BREAK FROM MEDIA’S BLOCKS
Movie barcodes are data visualisation of films compressed into one image, where the colours from each frame are simplified into a vertical bar, then when each strip is lined up side-by-side, revealing the ‘colour palette’ of the movie. It’s a refreshing way to step back and see the smooth shape the story takes.
Now imagine the movie bar codes with ad breaks in them. Clunky, interruptive and counter productive to the viewing experience.
For a century we’ve treated entertainment like a neat, binary sequence: show → ad break → show. That logic wasn’t invented by audiences; it was invented by business models. Today, people stitch their own media diets across streaming, YouTube on the TV, podcasts, TikTok and live events. They don’t experience culture in “programs, then commercials.” They experience a continuous feed - and they reward the brands that become part of what they came for in the first place.
brands should be the entertainment, not the interruption
The data says the ad break is getting weaker. Nielsen finds the majority of consumers actively avoid advertising - on streaming, podcasts and even live TV. That doesn’t mean ads never work; it means interruption is a fragile default. Receptivity is everything, and people are most receptive when the brand is the content (or meaningfully funds it) rather than an interstitial.
Deloitte’s latest Digital Media Trends finds Gen Z and Millennials increasingly default to social platforms for entertainment, drawn by constant, personalized content. That’s not an “ad slot” mindset; it’s an “always-on feed” mindset. Brands that publish episodic entertainment, socials-first docs, or creator-led series match how attention is actually consumed.
The uncomfortable truth (and the opportunity)
The “ad break” was a scheduling convenience. In an on-demand world, it’s an irritating, dependant legacy. Brands that treat entertainment as a core product - not occasional window dressing - will build memory, trust and demand more efficiently than those fighting for attention between scenes.
Be the thing, not the thing that sells the thing. Then buy media to amplify what people already love - the story.
AN INTERVIEW 12 YEARS ON
Looking back at an interview with Michael Short.
Let’s take our mind’s back to October 2012: Only 22% of Australian households had a connected TVs, NBN was touted as ‘the next big thing’, Netflix was about to release House Of Cards, Vine was giving rise to super-short form video and RedBull had just released ‘Stratos’, the short film where Felix Baumgartner plunged 39kms to earth.
At the time, I was interviewed by Michael Short from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald about my take on the convergence of the internet and TV: ‘Here comes the future, please don’t adjust your set’.
I dusted off the back page this week and thought I would check in on some of my thoughts from back then to see how they’ve aged and I was struck by the sentiments and predictions align with the proposition for ShowStarter today.
”Our Television screens will resemble large computer screens"
“The key [for brands] is to create communities, rather than seeking to inform consumers about goods and services.”
”RedBull [‘s Stratos Film Launch] has created a tribe of millions, which they distribute, at zero cost, high-quality content… I think that is a model that needs a light shone on it as a way forward for brands to be relevant.”
”We will be given the option to pay a small amount to watch a television broadcast without the interruption of advertising”.
Read the original article here.
8 REASON WHY YOUR BRAND NEEDS A SHOW ON YOUTUBE
Our team produce shows for all channels, but we feel the best platform to launch with, and grow on, is YouTube. Here are 8 reason why we think so.
