tags: Advertising, F1
Formula1 ITV: That Advert Break
April 24th, 2005, by Rich.
I was introduced to F1 by my grandfather, when James Hunt was fighting to be the world #1 back in the 70’s. We always watched on the TV. In those days that meant the BBC with Murray Walker’s insanely eager commentary and every episode introduced by the ominous bass of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. We watched the British drivers come and go; Brundle, Blundell, Coultard, Herbert, Hill and Nigel Mansell in his Red 5 Williams. We watched Senna and Prost collide as team mates; Senna and Mansell go wheel to wheel; the track invasion after Mansell’s home win in 92, and the shock of Senna’s death in ‘94. My grandfather incidentally was such an F1 nut that he had a scale model of the McLaren on his television, so as a four year old, Formula1 was something that was just a part of life: and a very exciting part of life too.
In contast, the last few seasons have been poor. Those of us with F1 in our veins have found this difficult to admit, but the dominance of Ferrari has made the spectacle less interesting for all but the most ardent follower. To become an F1 fan you must first be ensnared by the action, and drama, before learning of the technical complexity, the strategy, and the psychological deulling that are as important and absorbing as the on-track action.
I am therefore delighted to be able to say that the 2005 F1 season has, so far, been fantastic. A combination of changes to the rules has meant that the starting grid has been interestingly shaken up, and that has resulted in some scintillating racing. To paraphrase something Nigell Mansell once said, F1 is a Racing Drivers Championship, but what we want to watch is Racers, not Drivers.
Today’s race at San Marino gave us a race; and what a fantastic race it was. Schumacher had qualified badly and was in the middle of the field, whereas Alonso, the championship leader was in pole position. As the laps ticked away, and the cars peeled off for their pitstops, Schumacher, somehow, stayed out. He was carrying way more fuel than his peers, so as they re-joined the race, heavy with fuel, he had a light car and leapt forward from 12th to 3rd.
What followed was a 30 lap chase where Schumacher ate into Alonso’s lead by 1.5 seconds every lap. We commented that the last time we could remember a race with this potential for a granstand finish was “that time Nige’ was 18 seconds down and pulled back a second a lap on Piquet”. Several laps later, the ITV commentator James Allen recalled the same race. They knew what was in store too.
This is what great F1 is about. Knowing that every corner matters; every entry has to be good, every apex hit, every exit clean. Schumacher had it all to do, and he delivered lap after perfect lap.
The tension build for 20 laps and with around 12 laps to go Schumacher caught up with Alonso. What followed was a car chase that puts anything Hollywood can create to shame.
This was electric.
This as real.
This was live.
This was the championship leader against the 7 time world champion, in a race to the flag.
As the 10 laps ticked off, Schumacher’s Ferrari edged closer through the corners and the Alonso’s Renault clawed back breathing space on straights.
This, is the stuff that hooks people on F1. This is what makes it a global phenomenon.
This, with 3 laps to go, and the tension thicker than gravy; this, according to ITV, would be a perfect time to interrupt the coverage for a few quiet advertisements.
We sat there numb with shock. ITV returned in time to catch most of the last lap. The tension, the excitement, the anticipation, the enjoyment… had been destroyed.
Immediatly after the race had finished, only minutes later, the commentators handed back to the studio who cheerily suggested that we viewers should rejoin them after another ad break to see the last 3 laps of the race.
Somehow, somebody in ITV has failed to understand that watching the three climactic laps that we just missed, after the race has been won, and we know the result, is entirely pointless.
We switched off the TV so that ITV could not advertise to us, and turned it back on after two minutes later in order that we might see the driver interviews.
This got us to thinking….
The BBC used to provide us with uninterrupted coverage of F1. The only reason that ITV can afford to outbid the BBC is because they can sell advertising. ITV therefore need to come up with an alternative means of advertising that does not ruin the race, or they need to step back and leave it to someone who can.
Now, market forces are such that ITV are not going to stop their coverage, or change their way of working unless there is commercial pressure to do so - so we’re going to start that commercial pressure ourselves, by turning our television off for 30 seconds during every advert break for the rest of this F1 season.
Yes, as of today we’re going to boycott the adverts that ITV show during F1 and we invite others to do likewise.
Stick that in your post race analysis ITV.
April 29th, 2005 at 11:04 pm
Some clever chap has posted all the addresses of the advertisers inserted in the San Marino race on the pitpass website, it takes a little time out of your day but if we all bombard these companies with our reasons why ITV has smeared thier products/services forever, ITV may in the end suffer……….please please please remove ITV from the equation they are an insult to all those who have made history in F1 past and present, and all other forms of motorsport.
May 5th, 2005 at 10:55 am
Anne Highes is right. We have watched F1 on Spanish TV for the past four years and have been able to follow the race ( albeit silent and miniscule) in the top corner of the ads.
I would support any action to bring F1 back to Aunty
May 6th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
Having lived in Brazil for some time, I was amazed to see how ITV (and its clients) treated their F1 fans here post auntie. Globo TV there tried doing ads during the races years ago, and it didn’t last very long at all. They do banner ads at the bottom of the screen and everybody’s happy, just like in football.
I’ve been emailing ITV for over four years about this. What happened during the San Marino GP was an accident waiting to happen. They are too greedy to have seen it coming.
May 8th, 2005 at 2:10 pm
The advertisers can afford to laff it off if we try to boycott them, sadly, but I am up for the time shifting solution, I don’t care whether it’s in real time or not because the race is just as exciting in the repeats if you don’t know the result. This is effectively what happens in every other kind of prog. I truly hate the marketing disease that we have caught from the USA in recent years, even the BBC is at it in every spare moment. How stupid and gullible do they think we are as paying viewers? I guess if the BBC got F1 again they would also get Martin, I mean what else would he do?!
There’s another point here too, we still have to pay the license fee in order to watch ITV.
May 23rd, 2005 at 12:15 pm
A far as I am concerned, they almost did it again!
In the final moments of the Monaco GP, the lead was settled, but there was one hell of a race going on further behind as current championship leader Alonso fought to keep his place.
So what did we have to watch? Yes, I know the director of the company was pleased, but did we need to watch him?
We were pleased with Brit manufacturer success too, of course, but it might have been nice to see all of the exciting race rather than just sit at the finish line to see the result
WHY CAN THEY NOT ORGANISE A SPLIT SCREEN???
With so many hits on this site, perhaps somebody from ITV is among them and might pass on the ideas raised?
May 23rd, 2005 at 5:50 pm
ITV don’t decide what is actually on the screen (that’s down to the company that sells the feed to ITV and every other TV company). They then mix this with their own commentators and interviewers.
However… a boycott is not on the cards in my household… that would mean listening to it on the radio… which ISN’T going to happen….
I did think the race this time was fantastic!! They also clearly stated that the last 17 laps were completely uninterupted. Having Jenson Button there was also inspired!
They have really bucked up their act!
May 23rd, 2005 at 5:59 pm
They have improved, no doubt about it. When they mentioned the uninterrupted coverage I was delighted.
Please note that I’m only turning the adverts off, not the race itself, so there’s no need for radio (though that would help fill in the missing bit). When the first ITV ident comes on I switch over to the BBC and wait for 60 seconds, then switch back. I catch the end of the ads, but at least two 30 second adverts have gone completely unwatched.
I’ll be doing that until ITV come up with a solution to the interruptions.
May 30th, 2005 at 9:18 am
I support the idea of attempting to lever some control over ITV, but I don’t see how boycotting the adverts will work. How will ITV ever find out? How will the advertisers ever find out? Given the almost mystical nature of marketing and advertising, a direct impact on sales is unlikely.
However I do think that writing to OFCOM and the manufacturers of products that advertise would be much more effective. But to do this you will need to watch the adverts.
:)
February 16th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
i agree take it off that useless ignorant channel!
i have emailed them about things before,most recently their terrible coverage of the brit awards.ie never live! yet it always was on bbc.the ignorant knw it all channel cant even be bothered to reply.
May 28th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
its now May 2006 and still the advert breaks, I have all but stopped watching F1, Come back Auntie Beeb.
I live in hope