Search for that holiday gift on TV

It's been predicted for more than a decade, but the death of the 30-second commercial could finally be in sight now that TiVo has introduced searchable ads for subscribers of its digital recording and programming service.

But don't thank the advertising industry for this welcome move. Even though it could hugely benefit the companies that pay billions of dollars for commercials, Madison Avenue has clung to the concept of the 30-second ad despite all logic and apparently for little reason other than fear of change.

Some savvy companies, such as Nike, have long seen the potential of such technology as a way to target specific consumers and maximize their effectiveness, but non-traditional advertising has gotten little support from the dinosaur ad agencies and TV networks. But consumers seem to welcome the idea, at least in early indications, so the ad industry might be forced to join the 21st century after all.

Blog community response:

"One of the problems with commercials today is they are targeted at everyone and it is extremely difficult for the consumer to get information only on the products they are interested in. However, TiVo may have a solution that will work for both advertisers and the consumers."
--Toys4Geeks

"I have no problem with advertising; I have problems with advertising clutter and ads with no relevance interrupting me. When I want to buy something, I want to know all about it. Give me an ad with links to more information and I'm there!"
--aTypical Joe

"The obvious time to do this is before the Super Bowl. If they do that, all of us who watch the game just for the ads won't have to even see the game any more."
--The Blackfriars Blog