Above the Line - What it is, Benefits, Challenges, Examples and Difference from Below the Line

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Definition of Above the Line
"ATL" stands for "Above The Line." It is the utilization of advertising for a broader target audience. Brands are marketed, and target audiences are reached in Above The Line (ATL) advertising using mass media.
Traditional media like print, radio advertising, and television are part of this. There is a broader target audience and is not particular to individual users.
It is a commonly used technique to develop brand awareness & goodwill. It also aims to demonstrate the brand more clearly with a lucid brand image.

Benefits of Above the Line
1. Brand Recognition
An ideal method of amplifying brand awareness on a substantially big scale is ATL. Its impact on consumers for making them aware of the brand is impressive.

2. Grasping Attention
Above-the-line advertising- using a mix of audio and visuals- grabs more attention from audiences than any other form of advertising. This happens because attention is naturally commanded by the mix of audio and visuals.

3. Reach
Above-the-line advertising has the maximum reach compared to other types of advertising. Good returns on investment are assured most of the time for brands that make use of ATL.

Challenges of Above the Line
1. It is Expensive
Newspapers and televisions are the costliest of the already high-priced media worldwide.
2. Substitutes are being used
Magazines and newspapers are being replaced by online blogs and magazines, which is adversely affecting ATL advertising’s stronghold.
3. Success and Returns
Even now, it is challenging to measure the success of TVC and ROI. Neither is there a way to count the number of people purchasing the product due to the advertisement.


Below The Line “BTL”
"BTL," or "Below The Line," is a kind of advertising where a particular audience of prospective customers is specifically targeted.
Innovative promotion strategies and advertisements for companies are created by BTL marketing agencies that are hired.
These strategies and advertisements involve using tools like product demos or direct emails. They are targeted towards a specific group of audience.

What is ‘the Line’ and Where did it Come From?
In 1954, Procter and Gamble first used these marketing approach definitions. Various firms were paid separately for broader advertising campaigns and direct promotion activities at varying rates, thus segregating the approaches.
This is how broader marketing techniques that do not have assured investment returns or direct results and increased brand recognition are segregated
Nowadays, ‘the line’ is starting to fade. Example, there is huge confusion about whether the ad on social media is ATL or extremely targeted BTL due to its broad exposure
An advertisement seeking a direct response or promotion is not ATL. However, a comparatively less targeted page displaying a promotion could be Through The Line “TTL”.

Above the Line – Examples
Approximately $470 million was spent by Budweiser to get 54 Super Bowls to broadcast 135 advertisement plugs. It is the only company that has had at least one advertisement aired in every Super Bowl.
Pepsi is the second-biggest advertiser, followed by Coca-Cola, having spent $320 million and $220 million, respectively.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the parent company of Budweiser, has a reach of approximately 100 million TV viewers in the US through its annual Super Bowl Sundays.
It advertises vintage brands like Bud Light and Budweiser.
Industry experts say that in 2018, a 4-minute advertisement cost Budweiser $42 million.

Example – Google

Out-of-Home advertising is a widespread category that includes various imaginative and surprising forms to attract customer's attention where they work, play, and shop.
Conventional options for OOH include billboards, public spaces, product placement, and point of purchase. One of the first companies to charter the largest and most expensive digital billboards in New York's Time square is Google in 2014.
The eight-story tall billboard was said to cost $2.5m (£1.6m). The company hired the spot for four weeks.
The screen's size was almost equal to a football field. The daily foot traffic around the billboard amounted to almost 300,000 pedestrians. This billboard has colorful lights and is one of the most renowned advertising spaces in the world.

This video is on Above the Line and it has the following sub-topics.

Time Stamps

0:00 Introduction to Above the Line
0:15 Definition of Above the Line
0:46 Benefits of Above the Line
1:26 Challenges of Above the Line
1:57 Below The Line “BTL”
2:24 What is ‘the Line’ and Where did it Come From?
3:15 Above the Line – Examples