ITV Commercial has unveiled a new ad proposition, ITV Hub Shout Outs, to enable advertisers to “inform and support the public” during the COVID-19 pandemic outside of linear TV campaigns.
Shout Outs will offer advertisers an alternative to full-length commercials on the broadcaster’s on-demand streaming service, ITV Hub, instead delivering short video clip ads three to five seconds long.
According to ITV, the aim of the new proposition is for advertisers to share important information and messages of gratitude, rather than raise awareness of products or promotions.
To allow brands to reach consumers quickly and cost effectively via Shout Outs, ITV will be offering its in-house creative production resource, and a subsidised rate applicable to nationally and regionally targeted campaigns.
“The ITV Hub Shout Outs are a perfect solution for advertisers of any size and scale to spread information quickly and impactfully outside of linear TV campaigns,” said Patrick Kelly, ITV’s head of digital.
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The news follows the announcement last week of ITV Hub’s performance results for the first three months of 2020, which saw year-on-year consumption hours up by 82% and monthly reach on the platform up by 40%.
ITV’s ad free version of the service, ITV Hub plus, had grown 80% year-on-year.
The broadcaster also released figures for March this year – the month in which the COVID-19 crisis and national lockdown took hold in the UK – which revealed a 49% rise year-on-year in simulcast viewing via the Hub, and a 35% increase in viewing across connected TV devices.
Commenting on the results, Steve Forde, director of digital products at ITV, said: “The recent uplift in the first quarter for the ITV Hub and Hub plus in both reach and consumption is hugely encouraging, as we continue to evolve the platforms and look at new ways to enhance our content.”
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