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.