What's the difference between advertisements and commercials???

[a kennedy]

I call them advertisements, others call them commercials…..and I know either way they both are annoying.

[Moostache]

1. I always thought of print as advertisement and video or audio as commercials...

But I agree - regardless of label - they're all annoying!

[a kennedy]

2. Great theory.....never thought of that....thanks, and does make sense.

[sanatanadharma]

3. One is simply there, the other is an interruption

Singularly, any "buy this" message is an ad.
Collectively, there exist those ads that are simply there to be seen or not, ignored or studied, like billboards, newspaper/ magazine ads, Hotpoint appliances in the Nelson home...

Commercials are advertisements with one added quality; commercials are interrupting. intrusive, and thus annoying.

[hunter]

4. Seems to me it's a television and radio affect.

Saying "commercial" instead of "advertisement" made you sound like a Hollywood insider.

Scripts for live radio and television were marked with commercial breaks.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. The insidious effect of TV commercials is that it makes

people want things they not only can't afford, but probably don't need.