Do Viewers Notice Commericals They Fast Forward Through?

What do Matt Damon and an animated piece of phlegm have in common? Viewers seem to remember them especially well, according to a new test that measured what people recall about TV ads, even when they're zapping through them.

The test is part of a continuing effort by General Electric's NBC Universal to measure the effectiveness of television ads that viewers skip through with their digital video recorders. The bottom line: Viewers still remember the spots -- or at least some elements of them -- even when they're watching at up to six times the speed of regular live TV.

Tracking biometric measurements such as eye movements, heart rate and sweat, the study found that the ads people concentrated on the most and recalled the most shared several traits. The most successful ads concentrated the action and the brand's logo in the middle of the screen, didn't rely on multiple scene changes, audio or text to tell the story, and often used familiar characters. People were also more likely to remember an ad in fast-forward mode if they had seen it once before live.

The results could have implications for media planning and buying. Advertisers may decide to unveil new campaigns during live events like sports games and then re-run the spots during programs likely to be recorded. Advertisers may also choose to test multiple edits of a commercial to see how it performs when it's fast-forwarded, says Mike Hess, global research director at media firm OMD, part of the Omnicom Group.

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