How to Cite TV Commercials

APA Style

• 1

  Include the name of the product and the year in which the commercial was aired when citing within the text. Enclose this information in parentheses and separate with a comma. For example:

  One commercial from the period urged children to "build, build, build" (Lego, 2002).

• 2

  Begin your reference list entry with the name of the product, followed by a period. For example:

  Lego.

• 3

  Follow the name of the product with the year in which the commercial aired, enclosed in parentheses and followed by a period. For example:

  Lego. (2002).

• 4

  Conclude your reference list entry with the phrase "television advertisement." For example:

  Lego. (2002). Television Advertisement.

MLA Format

• 5

  Include only the name of the product when citing within the text. Enclose this information in parentheses. For example:

  One commercial from the period urged children to "build, build, build" (Lego).

• 6

  Begin your reference list entry with the name of the product, followed by a period. For example:

  Lego.

• 7

  Follow the name of the product with the type of source, followed by a period. In this case, the type of source should appear as "advertisement." For example:

  Lego. Advertisement.

• 8

  List the network on which the commercial was aired, followed by a period. For example:

  Lego. Advertisement. NBC.

• 9

  Conclude your reference list entry with the date on which the commercial was aired, followed by a period. The date should be listed in a day-month-year format. For example:

  Lego. Advertisement. NBC. 11 February 2002.