The TV commercial is one of the advertising industry’s most far-reaching formats — and also the most ripe for disruption. Technologies like generative AI will change how TV ads are made and delivered, translating to time and cost savings for advertisers.
Advertisers are constantly seeking new ways to reach and engage consumers, and the TV commercial stands as one of the most wide-reaching — and potentially effective — routes to get there.
Nowhere is that more visible than the Super Bowl, which has long been the advertiser’s golden opportunity to reach a broad audience of captivated US consumers. Last year’s event drew an estimated 112M TV viewers, and brands paid up to $7M for a 30-second ad slot.
To stand out from the pack, TV advertisers are turning to a range of emerging technologies to make ads that have the potential to go viral, deliver a strong return on ad spend (ROAS), and reach entirely new audiences.
For instance, generative AI could help by brainstorming the next winning storyline or creating hyperreal deepfakes of celebrities. Generative AI applications for visual media have already seen positive momentum among investors, with 58 deals totaling $822M since 2021. Meanwhile, automatic content recognition (ACR) tech could turn TV ads into full-blown shopping experiences.
Technologies like these could make next year’s Super Bowl commercials look vastly different — both on-screen and behind the scenes. Below, we dig into the tech categories and companies that will automate TV ad production and enable advertisers to better target consumers going forward.
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
Connected TV (CTV) targeting: These companies build tools to help marketers target and reach customers using connected television devices for streaming.
