• MySanAntonio.com, Monday, August 27, 2007 10:45 AM

Fox has bought into the new super-short radio ad format touted by Clear Channel Communications and is running two-second spots to promote the new season of "The Simpsons." And while the net is one of many in Hollywood using the ads, which debuted last year, their involvement may not get too deep. "I'm not sure if the success of shorter radio ads can be quantified," says Fred Moran, a Stanford Group financial analyst. "I see them as just another tool in this effort to get these messages out there without overtaxing listeners."

For a show like The Simpsons it can work, since fans have been following the show for two decades. But for less-known brands, two seconds may not be enough time to get much across. "I don't think you can make a full campaign out of one-second spots, adlets or blinks," says Dennis McGuire, a New York-based vice president for Carat.

But he says they can be a good tool to reinforce existing messages or plant an idea. Fox uses the blinks in conjunction with longer spots and the approach is about ways "to get more frequency and be a little more intrusive," says Kaye Bentley, the Fox Broadcasting senior vice president. who handles national ad buys, affiliate marketing and on-air promotion.

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