At a glance
Learn how to search for ads and campaigns in the Media Campaign Resource Center (MCRC).
About the Search function
You can search for an ad or campaign by entering one or more keywords in the Search field. You can enter one keyword or multiple keywords to widen or narrow your search. The system will use your keywords to search the Title, Description, Themes, Campaign Titles, and Languages of all ads.
The system will display all the ads in the MCRC database if you:
- Leave the Search field empty and press ENTER.
- Leave the Search field empty and click on the magnifying glass next to it.
- Select Browse the Collection.
To see more information about an ad, click on the title.
The Search field
How to Use
You can use the Search field on the MCRC home page and on the Search Results page to search for an ad or campaign.
If you want to search for ads or campaigns on specific topics, enter one or more keywords. Ads that match your keywords will be displayed on the Search Results page.
Click on the ad titles for more information. To view related campaigns, click the Related Campaigns link at the top right corner of the Search Results page or click the Campaigns tab next to the Ads tab.
Things to Remember
- Entering many keywords can result in no matching ads or campaigns. To widen your search, enter fewer keywords. For more information, see the Widen Your Search section below.
- Entering few keywords can result in a large number of ads or campaigns being displayed. To narrow your search, enter more keywords. For more information, see the Narrow Your Search section below.
- If you enter one whole word or a partial word in the Search field, the system will display all ads or campaigns with that whole or partial word. For example, if you enter "cigar," the system displays ads or campaigns with words such as "cigars," "cigarette," and "cigarettes." If you enter "smoke," the system will display all ads and campaigns with words such as "smoke," "smoker," and "smokeless."
What do you want to do next?
- To modify your search criteria, edit the search terms entered in the Search field.
- To view ad details, click the ad title.
- To view related campaigns for the ads displayed, click the Related Campaigns link at the top right corner of the Search Results page or click the Campaigns tab next to the Ads tab.
- When viewing a specific ad, select the more > link to view additional details about the ad.
Ads in Cycle
An ad is "in cycle" once the initial portions of holding fees, session fees, and other related talent fees are paid. Once an ad is in cycle, other organizations across the United States can add their local markets to the ad's cycle at a much reduced cost, within the given expiration dates.
To view ads in cycle, click the Ads in Cycle icon on the MCRC home page. You can also click the Ads in Cycle link under Type of Ad in the Ad Filter Options section on the Search Results page.
Things to Remember:
- You must be logged in to view ads in cycle.
- Only ads that are produced under union contracts with Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) qualify for this status.
- The Ads in Cycle list includes only video and radio ads.
- Ads in cycle display the In Cycle badge.
New Ads
The New Ads page displays the most recent ads added to MCRC. This list is updated as new ads are submitted. The New Ads page is particularly useful for users who browse the ads in MCRC on an irregular basis. They can easily see the ads that have been added since their last visit.
Things to Remember:
- New Ads are available for any type of ad.
- To view the New Ads, click the New icon in the carousel on the MCRC home page. To further refine your search, click Ad Filter Options on the Search Results page. Filter options include Cost, Media Type, or Target Audience.
- New ads display the New badge.
Free Ads
Some ads are provided free of charge. To see free ads, click the Free Ads icon in the carousel on the MCRC home page. You can also click the Free link under Cost in the Ad Filter Options section on the Search Results page.
- Free ads display the Free badge.
Search tips
You can widen or narrow your search to return more targeted results.
Widen your search
You can widen your search when you want to browse the catalog, when you are unsure of an ad's contents, or when your original search did not yield any results.
Use the information below to help you widen your search:
Search Technique
Example
Results
Do not enter any keyword
Just click the magnifying glass or click on the Search field and press ENTER.
The system displays all the ads and campaigns in MCRC.
Type only one word or part of a word in the Search field
Keyword: smoke
The system displays ads containing the word “smoke”, e.g. “smoker”, “smokeless”, etc.
Narrow your search
You can narrow your search if you know the title or other identifying criteria of the ad you want to use or when your initial search displays too many ads. To narrow your search, enter multiple keywords into the Search field.
Use the information below to help you narrow your search:
Search Technique
Example
Results
Enter multiple keywords in the Search field
Keywords: secondhand smoke kills
The system displays ads and campaigns containing the words “secondhand” AND “smoke” AND “kills” in any order.
Enclose the multiple keywords in quotation marks
Keywords: “secondhand smoke kills”
The system displays ads and campaigns containing the exact words “secondhand smoke kills”, in that specific order
Punctuation marks
Although you can use punctuation marks, such as commas or semicolons, in the Keywords field, the system only recognizes quotation marks. The system uses quotation marks to search for exact terms.
For example, if you enter "secondhand; pregnancy, lung" as your search criteria, the system will drop the semicolon and comma and treat the search as if you entered "secondhand pregnancy lung."
If you enter "secondhand smoke," the system will not drop the quotation marks. It will conduct an exact search of those words and return ads and campaigns that contain exactly the words "secondhand smoke," in that specific order.