Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Why don't anime licensors advertise on TV?

After consistently watching anime over the last few years, I've started to notice something, and that something is that anime licensors like Funimation and Bandai don't spend money on TV ads or try to put their shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim or SyFy's Ani-Monday blocks.  Why is that?

 More thoughts after the break!


One potential reason for NOT putting out ads is possibly a pre-concieved notion that the fanbase is large enough that they don't need to spend the money on ads.  For shows like DBZ or Naruto, this may be true.  But, for less-prominent shows like Kampfer or Nyankoi!, sales won't come on the already existing fanbase alone.  Put Nyankoi! on an afternoon TV block, and put Kampfer... somewhere.  BAM, potential new viewers who might buy the show on DVD or Blu-ray.


Obviously, it costs money to to pull out a nice 20-second commercial for a show.  And it costs money to get the TV timeslot.  But look at Aniplex, who just recently got the hit show Durarara! onto Adult Swim.  Success often comes with taking risks, and, sometimes, that risk is taking out a TV ad, or trying to get the show on TV.  But what bugs me is this: few companies don't even TRY to get a show onto a TV block.  I mean, shows like Kiddy Grade and Dirty Pair seem perfectly suited for a primetime TV block, possibly alongside Detective Conan and Lupin III. Right there, 2 hours of good TV.

It really isn't that hard. Just put the ads you see on DVDs, put 'em on TV. There you go. Was that so hard?  I just do not understand why companies can't be bothered to do something so simple.  It takes so little time to put the ad on a disc and send it to a network.  I'd like to know what you think about this topic, so leave a comment!

2 comments:

  1. You make a good point, it would give anime more exposure.

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  2. I agree with your post completely. Everything else is commercialized then why isn't anime. I mean I know a few good studios went under over the past few years so I think That it would be good to get that exposure out. Get people to see the ads on tv they will watch it and be interested in watching more of that type and the domino effect will take place. Goon Plan I say

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