Thinking about getting your brand on TV? Good news – it’s not as scary, expensive or “Mad Men” as it used to be. With Sky AdSmart, smarter targeting and faster production timelines, TV advertising is now an option for way more UK businesses.

Here’s your no-nonsense guide to how TV ads work in the UK, what AdSmart even is, how much things cost, what rules you need to follow… and pretty much everything in between.

1. What Is AdSmart by Sky (in Plain English)?

Sky AdSmart is one of the most underrated tools out there for B2C and B2B. The magic is in the “addressable” bit – meaning different households watching the same programme can see totally different ads.

So your perfect customer? Only they see your ad.

Someone totally irrelevant? They’ll see something else.

AdSmart reaches around 40% of UK households across Sky, Virgin and Now TV. It’s pretty huge.

2. How Does AdSmart Decide When You Pay?

It’s surprisingly fair. You only get charged if someone watches 75% of your advert at normal speed.

So…

Let’s take a 30-second ad as an example. 23 seconds watched? = You pay. 22 seconds watched? = Freebie – you don’t pay a penny.

And if someone fast-forwards it? Also free. Isn’t that lovely?

3. What Targeting Options Do I Actually Get?

This is where AdSmart gets juicy. There are over 1,000 data attributes including:

• Postcode
• Family life stage
• Hobbies
• Job type
• Pets
• Disposable income
• Whether the home has a garden
• Whether the household has kids

Basically, it’s like building the world’s most detailed customer avatar… but powered by actual data.

OHP pro tip: Start ultra-local first → test → refine → expand. It’s the most cost-effective way to learn quickly.

4. Any Guardrails?

In a word, yes, but they’re not scary.

• You need a minimum audience size of around 500 households
• Campaigns usually start at around £3,000

 That’s why lots of SMEs test small before scaling.

5. Where Does Sky Get All That Targeting Data?

From big data partners you already know, like: Experian, Mastercard, CACI, Dunn & Bradstreet, Tesco Clubcard data, Nectar, etc. They combine this to build accurate household profiles – all GDPR-compliant and audited.

6. How Does AdSmart Compare to Linear TV, BVOD & YouTube on TV?

Here’s the quick version:

• Linear TV (ITV, Sky Sports, etc.) – Everyone sees the same advert. Great for big, broad, “we want everyone to know about this” moments.
• AdSmart – Smaller reach but laser precise. Perfect for niche products or avoiding wasted impressions.
• BVOD (ITVX, All4, etc.) – On-demand viewing. Great for scale but still targeted.
• YouTube on TV – Growing fast. Almost half of in-home viewing (43%!) is now YouTube on TV sets.

OHP pro tip: Use AdSmart for precision and minimal wastage. Use BVOD + Linear for reach and scale.

7. What KPIs Should I Set (and What’s Realistic)?

Before you even lift a camera, define your #1 KPI.

Examples:

• QR code scans
• Website visits
• Newsletter sign-ups
• Product purchases
• Leads

Match this to:

• What you’re spending on production
• What you’re spending on media
• What a “win” financially looks like

Then work backwards to create realistic success metrics.

8. What Does a Typical AdSmart Budget Look Like?

Most advertisers start at around £5,000, though you can run a simple campaign at £3,000. 

Remember: You’re paying for impressions that watched at least 75% of the ad. Quality over quantity.

9. When Shouldn’t You Use AdSmart?

Choose something else if:

• You need mega reach, fast (big sale tomorrow? – go Linear TV)
• You want very low CPT
• Your audience is ultra-niche B2B – LinkedIn might win here

10. What Are the UK Rules on Claims & Small Print?

If you say things like:

• “Best”
• “Number one”
• “Save £200”

You must prove it –  but you knew that, right? Always write your script first, add your claims and submit it for approval before filming.

11. How Does Clearcast Approval Work?

Every UK TV ad must go through Clearcast (a non-governmental organisation that approves most British television advertising ahead of it being aired). The process is:

1. Script submission
2. Rough cut
3. Final cut

If your script matches what you film, approval is usually 2 working days. But… allow 2-3 weeks total just to be on the safe side.

And yes, always pre-clear your script before filming. Reshoots are expensive and painful.

12. What Spot Lengths Should I Create?

Standard ad time is 30 seconds, but TV works in 10-second blocks. You can do: 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s.

Best approach? Take it from us, create a 30-second master + a couple of 10–20 sec cutdowns.

13. What’s a Clock Number & How Do I Deliver the Ad?

A clock number is basically your advert’s unique ID. Format example: ABC/DEFG001/030

• “ABC” is Clearcast’s 3-letter agency code
• Delivery usually goes through Peach
• Any change to content = new clock number

Your production company (that’s us) normally handles this and the QC checks.

14. What Timeline Should a First-Time Advertiser Expect?

Think 2-3 months from idea to TV. To us, a realistic schedule looks like:

• Scriptwriting
• Pre-clearance
• Filming
• Editing
• Clearcast approval
• Delivery

Yes, it can be faster, but give yourself a buffer so a tiny delay doesn’t derail your entire campaign.

While you’re here, take a look at some of our projects to get a feel for how we approach video content.

15. How Does the Ad Actually Appear on the TV in Someone’s Home?

This bit blows people’s minds. All AdSmart ads are preloaded onto Sky/Virgin boxes.

So when a household that matches your selected audience hits an ad break, their box picks the ad that suits them. Every home sees something different – and no one knows they’re being targeted. It’s a really clever piece of modern advertising.

And the best bit? 

• You don’t pay a premium for big events.
  If your target customer is watching Premier League football at 8pm… your ad appears.
• If they’re watching Antiques Roadshow at 11am… it appears there too.

16. How Do I Measure the Results?

AdSmart is super accountable. You can track performance through:

• Unique landline numbers
• QR codes
• Special landing pages
• Lead matching (Sky can match incoming enquiries to households that saw the ad)

This is where TV gets seriously clever – and is now more customisable than ever before.

17. Pros & Cons (From Our Neutral View)

Pros:

• Most precise TV targeting available in the UK
• You only pay for ads watched at least 75%
• Minimal wastage
• Perfect for niche or local campaigns

Cons:

• Reach is finite (40% UK households, but that’s still a pretty big number)
• CPMs can be higher than linear
• Min. 5,000 household target size

18. Step-by-Step: How a UK SME Actually Makes a TV Ad

1. Pick your go-live date
2. Work backwards (timeline is EVERYTHING)
3. Define your product, message, features, benefits
4. Gather any evidence to support claims
5. Write a script
6. Submit the script to Clearcast
7. Film the advert
8. Edit (allow time for feedback)
9. Final Clearcast approval
10. Deliver via Peach
11. Set up targeting in AdSmart
12. Run the campaign
13. Measure results
14. Refine and go again

19. What Should I Create for Testing?

A simple but solid setup is:

• One 30-second master
  Two or three 10–20 second cutdowns

Run them together. See what lands. Optimise. Repeat. It sounds complicated but it’s actually quite simple – especially if you’re working with an agency already.

Wrapping it all up

Creating a TV ad in the UK might sound like you’re stepping into full-on “Mad Men” mode… but honestly, it’s way more doable than most businesses think. AdSmart has made TV advertising smarter, more targeted and way less scary on the budget front. 

Gone are the days when you’d put thousands of pounds behind a television advert and have no idea if it has done anything for your business (unless you managed to bag a Saturday night prime time slot in the X Factor).

As long as you plan ahead, get your script cleared, know what you want to achieve, and work with people who know their stuff, you’ll be absolutely flying.

If you take one thing away, let it be this: start simple, stay strategic and always leave enough time for Clearcast to do their thing. Do that, and you’ll have an ad on UK TV faster than you can say “30-second master with a 10-second cutdown”.

Want to talk to us more about AdSmart? Get in touch with us today!