How Long Is The Average Commercial?

Have you ever been glued to the TV, watching your favorite show, when you suddenly craved to make a sandwich? It happens every time. But there's a reason for it. Commercials are boring. Sure, they can be informative, and every once in a while, one will come along that is so clever, funny, or touching that you will want to watch it again. But for the most part, they interrupt the action, and we can't wait to return to the show—unless it’s short. That’s why knowing how long the average commercial is is so important when making one. The shorter your commercial, the better. And if you can make it as enjoyable as possible, your viewers will be thrilled to watch it instead of the show it's interrupting. This article will help you improve your commercial by informing you about how long the average commercial is and what you can do to make your next commercial video more entertaining. Plus, if you're wondering how to make a commercial video that captivates your audience, we'll cover key tips and strategies to ensure your ad stands out.

Understanding the average commercial’s length can help you improve your next one. At Moonb, we produce engaging educational video production services to help you meet your goals while entertaining your audience.

How Long is the Average Commercial?

If you’ve watched TV or listened to the radio, you’ve probably noticed that most ads fall into 15, 30, 45, or 60-second slots. Historically, commercials leaned toward the longer side, with 60-second spots being the norm. Shorter ads became more popular as advertising evolved, significantly as digital platforms influenced traditional media. 

According to Nielsen data, 30-second commercials dominated TV advertising in 2017, making up nearly half of all ads. The rest was split between shorter and longer ads, with a growing trend toward bite-sized, 6-second digital ads. This shift reflects changes in consumer behavior—people’s attention spans are shorter, and they’re more likely to engage with quick, impactful messaging. 

Why 30 Seconds is Ideal for TV Commercials

Research shows that 30 seconds is the ideal length for TV commercials. It’s just enough time to build an emotional and intellectual connection without losing the audience’s attention. A well-crafted 30-second ad can tell a story, highlight a product’s key benefits, and leave a lasting impression. Of course, there’s still room for longer commercials, like luxury product ads or heartfelt brand campaigns, when storytelling is crucial. 

Meanwhile, shorter commercials (15 or even 6 seconds) rely on surprise and speed to capture attention before viewers can skip or tune out. Ultimately, the best length depends on your message, audience, and platform, but if you’re aiming for the sweet spot, 30 seconds is your best bet.

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How Does Moonb Help With Producing Commercials?

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Moonb helps brands produce commercials efficiently and effectively, taking the hassle out of commercial video production.  Rather than operating like a traditional agency, Moonb integrates directly into your existing workflow using tools like: 

• Trello
• Slack
• MS Teams

It streamlined communication and complete transparency. Expect weekly strategy calls and a contract-free model that provides flexibility and consistency without freelancers’ unpredictability or an in-house team’s overhead.  With Moonb, you can produce high-quality commercials without the headaches.  

Commercials that Tell Your Brand's Story

Our commitment to storytelling and results sets Moonb apart from other commercial production companies. We don’t just make videos; we craft compelling narratives that connect with your audience and drive engagement. 

Our team digs into your brand to create high-impact content that looks stunning and delivers measurable ROI. Whether launching a new product or amplifying your brand message, we make commercial production: 

• Effortless
• Scalable
• Results-driven

Factors Affecting the Length of Commercials

Who’s Watching? Target Audience and Attention Span

One of the biggest influences on commercial length is the audience. Younger viewers, accustomed to fast-paced digital content, may respond better to shorter ads that grab attention quickly. 

Meanwhile, older audiences may be more patient with longer commercials that provide more context and detail. Understanding how your audience consumes content helps determine the best ad duration.

What Are You Selling? Message Complexity and Product Type

Not all products can be sold in a quick 15-second clip. Some require more storytelling to communicate their features and benefits. Luxury items, insurance plans, and high-tech gadgets often benefit from 30 to 60-second commercials that explain value and build emotional appeal. More straightforward products, like snacks or household items, can be promoted effectively with shorter, punchy ads.

What’s the Goal? Engagement and Brand Recall

Shorter ads are great for immediate impact—they deliver a sharp message and are easier to remember. Longer commercials allow brands to connect emotionally with viewers, making them ideal for campaigns focused on storytelling. The key is balancing brevity with engagement to ensure the message sticks.

The best commercial length depends on who you’re targeting, what you’re selling, and how you want to connect with your audience. By considering these factors, advertisers can maximize effectiveness and ensure their message is memorable and impactful. 

The Benefits of a Subscription-Based Video Production Model

Moonb is a video marketing agency that offers corporate video services. We provide seamless project management integration via: 

• Trello
• Slack
• MS Teams
• Weekly strategy calls
• A contract-free, full-service production approach

Moonb stands out as a superior alternative to traditional: 

• Video agencies
• Freelancers
• In-house production teams

Our flexible, subscription-based model, combined with our expertise in creating compelling video content, positions us as the ideal partner for companies looking to elevate their marketing and educational initiatives through the power of video. 

Start a 3-day free trial with our corporate video services to take your content to the next level.

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Essential Tips And Steps To Creating Effective Commercials

What Makes a Great Commercial? 

A significant commercial will have the following characteristics: 

1. A Good (And Simple) Story

A good storyline has a beginning, a middle, and an end with tension and resolution. Commercials that use the principles of good storytelling will immediately capture the audience’s attention and elicit some sort of emotional reaction. 

In a two-hour movie, a director has plenty of time to hit and complete all of these steps. It’s a little more complicated regarding a 30-second spot, but it’s not impossible—just remember to keep it simple when storyboarding. 

2. The Right Tone

It’s easy to think that a great video always has the best entertainment value—for instance, a hilarious video ad with a catchy jingle—but if it’s not the right tone for the brand, it may still not succeed. 

When making an ad—whether online or TV commercial—you must keep the brand’s tone in mind. Are they edgy, serious, peaceful, or quirky? That’s the tone you want to strike in your commercial. 

3. A Recurring Theme

The best commercials aren’t just standalone ideas but full-on ad campaigns with follow-up commercials to continue the story and develop the theme or characters. For example, Budweiser’s ads featured the iconic Frog’s Bud, Weis, and Er, and later on, the lizards Frank and Louie. 

Marketing campaigns like these are usually effective TV ads because they build up memorable characters over many promotional videos and generate considerable brand awareness. 

4. A Call To Action

Knowing your marketing video’s call to action is vital before you start drafting. What does the company want people to do after seeing the television commercial? For a small business, maybe your goal is just to raise awareness of the brand or give potential consumers the company’s contact information (for instance, a phone number or web URL). 

If you’re working with a large and well-known corporation, you may focus on introducing a new tagline. Calls to action depend on the company’s target audience (also called the target market), their potential customers, and what they would respond to most in a video commercial.

How to Make a Commercial in 4 Steps 

Ready to break into TV advertising? Here are the basic steps you’ll need to follow to create a commercial: 

1. Start With The Ending

To make the road map for a compelling commercial, you need to know where you will ultimately end up. Starting with the ending is a great way to make that easier—that way, you know what the commercial’s payoff will be. 

Then, you can build everything around delivering on that payoff. You have a finite amount of time, which means that the development of the narrative is entirely constructed to serve the conclusion. 

2. Plan Everything Down To The Second

Commercial videos usually air for no longer than sixty seconds. In spots like Super Bowl commercials, every second is costly, so you don’t want to waste a moment. During preproduction, ensure you plan the entire video from start to finish. 

Create a diagram or storyboard that shows precisely where dialogue and action occur. Preparation is crucial; keeping your narrative streamlined will help you get your point across quickly. 

3. Shoot The Commercial

Video production is a technical field, and the easiest way to create professional video content is to hire a production company (or an ad agency or creative director with an in-house production team). 

A good production company will come with a team of professionals tailored to your needs, and they’ll handle finding: 

• Professional actors
• A camera crew
• Animators

Audiences can tell when a video has high production value, and they’ll respond better to professional-looking TV spots. 

4. Edit The Commercial

In postproduction, the shot footage must be edited to the right length. Production teams often have video editors armed with professional editing software to get the finished product.

Cost of a 30-Second Commercial

You may wonder about the cost if you consider producing a 30-second commercial. The answer isn’t straightforward because several factors influence the final price. On average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 or more, depending on the: 

• Production quality
• Talent
• Location
• Special effects involved

Live-Action Commercial Costs

For live-action commercials, production location is a significant cost factor. In the U.S., a high-quality 30-second live-action ad typically costs $55,000. But did you know you can produce the same commercial in Argentina for as little as $25,000, less than half the cost? 

Other factors that can drive up the price of a live-action commercial include: 

• Hiring well-known actors or influencers
• Using elaborate set designs or props
• Shooting at multiple locations
• Incorporating special effects or CGI

Animated Commercial Costs

If you’re considering an animated ad, costs vary based on style and complexity. A simple motion graphics ad can cost between $10,000 and $30,000, while a high-end, 3D-animated commercial can easily exceed $50,000 to $100,000. 

Some companies, like Moonb, offer subscription-based models that help brands create premium animated ads at competitive prices. Trusted by global brands like Nestlé, Toyota, and Microsoft, they deliver studio-quality animation at a fraction of the cost of larger production houses.

Airtime and Distribution Costs

Production isn’t the only expense, once your commercial is ready, you must pay for airtime. A local TV spot might cost a few thousand dollars, while national ads, especially during prime time or major events like the Super Bowl, can cost millions (currently at $8 million).

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Start a 3-day Free Trial to Take Your Content to the Next Level with Our Educational Video Production Service

The average length of a commercial has changed over the years. In the 1960s, it was almost 60 seconds. A few decades later, it was closer to 30 seconds; today, it’s under 15 seconds. Why? Consumers have shorter attention spans than ever, and they don’t respond well to traditional advertising methods. Instead, they want quick, digestible content that gets straight to the point.  

Short commercials are also easier to consume, share, and even skip.  As you create your own commercial or video ad, keep these averages in mind. You’ll be ahead of the game if you make an engaging video that captures your audience’s attention in less than 15 seconds.

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