Radio Ad

Introduction:

The need to exchange ideas led people to develop communication systems. One of the earliest forms of communication uses written word. Long distance communications required a runner or rider to take the written word by foot or horseback to its destination. Then things changed. Radio changed long-distance communication (telecommunication). Gugliemo Marconi discovered a way of transmitting and receiving sound waves through the air. These sound waves were received by radio which changed the waves into sounds and words. This made mass communication or broadcasting possible.

Storing information is also a very important part of communications technology. For hundreds of centuries, the only way to store information was by writing messages on a cave wall, or more recently, on paper. Information storage is a necessary ingredient of all systems of communication, such as television, radio, and computers. All of these systems store information electronically on a magnetic surface.

Early tape storage systems were reel-to-reel. As machine tools and computers became smaller and smaller, this means of storage became less practical. The reel-to-reel format was too large and expensive. The tape format that evolved was the cassette or cartridge.

The flexible magnetic tape used in cassettes is inexpensive and durable. The tape consists of a base material of polyester. This is a relatively stable medium because it has good tensile strength and can stop and start repeatedly without breaking. The polyester is made in wide ribbons coated with an iron oxide surface that is sensitive to magnetic fields. The polyester base with the magnetically sensitive coating is then cut into tape widths and applied to take-up reels.

Two critical functions of the cassette tape drive are the reading and writing of information onto the tape and tape transport. The magnetic head in a cassette tape drive is the device that actually records and retrieves information from the magnetic tape. The iron oxide on the surface of the tape is comprised of many needle-like magnetic particles. The particles are not aligned in any particular order when the iron oxide coating is applied to the tape’s base material.

In order to store information on the magnetic surface, it is necessary to align the magnetic particles into a pattern. The magnetic head aligns the magnetic particles by using a tiny electromagnet to create a magnetic field, as shown below.

The conventional magnetic head consists of a split ring-like substance wound like a coil. The gap in the front of the head is where the magnetic field is generated when current is applied to the winding. When the cassette drive is in the “record” mode, sound waves from your voice are changed by the microphone into electrical signals. These signals activate the electromagnet, and a magnetic field is generated at the gap of the magnet. As the magnetic tape presses the head, this magnetic field aligns the particles on the tape in a form that can be distinguished as your voice when the electric signals are played back through the speaker of the tape player.

While listening to the radio for entertainment, it also is educational and informative. Radio programs are sponsored by companies or advertisers that want listeners to know about their products. The messages or advertisements that you listen to on the radio are special stories or scripts that are very short. They must capture the listeners’ imagination and encourage them to buy a product or service that is being advertised.

You will be preparing a message and recording it on a cassette tape recorder. There are some techniques that will help you make a better commercial. Before any commercial can be effective, it must be heard by the listening audience. People tend to “tune-out” when a commercial comes on, yet everyone has certain commercials to which they do listen. If you have in mind a commercial that you can remember listening to, chances are the writer of that commercial message utilized a successful device to get your attention.

No matter how many people enjoy or listen to a radio commercial, it isn’t effective if the listeners don’t remember the name of the product advertised. It is important that the product name be repeated several times during a commercial to insure the listener at least is given the opportunity to remember the name of the product. Although there is no hard and fast rule as to how many times a name should be repeated in a given time span, it is a good idea for the beginning writer to repeat the product name about once every ten seconds of air time, with a minimum of one repetition (name used twice) in any commercial. As advertising becomes frequent and long term for a given product, the writer may realize the theme song or the voice of the announcer has become synonymous with the product name, and less repetition is necessary.

As a writer, you want all of your product information to be understood by your audience. Assuming a relatively large audience, keep your language clear and simple, avoiding long, complex sentences and technical terms. Finally, try to be imaginative and humorous, but communicate your idea. Your delivery must sell your idea. Practice, practice, practice so you don’t sound like you are reading word for word. Especially, try to make it sound interesting.

This activity gives you an explanation of how magnetic tape storage works. It will also give you the opportunity to write and produce a radio commercial.

Problem:

Write and record a 30 or 60 second radio commercial advertising a product.

Materials/Supplies:

audio cassette tape
audio tape player
microphone
script
background music/sounds

Hints:

1. Choose one central idea. Don’t confuse the listener by including too many points in your copy (story).

2. Keep your ad story on-track. A good test is to ask if your commercial would be hurt by leaving out extra words.

3. Write and read your commercial as if you were talking to someone. Use a warm personal tone of voice that is friendly.

4. Be pleasant, just like you were talking among friends.

5. Your advertising copy must be believable. Exaggerations and overstatements should not be made.

6. Your advertising copy should be interesting and cause the audience to want to listen to your commercial. Add some humor or music.

7. Your advertisement should encourage the consumer to buy the product that you are advertising. Don’t forget to mention the name of your product frequently during the ad.

8. Select one of the following techniques:

a. single announcer - one person reads the script

b. two announcer - two people read a single script that has parts written for each person; it is like two people talking to each other about a product that they like and want the listeners to buy

c. jingle announcer - a song or jingle can be written to explain the benefits of a product; songs are easily remembered by listeners and are a good technique for making advertisements that people will remember.

Procedure:

1. Assemble your advertising team (1-3 people). Teams work together because they can work more quickly and brainstorm ideas.

2. Decide on a product that you want to advertise or one that has been given to you by the teacher.

3. Listen to some radio advertisements and how they are presented. Discuss the ads that you heard with your team members.

4. Make a list of product features that your team is advertising.

5. Begin by writing your advertising copy. A 30-second commercial should have about 65-85 words. Spelling and punctuation are important in writing. You will probably make several drafts of your copy. Don’t worry about that. It is part of writing excellent advertising copy.

6. Using a computer and word processing software, type your advertising copy. You should double space your sentences to make it easier to read.

7. After your team has decided on the best advertising copy you are ready to record your ad. You will probably need to do it several times in order to perfect your recording.

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