The Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations (FACTS) has just completed a year-long study into the effectiveness of free-to-air as an advertising medium and is using the results as a platform to launch a major campaign.
The FACTS TVCs, created by Sydney agency Whybin Lawrence TBWA, introduce a fictional product Mr Fizzy, whose success or failure, the ad claims, depends on his company's use of free-to-air TV. Whybin's chief executive officer and creative director, Neil Lawrence, said the ad sent the message that "products that don't sustain a television presence often fall by the wayside".
"The claim is not baseless, FACTS chief executive officer Julie Flynn said. "Research confirms that the impact of television for advertisers and their clients continues to be far greater than any other option." The research Flynn refers to is a study which examined 74 winners of the Advertising Federation of Australia's (AFA) advertising effectiveness awards between 1992 and 2000. Of the winners examined, 69 of the 74 used free-to-air TV as their main campaign medium.
Network sales teams have also been mobilised to spread the word to clients, and Nine Network Australia deputy chief executive, David Gyngell, is another who is keen to see companies reminded of free-to-airs' contribution to brand-building.
