TV advertising FAQs

Not at all, and most of the businesses we work with are regional names such as colleges, law firms, car dealers and retailers. You can advertise in a single ITV region, or only to the households you choose, without buying the whole country. Why TV works

Usually it’s a simple advert made from footage, photos and graphics you already have, shown in one region or to a tightly chosen audience. It keeps both the production and the airtime bill down while you find out what TV can do for you. Read the full guide

All we need to begin with is a conversation. We’ll want to know about your business, who your ideal customer is, what makes you the obvious choice for them and what result you’re after, whether that’s web traffic, phone calls or people through the door. Get a FREE storyboard

No, it doesn’t matter at all, because it’s our job to translate, and you should never have to nod along to something you don’t follow. If you’d like a head start, though, we’ve put the common terms into plain English. See the jargon buster

There are two separate costs, which are making the advert and buying the airtime. Both depend on what you want to achieve, so the honest answer is that it varies, but we’ll always give you a clear price before you commit to anything. More on TV ad costs

A good rule of thumb is the 80:20 rule, with around 80% of your total budget going on airtime and around 20% on making the advert. Smaller campaigns usually need a bigger share on the advert, and very large ones need less. More on TV ad costs

It’s because the visual artists who appear on screen, the voiceover and even the music are often licensed for a certain length of time and a certain size of audience, so an advert that’s seen by more people, or stays on air for longer, can cost more to license. More on TV ad costs

We recommend allowing a minimum of six weeks from the point you approve the concept. More ambitious productions, especially those with complex visual effects, can take longer. We have turned basic adverts around within a couple of weeks, but we wouldn’t recommend planning for it, because a rush job usually comes at a premium and leaves less room to get the idea right. Read the full guide

We get to know your business, write the script, have it approved, make the advert, get the finished ad cleared and then deliver it to the broadcasters. You’ll sign off each stage before we move on to the next. See the process

On the smallest shoots it might be just two people, and on big ones it can be more than twenty. Either way you’re very welcome to come along and watch. Who does what on a TV ad shoot

A celebrity is only worth having if they’re the right fit. A well-chosen face can give you instant credibility with the right audience, which is why we dig into who your customers are before suggesting anybody. More on celebrity endorsement

Clearcast is the body that checks TV adverts against the UK advertising codes on behalf of the main broadcasters. They look at the script first and then the finished ad, and an advert generally can’t go on air until they’ve approved it. Clearcast explained

No, we handle all of it. What we may need from you is evidence to back up any claims in the advert, such as a price, a guarantee or a “number one” style statement. Our Clearcast clearance service

Yes, but Clearcast will need a letter from a vet or trained animal handler who was on set, confirming the animal was properly cared for. Stock footage and animation don’t need one. Animals in TV ads

Supers, also known as legal text, are the small lines of text at the bottom of the screen that clarify a claim or an offer. They have to be a certain size and stay on screen for a set length of time, and we agree the wording with Clearcast. Supers explained

HFSS stands for high in fat, salt or sugar. Since January 2026, TV adverts for “less healthy” food and drink can’t be shown before 9pm, although smaller businesses and brand-led adverts are exempt. HFSS rules explained

It’s a check for flashing images and patterns that could affect people with photosensitive epilepsy, and every TV advert has to pass it. Most adverts go straight through, and it’s usually only the ones with rapid cutting or strobing effects that need adjusting. The Harding Test explained

They already do on Channel 4, which has required subtitles on all adverts since March 2026, and they will on ITV from January 2027. The subtitles have to be made by a specialist broadcast subtitling service, which we can arrange. Subtitles on TV ads

TVR stands for television rating, and it’s how TV audiences are counted. One TVR means 1% of your target audience saw your advert once, so a campaign’s total TVRs tell you how much exposure you’re buying. TVRs explained

Yes, airtime is planned and bought through our experienced media buying partners, so you can deal with one team for the whole campaign. If you already have a media buyer, we’re happy to work alongside them. More on media buying

Yes, and it often should. The same advert can be adapted for YouTube, social media, cinema and the broadcasters’ streaming services, so the people who saw it on TV see it again elsewhere. YouTube ads in 2026