Broadcast Advertising

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Here, we see an older gentleman watching a BBL (Big Bash League) Cricket match. According to Fox Sports, cricket ranks as the second most popular sport in Australia, behind Australian Rules Football. On account of this, cricket also ranks as the second most advertised broadcast sport here. A noticeable difference between both America and Australia is not just their popularity in sports selection, but the money spent on marketing in televised sporting events. Additionally, the length of commercial breaks, along with the number of occurrences, differs tremendously. America’s top four sports leagues - the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA - notoriously cut to commercial breaks every few minutes. Observing the BBL over the last few days, a commercial break generally occurs every fifteen minutes, usually during a major switch in possession. Sometimes, it may take longer. Once in a commercial break, either one or two thirty-second advertisements will play, then instantly go back to the televised sport.
The sports culture here in Australia is arguably similar to America, with the exception on the type of sport, which can easily be drawn to the sports’ origin and geographical location. The broadcast advertising, however, proves quite dissimilar. When considering an advertisement’s purpose on television, it is important to note what product, or image, the company is generating towards its audience. Additionally, advertisers must consider their audience. In this case, we see an audience of great sports fans for a very popular sport. Viewing multiple cricket matches and commercial, some notable advertisers included; Harvey Norman (retailer in bedding, furniture, communications, and electronic devices), Government of New South Wales, Woolsworth, and various charity organizations. With the exception of Woolsworth and Harvey Norman, the commercials generally focused on issues involving societal and governmental issues. Various charity organizations involved issues dealing with poverty and homelessness (and in return targeting donations), while governmental commercials focused primarily on current political issues.
The motivation behind the advertisements appears separate from that of America, which typically consists of marketing for material possessions and beauty products. In fact, according to Business Insider, some of the highest paying marketing advertisers were Ford, American Express, Verizon, Chrysler, and Neutrogena. On the contrary, according to Adbrands, some of Australia’s highest paid advertisers included the Australian Commonwealth Government, Suncorp (finance and insurance), Government of Victoria, Woolsworth, and Harvey Norman. Very rarely are any government or charity organizations seen at the top of the advertising list in America. While Australia does include corporations selling a product, many of the top advertisers are retailers of simple living goods or grocery goods. In relation to culture, the types of advertisements (remember, the marketers are the ones investing money by displaying their advertisements) correlate with what Australians as a society possibly value most. Or, the emphasis on what civilians should draw their attention to. With a strong emphasis on issues such as homelessness, poverty, child hunger, and civilian involvement in politics, the value speaks tremendously to the environment that is Australia. If an advertisement’s goal is to instill in its consumer’s mind the importance of their product/message, then the the choice of advertisement to broadcast offers a certain sense of culture.

Not only limited to broadcast television, various advertisements of this specific structure are also seen on billboards in the train station and on the streets. Looking directly at advertisements during a sporting match, one of the most watched events in television, they strike an audience on a more national level. The large difference, however, is the short length of the commercial breaks. While American commercial breaks are longer, they typically display material such as automobiles, cell phone providers, beer, food, and credit card companies. While shorter commercial breaks, the Australian broadcast still displays a certain value towards humanitarian problems rather than material goods.

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