Abstract:

Television is seen as the dominant medium in the UK, because of its visual impact. However, it is expensive to buy, making lengthy campaigns prohibitive to many advertisers. Radio does not have the same visual impact, but it does have the powerful imagination of its listeners. It also has the advantage of being cheaper to buy and the ability to bring high frequency to campaigns. Virgin Radio commissioned the Visual Transfer project to show the important role that radio can perform in conjunction with its visual broadcast partner. We wanted to prove that radio does have a visual element which can be used in combination with television to enhance the commercial message and extend the life of an expensive campaign. The survey consisted of 500 face to face interviews conducted in respondent's homes to gauge awareness of advertising in general, as well as the more specific area of visual transfer. The results proved conclusively that with minimum effort and cost, television commercials can be transferred to radio with maximum effect.