1. How to write a 30-second TV commercial script
Every copywriter longs for the opportunity to write a TV commercial. But the type of commercial you’ll
end up writing isn’t what you think it will be.
Unless you work at an ad agency or video production house, you’re not going to come anywhere close
to writing a script for the next NIKE commercial.
You might get the opportunity to write a direct response or DRTV commercial. But you’re more likely
to write spots for shoe stores, neighborhood banks, used car dealers, furniture outlets, fruit markets,
and other local businesses.
Not too impressive, I know, but there’s a ton of small businesses who need these kind of TV spots.
And someone has to write the scripts. Right?
It might as well be you.
Understanding Local TV Advertising
TV commercials are not like other media, such as print or websites.
A reader browsing a website has plenty of time to absorb information and can even reread copy that is
interesting or informative.
However, TV commercials happen in real time. Most local spots run 30 seconds. That’s all the time you
have to tell the viewer about whatever you’re selling. When it’s over, it’s over.
Of course, an advertiser will run commercials more than once, so viewers may be able to see your
spot several times. However, the number of times it runs is out of your control. So you shouldn’t rely
on repetition to get your message across. It should be clear and complete even if seen just once.
It’s also important to remember that the small businesses who run local TV ads don’t have a big
budget. The owners usually operate brick-and-mortar stores and want to attract local customers. Your
commercial can’t waste time on clever visuals or dialog. It must introduce the business quickly and
give viewers a reason to go to the store.
The 30-Second TV Commercial Formula
There are many ways to structure a TV commercial, but for our purposes, let’s stick to the standard
“voice over” spot. This means that an announcer reads about 30 seconds of copy accompanied by
synchronized video. (Technically, a 30-second commercial is 28.5 seconds. You lose about one and a
half seconds to fade the video up at the beginning and down at the end.)
So you will write a script consisting of two elements: the audio (announcer’s voice over) and the
video.
Click to download a pdf of this template.
Most writers use a specially formatted TV script template for this, a page with the Audio on one side
and the Video on the other. You can see the template I use here.
If there is anything like a formula for writing a local 30-second TV script, it’s this:

2. 1. Say it.
2. Explain it.
3. Repeat it.
SAY IT.
With only 30 seconds to work with, you don’t have much time to build a mood or be clever. You must
get to the point with the first sentence. Come right out and say what the spot is going to be about.
“Save 50 percent on all living room furniture at Finley’s Furniture!”
“Sun Bank offers you the lowest rate home equity loans in town.”
“Buy your dream car at Nolte Chevrolet for just one dollar down!”
The lead sentence in a commercial is like the headline in a print ad. It must get the viewer’s attention,
select the appropriate audience for the message, and make the viewer want to know more.
Along with the announcer speaking this lead sentence, you will need to show a visual to go along with
it. If the commercial is about saving 50 percent at Finley’s Furniture, you could show an attractive set
of furniture with the words “Save 50%” on the screen.
Words on a TV screen are generally called “chyron” or “CG” for character generator. So when you
write the announcer’s first sentence in the audio column, you will also write instructions for the video
and CG in the Video column.
EXPLAIN IT.
After you SAY IT, you need to EXPLAIN IT. If your lead sentence is successful, you now have the
attention of the viewer and must spend a few seconds sharing additional details.
If your lead sentence is “Save 50 percent on all living room furniture at Finley’s Furniture,” you could
show various brand name pieces of furniture with audio that names each one.
Or to keep it simple, the audio may be nothing more than “Save 50% off traditional furniture. Save
50% off modern furniture. Save 50% off sectionals, tables, and lamps.” And so on.
REPEAT IT.
Finally, after you SAY IT and EXPLAIN IT, you should REPEAT IT. This sounds pretty simple, but a lot
of writers forget this.
Remember that your audience is not necessarily a captive one. Attention spans are very, very short.
With remote controls and hundreds of channels to choose from, you can also expect many viewers to
come into your spot late. They may be interested in what you’re talking about, but if you don’t repeat
your “headline,” you run the risk of loosing a sale.
Often you just need to repeat the idea in the lead sentence and, since you’re probably urging people
to show up at a store at a particular time, give the location and time. Like this: “Save 50 percent on

3. every piece of living room furniture in the store. This weekend only at Finley’s Furniture. 123 Main
Street in downtown Groveport.”
On the screen, you could show “Save 50%” plus the date and address, along with a picture of the
outside of the store.
Quick Tip For Writing Local TV Commercials
Okay, I know a commercial like this isn’t very sophisticated. It doesn’t take a genius to write one.
That’s why the hardest part is resisting the urge to be creative. You have a job to do, usually to drive
buyers to a store location. And more often than not, the more creative you try to be, the more likely
your commercial will fail.
What you have to learn is how to build the words, images, and CG so they deliver a clear, complete
message in just 30 seconds. So here’s my tip: Set up your DVR or video recorder to capture a few
dozen local TV ads. Then watch them carefully and transcribe the audio and video images.
After doing this a few times, you’ll start to get a sense for how local TV commercials are put together.
Eventually you’ll be able to write a script on your own. It may not be an award winner, but it will
probably be good enough to get the job done.
My rule of thumb:
The more people need to use the storyboard - the more elaborate and communicative it needs to be.
If it's a quick sketch you made for yourself alone - just make sure YOU will be able to understand it a week after you've
drawn it.
If it's for many other people to use - make it as communicative as possible, even print the text under the panes to make sure
it's readable. Remember that you won't be in the room to explain what you meant!

4. Instructional Objectives: The student will learn about television commercials and will be able
to classify/categorize viewed commercials into one of four Commercial Types (Formats).
Time Required: 60 Minutes
Advance Preparation:
Prepare 4 charts labeled as follows – General Product Ad, Self-Promoting Ad, Political Ad, and
Public Service Announcement (“PSA”).
Materials Required: Chart paper, markers, magnets, and post-it notes (3”x5”).
Aim: What are the four different Commercial Types (Formats)?
Motivation: Have students break into groups of 5. Say - “I’d like you to work together to come
up with a list of 10 commercials on television that you love or hate, or that just stand out in your
mind for any reason at all.” Allow students about 5 minutes to come up with their lists.
Ask class to share some of the commercials on their lists. Ask - “What is the purpose of each of
these commercials? (They try to sell you something – a product, service, or candidate).
Say - “Every commercial falls into one of four Commercial Types. Today we are going to learn
about these four different Commercial Types.”
Show students Commercial Types you have listed individually on chart paper (or chalkboard).
Below is the information you will need on each:
1. General Product Ads – These are commercials for products such as soap, cereal,
toys, cars, etc. Examples: Toyota , Got-Milk, Barbie, Burger King.
2. Self-Promoting Ads – These are commercials promoting tv shows, movies, news
programs, or events. Examples: “Rosie,” “ABC News,” or “Monday Night
Football.”
3. Political Ads – These are commercials for politicians. They include positive or
negative information about a candidate running for office.
4. Public Service Announcement (“PSAs”) – These are service announcements to the
public (viewing audience). PSAs don’t sell you anything – they offer free advice,
bring important information to your attention, offer assistance, teach you,
etc. Examples: anti-drug commercials, suicide help lines, free breast cancer
screenings, and Be-A-Mentor.
Say – “Let’s start with the easiest, the Political Ad. What are they “selling” in this
commercial/ad?” Discuss any recent political ads students have seen. Continue having students
try to guess what other commercial/ads are “selling.”

5. Continue your lesson, having students try to guess what kinds of commercials fall under
the Commercial Types learned.
Activity: Have students work in groups (previously arranged) to classify their list of 10
commercials into the four Commercial Types learned (allow 5 – 7 minutes). This can be done in
their notebooks.
Next, have the students come up with 3 more existing commercials for each of the
four Commercial Types. Distribute post-it notes to each group and instruct them to write each
commercial description on a separate post-it note. Each group should end up with 12 post-it
notes (3 commercials for each of 4 Commercial Types =12). Allow 5 to 7 minutes for this part
of the activity. After the allotted time, ask each group to come up and place its commercials on
the appropriate Commercial Types charts.
After all groups have posted their commercials on the charts, review each chart to make sure the
students have categorized properly.
Example: 1-800-USLAWYERS is not a PSA. Why not? (Because in PSA’s, you are not
asked to buy any product or service). Or, Why is a “Rosie” commercial a self-promoting
ad? (Because the commercial ispromoting a show).
Spend about 10 to 15 minutes on reviewing this activity.
ay Two
Instructional Objectives: The students will be able to classify commercials viewed in class
under one or several Commercial Writing Styles.
Time Required: 60 Minutes
Advanced Preparation: Videotape commercials from television. Commercials should be taped
at different times of the day – early morning, mid afternoon (during soaps), after school, and
during the evening to ensure that each of the Commercial Types discussed on Day One is
represented at least 3 or 4 times.
From Internet, print out notes on Commercial Writing Styles –
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa091197.htm?rnk=r3&terms=commercials
Materials Required: Commercial Writing Styles handout (blank; see below), Television, VCR,
videotaped commercials, charts of Commercial Types (Formats) made on Day One.
Aim: What are some of the writing styles used in commercials.
Procedure: Distribute a blank Commercial Writing Styles handout to each student. Explain
that every commercial is carefully and cleverly written to make you want to buy products or a
service, watch a show, or vote or not vote for someone.

6. Review the blank Commercial Writing Styles list with the students.
Review each of the Commercial Writing Styles with the students. The students should fill in
information about each writing style as dictated by you.
Activity: Have students watch one of your videotaped commercials. Ask students,
“Which Commercial Writing Style was used in this commercial?” Discuss why it is a particular
writing style and not another. Please note, some commercials fall under more than one writing
style. Share this with the students.
Watch more of your videotaped commercials and discuss their Commercial Writing Styles. You
can also use this time to review Commercial Types.
Evaluation: Test Prepared for Commercial Writing Styles and Commercial
Types. NOTE: This is a 2 page test and is set for landscape print.
Day Three
Instructional Objectives: The students will learn the steps for producing a TV commercial and
will assist teacher in developing a Script Draft for producing a commercial for the teacher’s
product, “It’s Ripe.”
Time Required: 60 Minutes
Advanced Preparation: Prepare fictional product for students to write a commercial.
Materials Required: “It’s Ripe” soda bottle, a blank Script Draft Sheet (see below), chart paper
and markers.
Aim: How do we write our own television commercial?
Say – “Today we are going to write our own commercial for my product, It’s Ripe soda. (Show
students sample bottle.)
Say – “I’d like to make a fabulous commercial for my soda. It is going to be a TV
commercial. Together we must prepare a checklist for our commercial. Our checklist, or
outline, will help us organize our work for our commercial. What should that check list
contain?”
Days Four, Five and Six
Instructional Objectives: Students will learn how to complete a Script Sheet and Storyboard Sheet for
teacher’s television commercial, and will develop and produce their own.

7. Time Required: 120 minutes (not including videotaping)
Advance Preparation: Reproduce class sets of Script Sheets, Storyboard Sheets and Shot Composition
Sheets, and make a transparency of each.
Click here to download Word or Excel files of:
Script Draft Sheet
Script Sheet
Shot Composition Sheet and Storyboard Sheet
(Right click - choose "save target as")
Materials Required: Overhead projector, Video camera, blank video tape
Aim: How do we use our Script Draft Sheets, Script Sheets, Storyboard Sheets and Shot Composition
Sheets to produce our commercial?
Procedure:
Distribute Script Sheets, Storyboard Sheets and Shot Composition Sheets to students.
Work with class to complete a Script Sheet and Storyboard Sheet for the “It’s Ripe”
Commercial. Do this in the following order:
Introduce blank Script Sheet
This sheet tells us what we will see and what we will hear during the commercial.
Review difference between video and audio section of the Script Sheet..
Video – What camera shots will we use? Who/What will we see?
Audio – Who/What will we hear during the commercial – voices, music, sound effects?
Show Script Sheet with audio section completed

8. Your Script Draft Sheet (from Day 3) should be used to complete the audio section. Add music
cues, sound effects, and directions for actors where necessary.
Review Shot Composition Sheet and explain why it is used (It shows camera shots and abbreviations
necessary for Script Sheet video section).
Complete video section of the Script Sheet. Ask, “What shot do we want to use at the opening of our
commercial? At the end of our commercial?
Introduce the Storyboard Sheet
The boxes on the Storyboard (called video boxes) represent the video portion of the Script
Sheet. A pencil sketch is put in each box to represent camera shots used.
The scripts audio is written just below each video box.
Work with the students to complete the Storyboard for the “It’s Ripe” Script Sheet. Do a
comparison of the Script Sheet and the Storyboard. Does the information match up? It MUST.
The “It’s Ripe” commercial is ready to be videotaped. Select 2 students for roles of Sabrina and
Matt. Provide each with Script Sheets for the commercial so that they can rehearse. Select a student to
videotape the commercial and provide him/her with the Script Sheet and Storyboard Sheet.
Videotape the commercial. This should be done “live” with other students watching the process of
following the Script Sheet and Storyboard.
View the videotaped commercial and compare it to the Script Sheet and Storyboard Sheet. Do they
match? They should.
Students are now ready to produce their own commercials.

9. Additional Notes/Suggestions:
1 discusses the importance of a good slogan in a commercial. Students may want to include slogans in
their commercials.
Students should be encouraged to design and develop their own products. Product designs must be
neat and attractive.
If students are working in cooperative groups, make sure you have an “artist” in each group.
If student commercials are Political Ads or Self-Promoting Ads, they should still be for fictional
politicians/movie/talk shows.
If students are producing their commercials at home, they should be allowed at least 2 weeks (including
weekends) to complete the production of their commercials. Students should be given 3 grades - one
for the Script Sheet, one for the Storyboard and one for the videotaped commercial.
Students who do not have video cameras have the option of taping during lunch or performing
“live.” Students must still complete Script Sheet and Storyboard as if they are videotaping.
Have fun!!