Benchmarking Costs for 30 Second Ads

ANA Member Question

"I have been asked to benchmark the cost of creating 30 sec ads for the future. Appreciate it's hard to determine with so many variables, but any advice or guidance would be invaluable. As an example, for some of our recent ads, cost drivers were overseas filming locations, voiceover talent release, multiple onscreen talent buyout, multiple shoot days and extensive post. Are there any resources to evaluate and assess, bringing these production costs down?"

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APR RESPONSE

APR is often asked to benchmark the cost of a :30 commercial, and while we understand the desire for a forward-looking reference point, we generally advise against using a single “average cost” benchmark. In our experience, that approach can be misleading given the wide range of variables that drive production spend.

Rather than benchmarking finished :30s, APR evaluates costs at the component and production-approach level. We have been collecting global production benchmark data for over 20 years, which our advisors apply on a project-by-project basis to review bids and assess whether costs are reasonable for the specific deliverables, scope, and market. This proprietary data is not published publicly.

For video work, APR typically reviews costs across areas such as pre-production, shoot days, locations and travel, director and creative fees, talent and usage, post-production, and markups. We find that the greatest opportunities to manage future costs usually come from early production decisions, not rate negotiations alone.

The cost drivers you mentioned—overseas locations, talent buyouts, multiple shoot days, and extensive post—are among the most common drivers of budget escalation. In many cases, costs can be reduced by:

• Engaging production expertise earlier in the creative process to align ideas with realistic production approaches and budgets.
• Evaluating multiple offshore shoot location countries side-by-side.
• Evaluating alternative production models, including modular shoots, hybrid live-action/virtual/AI approaches.
• Applying component-level benchmarking, rather than :30 spot averages, to identify where costs are truly out of line at a granular level.
• Managing post-production scope, versioning, and markups more tightly.
• Considering cost-plus where appropriate, and implementing timelyreconciliation practices with your agency partners.

There is no single “right” cost for a :30. Brands that achieve the best efficiency tend to focus on production strategy, scope discipline, and early alignment between creative and production, rather than relying on headline benchmarks.

If the member would like to discuss their specific scenarios in more detail, APR would be happy to have a direct conversation to provide tailored guidance.

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This question came to APR through Ask ANA, the members-only research service of the Association of National Advertisers.