TV Ad Viewability: How Viewer Tuning, Presence and Attention Respond to Ad Content

Can TV ads effectively "cut through the clutter?" New measurement technology quantifies TV viewer tuning, presence and attention, enabling new distinctions between TV ads that are viewable and TV ads that are actually viewed. We use broadcast networks' verifiably quasi-random ordering of ads within commercial breaks to identify causal effects of ads on viewing behaviors among 4.26 million advertising exposures. We supplement ad metadata with three sets of machine-coded ad content features for 6,650 frequent ads. Recreational product ads preserve audience tuning and presence. Prescription drug advertisements decrease tuning and presence, with larger audience losses during drug ads treating more prevalent and severe conditions. Viewer attention decreases with ad duration and during the first three slots in the break. Effects of ad content on viewer attention are near zero, calling into question whether advertisers can use ad content to attract audience attention.