How to Cite a TV Advertisement

Sometimes you have to cite less popular sources, such as TV ads.

The Modern Language Association, or MLA for short, is a widely accepted standard for formatting papers. When writing a research paper, it's important to cite your sources, as this gives credibility to your article. If your paper has to be in MLA format, then so do your citations. Just as there are specific guidelines to citing books or newspaper articles, so too are there specific guidelines for citing TV shows, movies and radio programs. Cite TV ads in the same format that you would use for a TV or radio show.

Instructions

1. Write the title of the commercial in quotation marks if you know it. If you don't know it, search for the commercial online to find its title. If you still can't find the title, cite the name of the product being advertised, followed by a period. Write the brand name, followed by the word "commercial" (without quotes); then put a period at the end of this section.

2. Write down any relevant people, including producer, director or actor (depending on the purpose of your article). End this section with a period.

3. Write down the name of the television show in italics. Be specific, and include any subtitles if necessary. End this section with a period.

4. Write down the national network, followed by the local network that aired the program when you saw it. Put a period after the national network, but put a comma in between the local network and the city that airs it. For instance, if it aired on ABC, but you saw it on station WXYZ in Detroit, you would write: ABC. WXYZ, Detroit.

5. Write the date, with the day coming first, followed by the month and then the year. For instance, if it aired on Sept. 7, 2005, you would write: 7 Sept. 2005. End this section with a period, and your citation is complete.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources
• Capital Community College: Radio and Television Programs: For the Works Cited Page