to improve 
their approach, effectiveness, and success in teaching students of all ages.
Additionally, it is important that educators, as well as society in general, start to 
pay more attention to the power of television, commercials, education, learning, 
and the future of technologies such as interactive television and multimedia.
Further Research Areas
The following recommendations are made regarding future studies:
1. There is a need to research specific television commercials and have 
a researcher individually rate them according to what the viewer learns.
2. There is a need to further examine the effects of television
",
commercial advertising on both children and adults.
3. Educators need to examine the impending impact of technological
151
advances on the field of adult education.
152
4. Educators should study ways in which they could have a more 
successful interface with the work force in search of an improved school to 
work transition.
5. Educators should examine ways in which teachers could improve or 
increase their experiences in the world of work in order to be more 
knowledgeable regarding the "real world" and not just education and the 
classroom.
6. Education needs to examine the possibilities of utilizing professionals 
in fields other than education to serve as part-time instructors.
7. More research needs to done concerning the television industry and 
it’s ability to offer more educational programming for the American masses in a 
beneficial and cost effective manner.
The Future
There is the distinct possibility that teaching and classrooms, as we know 
them today, will go the way of the one-room schoolhouse. Educational reform 
is a national topic that has wide-spread support. .Teaching and learning will be 
influenced and quite possibly totally re-defined by the newest developments of 
the information age.
The newly touted 500 channel information superhighway is but one key 
to our educational and learning future. Television, computers and learning are
Jl
going to be linked together to increase the availability and ease of individuals 
learning at home.
There is even the possibility that today’s classrooms, teachers, teaching 
methods, student learning modes and styles will be relatively archaic in the not 
so distant future. Our nation’s educational future is poised for significant 
change. No one can predict the exact direction that all of the new 
developments in the areas of television, teaching, and learning will take.
No matter what the direction, it will be an adventuresome journey for
v
those who choose to take part. Simultaneously, it will require an open mind as 
well as some challenging and interesting "new" learning experiences for 
everyone. There is no doubt that it will take some time for educators to adapt 
to the changes. The window is opening on a new informational and learning 
age. Let educators welcome it with open arms and be prepared to meet the 
challenge.
153
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APPENDICES
/
APPENDIX A
LETTERS TO STUDY PARTICIPANTS
162
Betty Ann Conard -  Casting & Script Supervisor 
1891 Stagecoach Trail Road
Manhattan. MT 59741________;_______________________ Phone & FAX - 406-282-7573
November 20, 1992
To:
I am currently in the Los Angeles area interviewing television 
commercial producers and directors, advertising agency creative 
directors, and television commercial advertising clients. The 
interviews are for the completion of my doctoral dissertation study. 
A press release explaining the study is enclosed as well as the list 
of seventeen interview questions that will be asked.
Previously, I have been in contact with Kim Kimmel, AICP- 
National as well as Donna Barbera of the AICP-West. Both of them 
have received a copy of the press release as has BACKSTAGE SHOOT.
You are receiving this letter because I have chosen your 
company to be one of the participants in the study. YOUR INPUT IS 
VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF MY STUDY! I am both sincere 
and committed to this project. I would like to interview you 
personally and/or possibly some other professionals associated with 
your company. I realize that you have a busy schedule and am willing 
to accommodate this factor.
I would like to set up a mutually convenient time for the 
interview, as soon as possible. Please call me at the Universal City 
Hilton, 818-506-2500, extension 2158. Thank you for your time and 
cooperation. I'm looking forward to the upcoming meeting and 
in terv iew !
S incerely,
Betty Ann Conard
163
Betty Ann Conard -  Casting & Script Supervisor 
1891 Stagecoach Trail Road
Manhattan, MT—59741---------------------------------------Phone & FAX - 406-282-757^
January 20, 1992
To:
I am currently in the Los Angeles area completing interviews 
with television commercial producers and directors, advertising 
agency creative directors, and television commercial clients. The 
interviews are for use in my doctoral dissertation study. A press 
release explaining the study is enclosed as well as the list of 
seventeen interview questions that are asked.
Previously, I have been in contact with Kim Kimmel, AICP- 
National as well as Donna Barbera of the AICP-West. Both of them 
have received a copy of the press release as has BACKSTAGE SHOOT.
You are receiving this letter because I have chosen your 
company to be one of the participants in the study. YOUR INPUT IS 
VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF MY STUDY! I am both sincere 
and committed to this project. I would enjoy coming to interview 
you personally but at this point both time and budget won't allow it. 
However, I would still like you to participate in the study and answer 
the interview questions. I have enclosed a cassette tape for your 
responses. If you are unavailable, perhaps another representative 
from your company would be interested in participating in the study.
There are no right or wrong answers to the study questions and 
answers should be based upon personal experience and opinion. You 
start by answering the Background Information questions and then 
proceed to the Study questions. You will have more to say about 
some questions than others. You will also need to sign the release so 
I will be able to publish the information for my dissertation. I am 
discreet as well as professional when writing up the material.
Thank you for your time, cooperation and upcoming response.
I'm looking forward to your participation! I hope to get a chance to 
meet you in the future. Feel free to call me at 406-282-7573 if you 
have any questions or concerns. I check the messages every day. 
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Betty Ann Conard
164
APPENDIX B
PRESS RELEASE
IL
165
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana 59717
Unit O l Curriculum & Instruction 
Unit ol Educational Leadership
Department of Education
College ol Education. Health & Human Development
Telephone (406)994-3120
PRESSRELEASE
Is there a connection between television commercials and 
learning? What techniques do you use to help viewers "remember" 
your commercial? What insights or strategies might the television 
commercial and advertising industry have to offer educators?
Betty Ann Conard • of Manhattan, MT is currently conducting a 
doctoral dissertation interview study which examines television 
commercials and viewer/adult learning. She is coordinating her 
Adult and Higher Education work through Montana State University, 
Bozeman, MT. with Dr. Robert Fellenz from the Department of 
Education and Dr. Bill Neff and Dr. Dennis Aig of the Media & Theatre 
Arts Department and KUSM Television.
Betty Ann has been a public school teacher and counselor for 
fifteen years focusing on grades 6-12 and is also a certified 
K-12 school psychologist. She has simultaneously been involved for 
the last few years in the film and television industry in Montana and 
has been hired on national television commercial projects doing 
casting, locations, script supervision, and production assistant work. 
Betty Ann has set up local interviews for national television 
programs and also has on camera experience.
Conard will start her study by traveling to California to conduct 
interviews with people from three major television commercial 
areas: Clients, Advertising Agencies and Production Companies.
The interviews should take less than an hour. She will touch on basic 
background information and also asks participants seventeen 
questions. Betty Ann prefers to conduct personal interviews but is 
also willing to let participants send in their cassette taped responses 
or written responses to the questions if an interview time can't be 
arranged. The views of people in the television commercial and 
advertising industry are extremely important to her work. She is 
also very interested in the views of professionals from across the U.S.
If you're interested in participating in her study, please contact 
her via phone or FAX at 406-282-7573. Time is of the essence. 
Results of the study should be available by May 1993. Her resume is 
also available upon request.
i
APPENDIX C
STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE
167
QUESTIONS
1. What do you see as the advantage of utilizing television commercials 
over other media avenues?
2. What are the most important goals of television commercial advertising?
3. How do you target various audiences for your marketing campaign?
4. What are some of the specific marketing strategies for the television 
commercials you make?
5. Do you believe "teaching" and "learning" occurs from watching television 
commercials? If so, how?
6. How do you capture the viewer’s attention and make a commercial 
interesting?
7. What techniques do you use to help viewers "remember" your 
commercial?
8. How do you decide on the visual imagery and/or techniques you use in 
the commercial?
9. How do you decide on the sound track portion of the commercial?
10. Are there basic structural components you utilize in developing a 
television commercial? If so, what are they?
11. What techniques do you use in the television commercial to change the 
viewers behavior and/or attitude?
12. What recent technological advances in cinematography, editing and/or 
special effects techniques influence the advertising message of television 
commercials?
13. How are your ideas and/or commercials "unique" or "different" than 
anyone else’s?
14. Who has the final say as to what goes into the television commercial?
168
15. Name two of your favorite television commercials. Why do you think 
you like and remember them?
16. What is the importance of the CLIO awards and/or inclusion in the 
AICP/MOMA show-"The Art & Technique of The American Television 
Commercial"?
17. Do you have any information, observations, techniques or insights that 
would be helpful for teachers so they might incorporate your ideas into 
the teaching-learning situation?
APPENDIX D
INTERVIEW RELEASE FORM
170
INTERVIEW RELEASE FORM
NAME 
EMPLOYER 
JOB TITLE 
DATE
I hereby give my permission to Betty Ann Conard to use and publish the 
above information as well as my background and interview responses. I 
understand that these responses will be published as a part of her doctoral 
dissertation. There is also a possibility that this information will be published 
in journals, articles and/or books.
SIGNATURE
11
APPENDIX E
PRODUCTION RESUME
172
BETTY ANN CONARD
1891 STAGECOACH TRAIL ROAD 
MANHATTAN. MT SQ741________
RESIDENCE: 406-282-7573 
______ FAX: Same as phone
CASTING
BUSCH BEER - Montana Casting. "Long Gone" & "Long Ride Down." HSI Productions, Inc.- 
Los Angeles, CA. Cean Chaffm-Producer. Feb. 1992.
TOTT'S CHAMPAGNE - Montana Casting/Animal Handler. HKM-Los Angeles, CA.
Kathy Rhodes-Producer, Marcus Stevens-Director. Nov. 1991. Canada/U.S. commercial.
CASTING ASSISTANT
NEW FACES 1991 - Nat'l. & Intem'I. Commercials. Print/TV ad campaign for western wear, 
tobacco, alcohol products. Assist Sunny Anderson casting & scouting Bozeman, MT area. 
Affiliated w/ Annie Hamilton Casting. August 1991.
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT - Feature Film. River Run Prod's. Robert Redford-Director, 
Patrick Markey-Prod. Assisted Jill Greenberg & Helen Dolan with the open casting call for 
speaking & extra parts. May 199.1.
MONTANA - TNT/HBO movie filmed on Ted Turner's ranch. Carolco/Gimbel. Exec. Prod.- 
Roger Gimbel, Big Sky Pictures. Worked as Extras Casting Ass't. and as Stand In/Driving 
Double for Gena Rowlands. Summer 1989.
AMAZING GRACE AND CHUCK - Feature Film. Tumstar/Tri-Star. Prod.-Roger Rothstein. 
Extras Casting Production Assistant. Largest day - 600 extras. Summer 1986.
LOCATION SCOUT
MARLBORO - National & Intem'I. Commercial. Location Scout for 10 days in Texas & 
Oklahoma. Annie Hamilton Casting-L.A., CA. Annie Hamilton & Margie Chachkin.Sept."91.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
FLEISCHMANN S MARGARINE - "Canola Choice". Big Deahl Product!ons-Chicago,IL 
David James-Producer, David Deahl-Director. June 22-26, 1992.
FORD CARS - Thunderbird & Crown Victoria. Pre & post-prod., worked w/ 1st A.D. 
Riverrun Films-L.A., CA. Michael Marks-Exec. Prod., Jay Kelman-Prod., Doug Taub-Dir., 
Scott Luhrsen-Ist A.D., Betsy Oliver-Prod. Mgr. July 21-30, 1991.
SATURN CARS - "Jim Bishop" & "Char Gilcher." RSA-USA, Inc.-Hollywood.CA. Pre and 
post-prod. & worked w/the 2nd A.D. Jan Wieringa-Prod./lst A.D., Jake Scott-Dir., Steve 
Maddocks-2nd A.D., Robin Buxton-Prod. Mgr. June 21-July 3, 1991.
AMERICA S FUNNIEST PEOPLE - Talent Screening/Head P.A.-Bozeman, MT video taping.
Vin Di Bona Prod's-Hollywood, CA. Scott Schaefer-Producer. May 1991. National TV show.
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
MCDONALD'S - "Go For The Double" w/ Bonnie Blair-Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater. 
Partners’/USA-Santa Monica, CA. Rick Whiting-Producer/AD, Rod Davis-Director.
May 22-25, 1992.
REFERENCES & PHONE NUMBERS AVAILABLE UPON R Fm iF S T
APPENDIX F
CURRENT PRODUCTION RESUME
J J H i ;  r \ .
BETTY ANN CONARD
1891 STAGECOACH TRAIL ROAD RESIDENCE: 406-282-7573
MANHATTAN. MT 59741___________ _______________________________ FAX: Same as phone
. 174
References Available Upon Request 
Available for work in LA . (local hire) & other locations.
itiCASTING*
RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE - Montana Casting Associate. RHI Entertainment - 
Los Angeles, CA. Casting-Lynn Kressel (N.Y.) & Doug Wright (LA.). Dyson Lovell-Prod.
April 25-May 31, 1993.
BUSCH BEER - Montana Casting. "Long Gone" & "Long Ride Down." HSI Productions, Inc.- 
Los Angeles, CA. Cean Chaffin-Producer. Feb. 1992.
TOTT’S CHAMPAGNE - Montana Casting/Animal Handler. HKM - Hollywood, CA.
Kathy Rhodes-Producer, Marcus Stevens-Director. Nov. 1991. Canada/U.S. commercial.
NEW FACES 1991 - Nat’l. & Intern’l. Commercials. Print/TV ad campaign for western wear, 
tobacco, alcohol products. Assistant talent scout to Sunny Anderson in Bozeman, MT area for 
Annie Hamilton Casting. August 1991.
A  RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT - Feature Film. River Run Prod’s. Robert Redford-Director,
Patrick Markey-Prod. Assisted Jill Greenberg & Helen Dolan with the open casting call for 
speaking & extra parts. May 1991.
' I
MONTANA - TNT/HBO movie filmed on Ted Turner’s ranch. Carolco/ Gimbel. Exec. j
Prod.-Roger Gimbel, Billy Graham-Dir., Denis Lewiston-D1P. Worked as Extras Casting Ass’t. 
and as Stand In/Driving Double for Gena Rowlands. Summer 1989.
AMAZING GRACE AND CHUCK - Feature Film. Turnstar/Tri-Star. Prod.-Roger Rothstein. j
Extras Casting Production Assistant. Largest day-600 extras. Summer 1986.
* LOCATION SCOUT*_
ACCURA - Legend GS - "Snow Cones" - National Commercial. Fahrenheit Films - Santa 
Monica, CA. Dec. 17-19, 1993.
TOYOTA - "Full Line" - National Commercial. Zuma Films - Santa Monica, CA. July 29-Aug. 2, I
1993. I
CHEMICAL BANK 7 Commercial. Assisted Jake Jacobson. Propaganda Films - I
(Commercial Division), Hollywood, CA. Jan. 17, 1993. j
MARLBORO - National & Intern’l. Commercial. Location Scout for 10 days in Texas &
Oklahoma. Annie Hamilton Casting-LA., CA. Annie Hamilton & Margie Chachkin. Sept. ’91.
175
BETTY ANN CONARD p. 2
Resume
llcSCRIPT SUPERVISOR*
TOYOTA - "Silhouette" - National Commercial. Zuma Films-Santa Monica, CA.
Director-Doug Taub, Producer-Scott Luhrsen. August 23-27, 1993.
GREAT WESTERN BANK - Five Commercial spots with Dennis Weaver (Actor): 
"Employer"-"Rope"-"Fishing"-"Truck"-"Train." HKM Productions - Hollywood, CA. 
Director-Marcus Stevens, Producer-Greg Schultz. August 16-19, 1993.
TOYOTA - "Full Line" - National Commercial. Zuma Films - Santa Monica, CA.
Director-Doug Taub, Producer-Scott Luhrsen. Aug. 8-14, 1993.
UPS-(United Parcel Service)-"Larry’s Package"&"Package Race." RSA-USA-Hollywood, CA. Jake 
Scott-Director, Jan DeBont-D1P., Theo DeRose-AD. Feb. 3-10, 1993.
YAMAHA-GTS 1000 Motorcycle-"History Lesson." Kavich-Reynolds-Hollywood, CA.
Steve Kavich-Producer, Doug Henry-Director. Dec. 17-18, 1992.
MCDONALD’S - "Go For The Double" w / Bonnie Blair-Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater. 
Partners’/USA-Santa Monica, CA. Rick Whiting-Prod., Rod Davis-Dir. May 22-25, 1992.
^PRODUCTION LIAISON* /"PRODUCTION ASSISTANT*
Production Liaison arranging local contacts & interviews for:
GOOD MORNING AMERICA, NIGHTLINE, PM MAGAZINE, CHANNEL ONE,
LOS ANGELES TIMES, STEVE TISH PROD.’S, HEARST ENTERTAINMENT, 
SABAN/SHERRICK PROD.’S-March-June 1990.
Production Assistant:
FLEISCHMANN’S MARGARINE - "Canola Choice." Big Deahl Productions-ChicagojIL 
David James-Producer, David Deahl-Director. June 22-26, 1992.
FORD CARS - Thunderbird & Crown Victoria. Pre & post-prod., worked w / 1st A.D. Riverrun 
Films-LA., CA. Doug Taub-Dir., July 21-30, 1991.
SATURN CARS - "Jim Bishop" & "Char Gilcher." RSA-USA, Inc.-Hollywood,CA.
Jan Wieringa-Prod./ 1st A.D., Jake Scott-Director, June 21-July 3, 1991.
AMERICA’S FUNNIEST PEOPLE - Talent Screening/Head PA.-Bozeman, MT video taping. 
Vin Di Bona Prod’s-Hollywood, CA. Scott Schaefer-Producer. May 1991. National TV show.
REFERENCES & PHONE NUMBERS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
I l  H  v . "  ;
APPENDIX G
INTERVIEW STUDY PARTICIPANTS
177
INTERVIEW STUDY PARTICIPANTS
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
19 Production people were interviewed from this list.
Barry Dukoff & Associates
Hollywood, CA
Fahrenheit Films 
Santa Monica, CA
HKM Productions 
Hollywood, CA
Porter-McNamara Films 
Hollywood, CA
Propaganda Films, Inc.
Hollywood, CA
PYTKA 
Venice, CA
RSA-USA, Inc.
Hollywood, CA
Sandbank & Partners 
Hollywood, CA
Zuma Films 
Santa Monica, CA
Others:
2 - Freelance - Production Crew 
Not actively working on a project with a production 
company when they were being interviewed. 
Hollywood, CA
ADVERTISING AGENCIES
Dailey & Associates 
Los Angeles, CA
McCann-Erickson 
New York, NY
Saatchi & Saatchi/DFS, Inc./Pacific 
Torrance, CA
Others:
I - Former Owner - Advertising Agency 
Viewpoint is predominantly from that of an advertising agency. 
Occasionally works with production companies as a freelancer. 
Hollywood, CA
4 Advertising people were interviewed from this list.
CLIENTS
2 Client employees were interviewed from this list.
RJR/Nabisco 
Nabisco Brands, Inc 
Nabisco Foods Group 
Parsippany, New Jersey
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA 
Yamaha Motorsports Group 
Cypress, CA
APPENDIX H
STUDY PARTICIPANTS’ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
180
It was crucial to establish that the interview study participants were 
professionals in the television commercial industry. Thus, the researcher 
gathered some background information that was valuable to include in the study 
results. Two areas that the researcher questioned each participant about were 
the number of years that they had been working in the industry and to list some 
of the national television commercial projects that they had been affiliated with 
or worked on.
The results were as follows for the interview respondents:
Clients - (2)
Interview Respondent #17 - Advertising Sales & Promotion - 
This person has been working with the company for 13 years and 
involved with the advertising portion of the business for the last four years. 
Direct participation and/or more involvement with the "hands on" decisions has 
led to the respondent being more involved with television commercial 
advertising in the last year.
National Advertising Projects:
Yamaha Motorcycles, ATV’s and Scooters.
Interview Respondent #24 - Commercial Production Manager - 
This participant has been involved in the television commercial and 
advertising industry for ten years.
181
Nabisco Products which included Grey Poupon and Carefree Gum.
Other products included Volkswagen, Oil of Olay, P&G and others.
Advertising Agencies - (4)
Interview Respondent #11 r Creative Director - (New Promotion to 
International Executive Vice-President /Executive Creative Director to create 
multinational advertising.)
This person has been involved in the industry for 23 years and has 
participated in a wide variety of advertising agency campaigns.
National Advertising Projects:
MONY Life Insurance, Paine-Webber, Sprite, Diet Sprite, Stroh’s Beer, 
City Bank, Coca-Cola, A-I Sauce, Zerox Corporation, Minute Maid Products, 
Hi-C Drinks, and a variety of other numerous commercials.
Interview Respondent #  14-Former Advertising Agency Owner-
This participant has been involved for a number of years with advertising 
agencies as well as twelve years as a location scout and three years as a 
freelance person with production companies. However, this person’s 
background and interview question responses definitely reflected the viewpoint 
of their having been involved heavily in an advertising agency (owner).
National Advertising Projects:
Chemical Bank, Nike, Coca-Cola, Soap Products (international level), 
Pepsi, Doritos (George Foreman), and others.
National Advertising Projects:
182
This person has been involved in the radio, television commercial and 
advertising industry for ten years.
National Advertising Projects:
Yamaha Motorcycles, LA Gear, Toyota, Infomercials and a variety of 
other major advertising campaigns.
Interview Respondent #19 - Chairman/CEO -
This study participant has been involved in the advertising industry for 
32 years. This person’s experiences are quite varied and included many 
different types of advertising campaigns.
National Advertising Projects:
Nestle, U.S.A. - Carnation Instant Breakfast, Coffee Mate,
Come ’N Get It, Contadina, Libby’s Products, Mighty Dog, etc.
E. & J. Gallo Winery - Bartles & Jaymes, New Products, etc.
Hilton Hotels Corporation, Great Western Bank,
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. - ATVs, Motorcycles, Scooters.
There are many other projects which were left unnamed.
Production Companies - (19)
Interview Respondent #1 - Executive Producer/Co. Owner -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production
Interview Respondent #16 - Writer -
industry for 17 years.
183
State Farm Insurance, Lipton, Kellogg’s, Folger’s Coffee, Visa,
Coca-Cola, Public Service Announcements for the Ad Council, and a wide 
variety of other commercials.
Interview Respondent #2  - Director -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for 24 years.
National Advertising Projects:
GMC Trucks, Oldsmobile, Volkswagen, Toyota, Pontiac, Infiniti, BF 
Goodrich, Infiniti, Toyota Previa, and many others.
Interview Respondent #3 - Producer/Assistant Director - 
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for ten years.
National Advertising Projects:
State Farm Insurance, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s Restaurants, Folger’s 
Coffee, Coca-Cola, and various others.
Interview Respondent #4  - Director/Cameraman/Co. Owner- 
This participant has been involved in the television commercial 
production industry for 20 years.
National Advertising Projects:
Coca-Cola, State Farm Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Nike and many
others.
National Advertising Projects:
184
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for eleven years.
National Advertising Projects:
IBM, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dean Witter, J.C. Penney’s, Pacific Bell, Levi’s 
and a wide variety of beer commercials as well as various other products.
Interview Respondent #6  - Production Coordinator -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for nine years.
National Advertising Projects:
Nike, Saturn Cars, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Peugeot, and numerous other 
commercials.
Interview Respondent #7  - Producer/ Assistant Director -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for eight years.
National Advertising Projects:
Diet-Pepsi (Ray Charles, Cindy Crawford, etc.), Saturn Cars, Nike,
Dodge, McDonald’s Restaurant, Kellogg’s, Hallmark, Budweiser Beer, and over
Interview Respondent #5 - Producer -
one hundred other commercials.
185
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for over ten years and worked previously as an advertising agency 
producer.
National Advertising Projects:
This person has worked on virtually every car campaign imaginable from 
Chevrolet to Porsche. Other commercials included Reebok, Hershey’s, 
Coca-Cola, and many others.
Interview Respondent #9  - Executive Producer/Head of Commercial 
Production -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for 15 years and also has a background with feature films.
National Advertising Projects:
Coca-Cola, Saturn Cars, John Hancock Insurance, Nike,
Nissan Turbo, and hundreds of other commercials.
Interview Respondent #10 - Producer/Assistant Director -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for 17 years.
National Advertising Projects:
Cars - Infiniti, Honda, Accura, and many others. Beer Products 
-Budweiser, Miller and many others. Soft Drinks - Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola, . 
Pepsi, and a wide variety of food products which included cereals, pizza, and
Interview Respondent #8  - Executive Producer -
186
others. Cleaning Products - Johnson & Johnson Pledge. Additionally, this 
person has a background in both television and movies.
Interview Respondent #12 - Production Coordinator/Assistant Director -
This person has been in the television commercial production industry for 
six years.
National Advertising Projects:
Jeep, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Hallmark, McDonald’s Restaurant, and many
others.
Interview Respondent #13 - Producer/Production Coordinator -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for eight years.
National Advertising Projects:
Jeep, Honda, Lexus, Chrysler Corporation, and many other cars.
Interview Respondent #15 - Executive Producer -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for ten years. Additional experience includes feature film work.
National Advertising Projects:
Nike - (Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, George Foreman), Pepsi (Ray 
Charles, Cindi Crawford), GE, Apple Computers, Michelob Beer, and many 
other projects.
187
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for approximately ten years. Experiences have been very broad 
because of the total family involvement in the feature film and television 
commercial industry. This young director was nominated for a Grammy Award 
for work completed in 1993.
National Advertising Projects:
Coca-Cola, Saturn Cars, RCA, AT&T, Accura, and many others.
Music Videos - kd lang, REM, and others. Nominated for a grammy 
award in 1994.
Interview Respondent #20 - Production Manager -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for two years.
National Advertising Projects:
Wrigley’s Double Mint Gum, Bullseye Bar-B-Q Sauce, Honda, Disney 
Home Video, Hunt’s Manwich, Lincoln Cars, and others.
Interview Respondent #21 - Assistant Production Coordinator -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for two years.
National Advertising Projects:
Wrigley’s Double Mint Gum, Bullseye Bar-B-Q Sauce, Honda, Disney 
Home Video, Hunt’s Manwich, Lincoln Cars, and others.
Interview Respondent #18 - Director -
IM I Il I L
. 188
Interview Respondent #22 - First Assistant Director -
This individual has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for six years.
National Advertising Projects:
Wrigley’s Double Mint Gum, Bullseye Bar-B-Q Sauce, Honda, Disney 
Home Video, Hunt’s Manwich, Lincoln Cars, Miller Beer, Toyota Motor 
Corporation and others.
Interview Respondent #23 - Head of Production -
This person has been involved in the television commercial production 
industry for eleven years.
National Advertising Projects:
Budweiser, Miller Beer, IBM, American Airlines, VISA, and many others.
Interview Respondent #25 - Director/Cameraman -
This individual has been in the television commercial production industry 
for twelve years.
National Advertising Projects:
Rollerblade, Alka-Seltzer, VISA, Great Western Bank, IBM, Tott’s 
Champagne, Pacific Bell, Best Western Motels, Bank One, Chase Manhattan 
Bank, American Beef Council, US West, AT&T, and many others.
APPENDIX I
THE COST OF ADVERTISING
I J l L i
190
THE COST OF ADVERTISING
* Champagne (1993) reported in Backstage Shoot that,
The most optimistic forecaster . . . Robert J. Coen, senior vice 
president/director of forecasting for McCann-Erickson here (NY), 
who in his annual ad spending forecast predicted total U.S. 
advertising spending (including all costs of creating, producing and 
placing various forms of advertisements) to reach $141.2 billion in
1993. . . . Total worldwide ad spending will increase 5.9 percent 
over 1992 for a total of $314.2 billion, according to Coen. . . .
Coen maintained advertising growth will be more substantial in
1994. (p. I)
* Scott (1993) mentioned in Parade magazine that Nielsen Media 
Research figures "are used by advertisers to decide how to spend their money 
on TV-no small matter, as last year’s total was nearly $23 billion" (p. 2).
* Graham (1992) discussed the TV show ’Seinfeld’ and noted that it was 
"a show that reaps abnormally large advertising bucks ($200,000 per 30 second 
spot)" (p. 2D).
* Horovitz (1993), of the Los Angeles Times, discussed the expense of
television commercial advertising, for the Super Bowl when he wrote,
Super Bowl advertisers are shelling out a record $850,000 for 
30 second spots. That’s $28,333 per second. . . .  To be sure, the 
Super bowl is the marketing event of the year. It attracts 120 
million viewers-the largest audience of any TV show. And many 
of the viewers are young males who are otherwise tough to reach.
(p. D l)
(
191
* Another expensive place to buy television commercial advertising time
is the Academy Awards show. Sixty million viewers and their demographics are
both important in that the majority of viewers are baby boomers and also
women. Zurawik (1993) reviewed the statistics by noting,
Each advertiser is paying $600,000 per 30 seconds for the right to 
market its products amid the glamour of Hollywood. . . . It’s less 
than the final episode of "Cheers,". . . with spots now selling for 
$650,000 . . . the nearest competitor is "Murphy Brown," which gets 
$325,000 per 30 seconds, (p. 7)
* For the Oscars telecast, ABC collected $25 million, or $20,000 per 
second, from advertising clients which included Frito-Lay (2 min.), Lee Jeans, 
Coca-Cola (3 min.), Revlon cosmetics (3 min.), American Express, and JC 
Penney (Zurawik, 1993, p. 7).
* Mullins (1992) reported, in USA Today, the following advertising 
expenditures in millions of dollars for the following clients from January 
through June:
Philip Morris 
Procter & Gamble 
General Motors 
Pepsi Co.
$567 million 
$448 million 
$427 million 
$314 million (p. IB)
* Stacey (November 19, 1992) reported, in USA Today, the following 
advertising expenditures in millions of dollars for the following clients from 
January through June:
General Motors
Ford
Chrysler
$427 million 
$287 million 
$274 million (p. IB)
192
* Stacey (November 16, 1992) also reported in USA Today, the same type 
of statistics for other clients as follows:
AT&T Phone Services 
Ford Vehicles 
McDonald’s Restaurants 
Sears Stores
Kellogg’s Breakfast Foods
$210 million 
$193 million 
$189 million 
$183 million 
$182 million, (p. IB)
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