Advertisers Break the Bank During Finale of 'Breaking Bad'

Tonight, the record-breaking television series, "Breaking Bad," has millions of people anxiously awaiting the extended 75-minute finale. Not as widely exposed are the price tags on the advertisement spots during this episode. AMC sought between $300,000 to $400,000 for a 30-second ad, according to article in Advertising Age. This cost is comparable to spots during much more popular shows such as "American Idol" and "Modern Family." This shows just how successful this series has become in recent months. 

Although a $400,000 spot is significantly less than the some of the most costly shows on broadcast TV, where spots could cost up to $900,000 for an ad, before the recent popularity increase the advertisements during "Breaking Bad" would have never been expected to have that high of a price tag.

The final half of its fifth season of the series premiered in August, since then their viewership has also doubled from the first season. This recent popularity of the series can be linked to Netflix and other digital streaming platforms where audiences can watch the shows on their own time and catch up on any episodes they missed when it is most convenient for them.

Since the series has gained most of their viewership from Netflix or Hulu, where advertisements are eliminated or significantly reduced, it seems unfathomable to me that advertisers are willing to pay these high costs. However, it doesn't seem that was much an issue since all commercial time was quickly sold out, according to media buyers and an AMC spokesperson.

Motorola Gives Apple A Run For It's Money

     It's no secret that Apple not only released the new iOS 7 operating system last week but also two new phones, the 5s and the 5c. Yet, despite these releases, one of Apple's direct competitors stole the spotlight. A commercial in Motorola's 'Lazy Phone' campaign received more than 19 million views, over Apple's 12 million views of their 5s and 5c television commercials.

      Since the loss of Steve Jobs, Apple has been criticized for many missteps that they have taken. Many people felt that the continued success of this company relied heavily on the release of the iPhone 5s and 5c. Competitors of Apple proved to adapt their technology with new changes in innovative ways to attract more consumers. Contrastingly, Apple plateaued with their phones. Small changes were made to the iPhones, however, in order to remain as successful as it once was, the new iPhones needed to capture the consumers' attention.

     With several novel advancements that Apple made to the 5s model, such as the fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone and the enhancements made to the camera, sales proved that many consumers were impressed by the new model. However, that doesn't mean that Motorola and other competitors aren't up for the challenge to win these consumers over.

Watch Motorola's lastest televsion commercial in their 'Lazy Phone' campaign below.