Can 90-second micro-dramas replace 30-second ads?

For most of what I can recall, the crown jewel of advertising has been the 30-second commercial. Campaigns, budgets and creative strategies are all built around this format, which is short enough to keep your attention and long enough to build a story. These are the TV breaks that structured our evenings.

Cut to today, the world is a different place. Today, people skip, scroll, and swipe in seconds. Attention is split between apps, formats, and screens, and it really begs the question – does the 30-second ad still hold the same power? 

Why 30 seconds once worked

The old 30-second spot was perfect for television. You had one screen, one audience, one captive moment. A quick setup, a brand message, a catchy jingle — done. But our habits have shifted. On mobile, where most people now watch, 30 seconds can feel strangely long, especially if it’s a straight sales pitch.

Why micro-dramas feel different

Micro-dramas aren’t trying to mimic the 30-second spot. They’re telling a story; it is entertainment rather than interruption.

It is not stuffing a brand message into 30 seconds but stretching out a narrative to let the characters breathe and for an arc to unfold. 

Those extra 30 or 60 seconds can make all the difference. In the first few seconds, you hook someone. Then you provide them a reason to care. Finally, you land with a payoff that lingers. 

It’s the same science that makes us binge shows, just compressed into a tiny, shareable form. And because these pieces feel like stories, people don’t just tolerate them. They share them. They watch them twice. They send them to friends. A good micro-drama isn’t background noise; it’s the main act.

The trade-offs

This format is not without its challenges. To write and produce a short story that is rooted in authenticity and also carries a brand message is tricky. Then there is also the question of measuring success. 

The 30-second TV spot is easy to measure for reach and frequency, while writing and producing a short story that feels authentic and still carries a brand message isn’t easy. 

It takes craft. And unlike the 30-second TV spot, which is easy to measure in reach and frequency, micro-dramas live in a messier world of likes, comments, and cultural buzz. That might make some marketers nervous, but that is exactly what makes the work feel alive, connected to real people instead of just numbers on a chart.

Can one replace the other?

That’s the real question, and I would say no, not at all. Both of these formats serve their own purpose. You need the 30-second ad to drive awareness, and you need the micro-drama to showcase depth, emotion and memorability. The smartest play isn’t to pick one over the other but to use both. 

Think of the 30-second spot as the hoarding on the highway that reaches everyone. The 90-second micro-drama is the story someone tells you over coffee; it stays with you.

Where are we headed?

Today’s consumer is the smartest we’ve ever seen; they do NOT want to be sold to. But they do want to be entertained. They want stories. And stories — no matter how short — remain the most powerful way to connect. 

The formats may change, from jingles to reels to whatever comes next. But the principle remains the same: attention follows emotion. Whether it takes 30 seconds or 90, the future belongs to the brands that can turn products into stories people actually want to watch.

(Anuj Gosalia is the Founder and CEO of Terribly Tiny Tales (TTT), a prominent storytelling platform based in India. With over ten years of experience in the content industry, he has worked with leading brands such as Amazon and Tinder.)