FROM KENNEDY TO THE CZECH VELVET REVOLUTION: TELEVISION WAS, IS AND WILL BE THE VIEWER’S GUIDE THROUGH MODERN HISTORY

28. 10. 2024 Television has shaped modern history: from the rise of John F. Kennedy in the USA, through the Watergate scandal, and the tragic footage of the Challenger disaster, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Princess Diana’s funeral procession. It has been both a witness to and a catalyst for change, including in the Czech Republic—it broadcast the 1968 invasion, showed the revolutionary days of 1989, and shaped opinions during the first direct presidential election. Today, in combination with social media, television influences the world more than ever. What has been its historical role so far? The Rise and Fall of JFK: A Career Framed by the Lens John F. Kennedy’s political career unfolded on television screens. This was logical, as Kennedy’s charisma and celebrity status made him seem like a face made for television cameras. In 1960, he won the first televised presidential debate in the USA; this moment likely catapulted him to the top of the state. His opponent, Richard Nixon, looking tired after illness and refusing makeup, appeared less attractive than the fresh, youthful, and prepared Kennedy—an unfortunate strategic mistake. This debate beautifully illustrates the power of television: while Kennedy overwhelmingly won the hearts of television viewers, those who only listened to the debate on the radio were much more inclined towards Nixon. Presentation, to a degree, triumphed over content. Just three years later, on 22 November 1963, television cameras became witnesses to the last chapter of Kennedy’s life, when he became a victim of an assassination in Dallas. The whole of America mourned together with the screens. Along with the young idealistic president, the idea of an idealistic America died. Hope turned to sorrow, then to scepticism.

TV VIEWING AND ITS ROLE COMPARED TO OTHER TOUCHPOINTS

17. 10. 2024 Gigabytes of articles have already been written about the current viewership of classic television. But it doesn’t hurt to look at what is behind the claims of people who indicate in surveys that they watch TV. In a previous article, we examined what “watching TV” means. Only with a clear definition of “watching TV” can we assess the role of classic TV as a touchpoint. TV viewing surveys The question of how often people watch television has been the subject of dozens of studies. The results of these studies are used, among other things, for media planning. Although everyone might seem to know what watching TV means, clarifying the concept and asking viewers about their understanding appears to be a good idea. This is what the GroupM project Media Bubbles is doing. It examines the differences in media habits between the general Czech online population (which includes about 92% of the total population) and people from media and advertising agencies. In addition, the latest survey took a closer look at young consumers under 25. What does it mean to watch TV? Let’s briefly summarise what people mean when they say they watch TV. For 80% of the Czech online population, watching TV is equivalent to watching a live broadcast in real time. Among young people under 25, 72% have the same understanding. However, watching TV includes watching pay VOD services for almost half of the population. A quarter of the population (and 31% of the young under 25) even include YouTube in watching TV. Watching TV – what does that mean?

TRANSFORMERS HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES FOR 40 YEARS. TV ADVERTISING INSPIRED BY THE PHENOMENON HAS ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFUL

17. 10. 2024 It was 1984 when the Transformers brand was born, founded by American toy manufacturer Hasbro and Japanese brand Takara Tomy. The battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons was about to begin - in comics, innovative toys, films, and various TV shows. Even in TV advertising.

FILM ANNIVERSARY: AUDIENCES WANT TO LIVE AS FRIENDS OR THE ADVERTISING POWER OF THE SITCOM

1. 10. 2024 It has been an incredible thirty years. When Friends first appeared on TV screens in September 1994, no one imagined that the sitcom would become a global phenomenon, capturing millions of viewers worldwide and becoming the darling of agencies and brands that use its power to promote their products.

THE MARVEL PHENOMENON: COMICS AND TV ADVERTISING IS A GREAT DUO

16. 9. 2024 Marvel is a ticket to a world of superheroes transcending generations and cultures. Characters like Captain America and Spider-Man bring values of courage and tenacity to the advertising landscape. They reinforce not only the story embedded in the campaign but also the brand itself. Creative agencies and advertisers across all sectors – from cars to fast food – are successfully riding a Marvel wave that is not about to dissipate. On the contrary, it grows stronger with every new film launched.

TV VIEWERS. WHO ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY SPEND THEIR TIME WITH AND WITHOUT TV?

3. 9. 2024 There has long been a debate among media professionals and marketers about what it actually means to watch TV. As there’s nothing worse than conjecture, we asked people. Viewers. And as you might expect, watching TV means something different to everyone, and mostly, it doesn’t mean just one thing.

TV ADS AND FASHION: ART AT THE SERVICE OF FASHION BRANDS

2. 9. 2024 Fashion, art, and advertising are a triangle of creative worlds that influence and inspire each other. TV ads that combine the prestige of works of art with the individuality of fashion brands have the chance to impress with their originality and freshness.

ANIMATED TV ADVERTISING ADDS A DIFFERENT DIMENSION TO TOURISM

30. 8. 2024 In the tourism industry, animations are truly invaluable. They allow travel agencies, airlines, and online platforms to break free from copycat advertising, transport viewers to a magical world of imagination and emotion, and make them want to sit down at their computer and book a tour or flight immediately.

SCHOOL BELL RINGING: TELEVISION ADVERTISING HAS A BIG IMPACT ON WHAT IS PURCHASED AND WHERE TO SHOP BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS

28. 8. 2024 Many parents have been shopping for school supplies since May, according to a new online survey on the influence of TV on pre-school shopping. It reveals the factors that influence parents’ shopping behaviour.

ART IN ADVERTISING: CZECH BRANDS ARE INSPIRED BY FOREIGN ARTISTS AND CZECH GREATS

21. 8. 2024 Czech viewers are very specific, and when it comes to television advertising, they are quite different from viewers in other countries. But they have one thing in common with foreign audiences: pride in their national greats. That is why creatives – in their efforts to tailor television advertising to the Czech viewer – like to draw from abroad as well as from Czech history.

ART IN ADVERTISING: A FEW TONES CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING. CLASSICAL MUSIC IS A TIME-PROVEN CHOICE

15. 8. 2024 Mozart and Wagner, Strauss or Vivaldi. In their desire to captivate the audience and evoke emotions, advertisers and the creative agencies they approach do not hesitate to draw on the proven history of music. Advertising without music is like heaven without stars. And why not capitalise on the fame of the oldest artists? Music and emotions The use of music in advertising has good reasons, even scientifically based. Scientists have shown that humans use the same parts of the brain to process music as they do for memory and emotion. It is natural for the human brain to associate certain types of music with an object, place, or person.

SOLVENT CZECHS LIKE TO HOLIDAY WITH A TRAVEL AGENCY. SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO APPEAL TO THEM IN YOUR TV ADVERTISING!

12. 8. 2024 Around 60% of Czechs go on domestic holidays every year, 45% go abroad. Although holidays are no longer exclusively associated with summer, summer is still the main season. Some people like to arrange everything themselves, others rely entirely on travel agencies, and some make a choice depending on circumstances. The current summer mood led us to the idea of looking at Czechs through the lens of holiday arrangements and we came up with one downright summer finding. Or more accurately, a travel finding.

COMPETITION IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY IS FIERCE. TRAVEL AGENCIES NEED TO GET POTENTIAL CLIENTS OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND INTO THE ACTION IN THEIR TV ADS.

11. 8. 2024 Maximum personalisation, modern technology, tailor-made travel packages, the most exotic destinations, unique experiences... Today’s travel agencies, online platforms and tour operator platforms have a wide arsenal of weapons with which to attack their audience to entice them to buy their services. But standing out in the plethora of offers is not easy.

NOT ALL PLANES ARE ALIKE: AIRLINE TV ADS ARE VARIED AND INVENTIVE

10. 8. 2024 Majestic aircraft, crew uniforms, free drinks, and a view from the aircraft window. At first glance, it might seem that airlines don’t have many options to trump their competitors through TV advertising and ensure that passengers flock to their planes. Fortunately, it is exactly the other way around. Airline TV ads are inventive and interesting. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

UNDER THE FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS. GAME-CHANGING TV ADS

9. 8. 2024 The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are slowly heading towards the Closing Ceremony. As we already know, the Olympics are not only the pinnacle of professional athletes’ careers but also a very rewarding time for marketers to present their revolutionary ideas. World-renowned brands have always used and continue to use the emotional power of sport at Games time to spread positive values and connect people across continents. Olympic history is full of memorable ads that have not only defined global marketing but have also co-shaped the international Olympic movement. What are some of the most memorable ones? Coca-Cola – Celebrate Humanity (1996) When Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, it was widely expected that one of the largest global companies having its headquarters in the metropolis, Coca-Cola, would be heavily involved in the process. And indeed, the 1996 Olympic Games went down in marketing history as the “Coca-Cola Games”. The Coca-Cola Olympic City where some of the Olympic sports could be watched in virtual reality was clear evidence that the company, one of the oldest Olympic sponsors, was certainly not underestimating this opportunity. The company also launched its Celebrate Humanity campaign to mark the occasion and, predominantly, celebrate humanity and joy. The campaign’s message was presented through emotive stories and visuals that showed the athletes and their paths to success. The individual spots consisted of authentic footage from the Olympic Games, inspirational music and voiceovers, which were combined with images of the athletes and emotional moments from the Games. And, of course, localisation for each national market was an important element. The advertising spots were one of the most important elements of the campaign – they included inspirational quotes from athletes and worked with authentic footage from past Games. As a result, Celebrate Humanity has become an Olympic benchmark for Coca-Cola, and there is perhaps not a single Olympic ad that doesn’t take at least a small nod to this legendary campaign.

ANDY WARHOL’S ADVERTISING REVOLUTION OR ART IN THE SERVICE OF ADVERTISING

7. 8. 2024 Artist, philanthropist, filmmaker, visionary. Andy Warhol, the pioneer of the art movement known as Pop Art, became a catalyst, changing the world’s perception of art and advertising forever thanks to his extraordinary flair for advertising. With his creative work for brands ranging from Converse to Estée Lauder, Calvin Klein, and Dior to Coca-Cola and Burger King, Andy Warhol could be said to have blurred, if not completely erased, the line between artwork and advertising. He would have celebrated his 96th birthday on 6 August.

THE AD THAT GETS YOU ON THE ROAD IS THE RIGHT ONE. THE PRIMARY REQUIREMENT IS ORIGINALITY

6. 8. 2024 It is not easy to create an advertisement that gets people up from their chairs, makes them head to the nearest travel agency and book a trip, or keeps them glued to their laptops where they spend hours looking for accommodation and trips in the advertised destination. The ability to stand out amongst a plethora of adverts teeming with stunning shots of dreamy landscapes, showcasing fantastic sights, and offering enticing adventures requires the utmost creativity and originality.

FILM ANNIVERSARY: ADVERTISERS TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THE MATRIX WILL DODGE BULLETS AS WELL

5. 8. 2024 Keanu Reeves dodging bullets is just one of the scenes that have inspired many creatives in the film and media industry. The Matrix is a phenomenon that can’t be easily topped. So, it is no wonder that ideas from the film and its protagonists have appeared in television ads. 5 August marks the anniversary of the Czech premiere of the first part of this fantastic sci-fi tetralogy, which captivated the masses around the world. Let’s take a look at a few TV ads based on The Matrix.