The beginnings of morphing and SMS in Spanish television advertising

Abstract

Agencies and advertisers are using television in their media plans. The brand and product launches use ways with prominent presences that improve visibility, promote the consumers memory and stimulate viral communication, changing thus the media recipients into supports and transmitters. After an initial stage of ignorance and insecurity as far as non conventional advertising formats are concerned, we live the launch in the use of special initiatives in television advertising by advertisers, especially, that Law 22/1999 labeled as “other forms”. The General Law on Audiovisual Communication 7/2010 synthesized audiovisual commercial communication formats as: television or radio advertising message, sponsorship, teleshopping and product placement. However, the legislation didnt provide much light on the emerging and future formats that now we see how they have consolidated, mutated and hybridized .This papper focuses on two forms: the different uses of SMS (Short Message Service) in their transition to social networks, and morphing, understood as the transitions of the logotype (or logo) into the advertiser’s brand. It is more than a television sponsorship or first position in a block, because it captures the viewer’s attention for its impact, novelty and creativity. These formats circulate on the television channel, but also between the legal vacuum and the thin line between strictly television programming and advertising.