Click-to-buy…straight from the TV screen
Channel 4 is to launch the first ever interactive television ads through a broadcast player, it has been announced.
Working with tech company Innovid and test partners Xbox, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Burberry, the first ads will launch on Roku devices later this month giving big-screen TV viewers the option to choose between different creative, watch bonus content or click-to-buy the products.
Channel 4 is also set to launch ispon, what it describes as the first ever suite of interactive digital sponsorship formats on TV to try and boost viewer engagement across All 4 platforms to its sponsorship partners.
The first ad partners signed up include Mitsubishi with Documentaries on 4, Domino’s with Hollyoaks and Sofology with Gogglebox.
“We were the first broadcaster in the UK to launch interactive ads on our TV player back in 2011 with Innovid so we’re excited to exclusively introduce the next game changer to the digital TV market,” said David Amodio, digital and creative leader at Channel 4.
“TV viewing behaviour is evolving with a broader choice of content platforms than ever before – but viewers still gravitate to their favourite screen, the telly! By extending our interactive suite to the big screen, advertisers are now able to uniquely interact with our young, proactive audience across all screens.”
Big screen interactive adverts will launch initially on Roku, followed by other TV platforms including Samsung Smart TVs, YouView and games consoles next year.
Elsewhere at Channel 4’s Upfronts, the broadcaster announced it would be giving away £1m of commercial airtime in 2017 to encourage more diversity in TV adverts.
4Sales will also lead the creation of an advertising industry Diversity Task Force alongside the new airtime competition to help facilitate the changes the media industry recognises it must make to better reflect the diversity of the UK.
