Long Form Infomercial vs. Short Form Commercial
By: Dana Conklin
Which is right for your product? Here’s 2 questions to ask yourself before starting production:
Does your product need an explanation or does the demo speak for itself?
Shooting and airing a 2 minute commercial may be more affordable than a half hour infomercial, but will it be effective? Is that enough time to get your message across? If the demo demonstration or a candid testimonial can instantly explain what the product does a short form may be right for you.
Tip: Animation is a very effective tool to quickly demonstrate the inner’ workings of a product. Here are some examples of some winning short form commercials:
- Woof Washer woofwasher.com
- Clever Cutter buyclevercutter.com
- Roto Clipper rotoclipper.com
- Be Active beactivebrace.com
If the product needs more explanation, scientific research or a clinical test group, a long form infomercial allows you the necessary time to grab and hook the consumer. Here are some examples of some winning long form commercials:
- Maxi Climber maxiclimber.com
- Copper X https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Zb-BYN43M
What is your price point?
If you can part with your product for $19.99 short form is right for you! If your product is a high ticket item, you might need the extra selling time to convince the consumer. For example: If you are selling workout equipment, fill the screen with heartfelt testimonials and before & after photos so they can visualize themselves losing the weight. Compare your machine to others and why yours will make them lose more weight in less time. With a high ticket item, the more reinforcement the easier the sell.
