Plenty of businesses make their own video now. A phone, a free editing app and a bit of patience go a long way, and some of what we see is genuinely good. So it makes sense to ask the obvious question. Can I just put that on TV?
Often the answer is yes, with a bit of help. The catch is that a video made for Facebook and a commercial made for broadcast are built to different rules, and the stations won't bend them. Send the wrong file and it comes straight back, usually the day before your sale starts.
Length is the first sticking point. A TV spot runs to an exact length, 15 or 30secs, right down to the frame. A video that runs 16secs, or 14 and a bit, won't fit the break.
Then there's the file itself. Stations need their own broadcast format, and it's nothing like the MP4 your phone saves. Vertical video made for Reels or TikTok needs reworking entirely, because a TV screen is wide.
Sound catches a lot of people out. Broadcast audio has strict loudness rules so ads don't blast people off the couch. A voice recorded in the shop with the fridge humming behind it, or music that's mixed too loud, won't pass.
Text and logos need room to breathe too. TV keeps important information well away from the edges of the screen, and small text that reads fine on a phone can disappear on a TV across the lounge room.
Music is the sneaky one. That catchy track from a free app is usually licensed for social media only. Broadcast needs a proper licence, and stations won't air an ad without it.
And every commercial on free to air TV in Australia has to be classified before it can run. It's checked against the advertising rules, any claims need to stand up, and it gets an approval number that travels with the file to every station. No number, no airtime.
None of this means your video was a waste of time. Usually it just needs finishing, and that's exactly what our Broadcast Ready package is for. You send us your finished video and we bring it up to broadcast standard, get it through approval and deliver it to the stations you've booked, on your schedule, across Australia and New Zealand. If something needs fixing, like the sound, the length or a logo hugging the edge of the screen, we'll tell you and sort it out.
Agencies use it too. If you make great content for your clients but don't want the hassle of broadcast delivery, we're happy to be the last step that gets it to air.
If you're planning to make your own ad with TV in mind, a little forward thinking helps. Film it wide, not tall. Keep your key words and logo away from the edges. Record your voice somewhere quiet. Use music you know is licensed for broadcast, or leave the music to us. And talk to your station rep early about deadlines, so there's time for approval before your first spot.
Adbox has been getting regional businesses on air for nearly 20 years, led by our Managing Director and Creative Lead, Aaron Petersen, who has spent more than 30 years in regional advertising. Made it yourself? Send it our way and we'll take it from there.