Sky Digital Secures Coca-Cola For First Interactive Ad
Sky Active has secured Coca-Cola UK to launch its first ever interactive ad campaign to support its TV and SMS-based “Txt For Music” promotion.
The campaign, negotiated by Universal McCann, aims to drive additional registrations to the Coca-Cola SMS database, through a music promotion that offers consumers the chance to win limited edition CDs and tickets to special gigs.
The interactive platform will allow Sky Digital viewers to register for the promotion through their televisions.
Robert Leach, Sky’s controller of interactive advertising, commented: “The use by Coca-Cola of interactive advertising is a major endorsement for this fast-growing medium. This is an innovative and integrated cross-platform campaign that highlights the potential of iTV to initiate dialogue with consumers.”
Since launching interactive advertising on Sky in May 2000, Sky Active has run more than 260 interactive campaigns on behalf of more than 100 different clients. January 2003 was the busiest month to date with 38 interactive campaigns on air.
A number of brands have experimented with interactive advertising over the last few years, including Barclaycard (see OMDtvi Launches Interactive TV Ad For Barclaycard) and Rimmel (see Interactive Ad Scores On Sky). However, their investment in the medium remains small compared to traditional media such as terrestrial TV, outdoor and press.
Recent research from Forrester suggests that both consumers and advertisers remain unconvinced of the benefits of interactive advertising. According to the research, interactive television is yet to have the impact envisaged and will generate no more than €18 billion across Europe by 2007 (see Limited Growth Forecast For iDTV).
Elsewhere, research from the IPA has suggested that interactive advertising is set to rise, following moves from television companies to introduce programming that has interactivity as the fulcrum rather than as an added on feature (see Interactive TV Here To Stay, Says IPA Report).
BSkyB: 0207 705 3000 www.sky.com
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