Great. LG Brings Ad Capability to Internet-Connected TV

Something to look forward to, more commercials. LG Electronics is adding an advertising capability to its Internet-connected televisions through an agreement with video advertising technology company YuMe. And Toyota has already signed up.

A viewer of what LG calls its Smart TV would see ads for Toyota's 2012 Camry when browsing the TV set’s app store or using the search screen.

[via The New York Times]

Hulu and YouTube are giving viewers options in watching commercials

Both Hulu.com and YouTube are offering online viewers the chance to choose which commercials they watch. The New York Times reports.

This month, Hulu introduced a format that gives users the option of clicking an “ad swap” button after a commercial begins and choosing to replace it with one of two or three options. Don’t want to sit through an oil company’s commercial? Then go with one from a cellphone carrier or a razor maker.

YouTube is also offering formats that give users an option, including one in beta testing that provides a choice of three commercials.

Read full article.

Cheer Detergent Music Video Lets You Click To Win Prizes

Cheer detergent is rolling out what it claims is an industry first: A clickable YouTube video that takes you to a non-YouTube site. Mashable reports.

The music video, for the song “Climbing Walls” from Strange Talk, has colorful objects, which viewers can click to be entered to win them.

The Cheer video leads to a Facebook app for Cheer where you can register for the item you “dug.” A YouTube rep says she believes Cheer is “one of the first” to use Annotations this way, though she said she couldn’t be sure others hadn’t.

Read full article .

Your Smartphone Is Listening in While You Watch TV

You're sitting on the couch with the TV on and phone in hand. As a commercial starts, a smartphone app hears what you're watching. AdAge reports.

It then serves up links, coupons or music downloads corresponding to what it hears on the tube through smartphone microphones. So if you tend to impulse buy, the next time you're watching one of those late-night infomercials you might want to set your phone aside.

In recent months, logos for music-identifying service Shazam have popped up in Procter & Gamble, Honda or American Express commercials. Progressive Insurance, Starbucks and Paramount have also linked to mobile content through Shazam tags in their commercials or web videos. The ads prompt viewers to launch Shazam with the company's logo or a call-out, and if they do, the app brings up links their websites, discounts or other goodies.

Read more.

Product Placement in Reruns!

For the past few years, networks have been digitally inserting ads and product placements for new products into old reruns. But inserting ads into reruns open a whole new field of opportunity! Gawker reports.

The Consumerist spotted a magazine emblazoned with an advertisement for the new Kevin James movie Zoo Keeper in a rerun of a 2007 episode of How I Met Your Mother.

A movie from 2011 in a 2007 television show! How'd they do it? Turns out there were no books in the original shot.

Read full article.

More ads hit online TV as Web audiences grow

Now, as online audiences grow, networks see an opportunity to make more money. The AP reports.

A recent episode of "Hawaii Five-O" carried six and a half minutes of ads online. That's less than the 16 minutes on TV but double what an hour-long show carried on CBS.com a year ago.

CBS shows twice as many ads per show on its website as it did last year. The CW network shows four times as many. Dozens of shows from major cable networks now carry as many ads online as they do on TV. More shows will follow soon.

Read full article.

Game of Thrones Asks Fans to Play Mouth-Watering Metagame

Prior to the launch of HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, the network launched a fan-engagement marketing campaign to expose participants to the network’s interpretation of George R.R. Martin’s story universe. Wired reports.

Followers were faced with a series of multimedia puzzles that unlocked advance footage of the television show.

Read more.

A Contest to Find Ads Worth Passing On

At the annual TED conference in Long Beach, Calif., organizers on Thursday are to announce the winners of the inaugural TED Ads Worth Spreading Challenge, a contest the group began in December to get advertisers to create online marketing videos that people actually want to watch, said Chris Anderson, the curator of the conference.

[via The New York Times]

Super Bowl Ads Live On at YouTube and Facebook

YouTube and Facebook will be streaming Super Bowl ads online after they air on TV, with contests in which people can vote for their favorites.

And interesting, this year, for the first time also, YouTube will offer remarketing. That means that if you watch an ad on YouTube, it might follow you and appear again on another Web site you visit in Google’s display ad network.

[via Bits. Above, still from Coca-Cola commercial.]

Report: Study finds iAds twice as effective as TV ads

According to a study, obtained by Advertising Age but not publicly released, Nielsen claims that people exposed to iAds in the study were twice as likely to remember the ad than people who watched a television ad. In addition, five times as many people reportedly remembered the Campbell's brand from the iAd.

In what is surely an important factor for advertisers, the rate that iAd viewers reported intent to purchase the advertised products was four times that of television viewers.

Apple launched iAds in April 2010 to provide a more interactive look and feel to mobile advertising.

Read full article.

'Vampire Diaries' billboards urge fans to 'Catch VD'

The billboards on Sunset Blvd are actually covert ads for the midseason return of The CW’s Vampire Diaries, whose slogan is going to urge fans in the coming days to “Catch VD.”

[via EW.com]

Targeted TV Ads Set for Takeoff

This sounds horrifying, from The Wall Street Journal.

After years of promises and false starts, TV commercials targeted at individual homes may finally be ready for prime time.

DirecTV Group Inc. is planning the biggest rollout yet of "addressable ads," allowing advertisers to reach close to 10 million homes with commercials tailored to each household. Dog owners, for instance, could see ads for dog food, not kitty litter, while families with children could be shown minivan spots.

Read more.

YouTube Officially Launches Ads You Can Skip

YouTube has officially launched TrueView, a new ad format that lets users skip over ads they aren’t interested in — and advertisers are actually okay with it, according to TechCrunch.

When a TrueView ad unit begins playing, you’ll notice a five second countdown timer — as soon as that’s up, you’ll see an arrow that will let you skip the remainder of the ad and get back to the content you wanted to see, or you can choose to keep on watching the ad.

Read more.

Research Indicates Online TV Viewers Will Tolerate More Ads. What?

I'm dumbfounded by this article in MediaBuyerPlanner, on the results of research released by Turner Broadcasting, conducted with Magna Global, which says online video viewers are willing to watch more ads - and that they rarely watch an entire TV show online. Two findings which I believe couldn't be further from the truth.

Online streams of TV shows could support as many ads as broadcast television shows, Turner says.

Jack Wakshlag, Turner’s chief research officer, says the research shows that viewers often don’t watch an entire TV show online - just as they often don’t watch a full episode on television - and that they watched for about the same number of total minutes no matter how many ads they were shown.

Like many people I know, I watch American TV series daily in streaming and in full and I would never put up with the advertising model of american TV - which I find unbearable every time I travel to the US. And as for not watching TV shows in full, someone should check with video sharing websites how long their viewers stay online. And ask Megavideo how many subscribers they have. They offer a subscription after 57 minutes of free viewing, or interrupt viewing for a couple of hours.

YouTube launches UK Ad of the Year competition

YouTube and Campaign Magazine have teamed up to launch the YouTube Ad of the Year competition which challenges agencies and brands to enter the most ‘creative and engaging ad on YouTube in the last 18 months’, says Ian Darby, Deputy Editor of Campaign Magazine.

[via The Next Web]

YouTube Ads Turn Videos Into Revenue

More than one-third of the two billion views of YouTube videos with ads each week are uploaded without the copyright owner’s permission. They are automatically recognized by YouTube, using a system called Content ID that scans videos and compares them to material provided by copyright owners.

But instead of being hit with copyright violation lawsuits, those who upload the videos are sharing their ad revenue with the networks - and it's working out for everyone.

Read full article in The New York Times.

“The Social Network” Movie Launches a Facebook-Themed Website

Columbia Pictures has just launched the official website for The Social Network, 500MillionFriends.com. David Fincher’s take on the Facebook story is highly anticipated by film fans and social media addicts alike. Mashable reports.

The site opens into a large-form portal with photos, videos and cast information, all arranged in a very Facebook-like collage.

The new site carries on the same theme used in the teasers, trailers and TV spots for the film.

Read full article.

Mad Men inspired ads to run during Mad Men episodes

Cashing in on the success of Mad Men and in a tribute to it's success, AMC has made a deal with a giant marketer, Unilever, for a season-long sponsorship agreement centered on six commercials being created in the Mad Men vein. Mediacoder reports.

In addition to appearing during all 13 episodes of the current, fourth season of “Mad Men,” the commercials will also be on a YouTube channel and Facebook, as well as on other Web sites.

The commercials are set at an ad agency named Smith Winter Mitchell, which like Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is a make-believe firm. The year is 1964, as it is in this season of “Mad Men,” which began on July 25.

Watch the first Dove commercial here.

[via tvtattle]

How the Old Spice Videos Are Being Made

How do you take the social web by storm in a day, winning over even the coldest of hearts and gaining international acclaim - with commercials? Read Write Web explains how.

A team of creatives, tech geeks, marketers and writers gathered in an undisclosed location in Portland, Oregon yesterday and produced 87 short comedic YouTube videos about Old Spice. In real time. They leveraged Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and blogs and 4chan.

Those videos and 74 more made so far today have now been viewed more than 4 million times and counting. The team worked for 11 hours yesterday to make 87 short videos, that's just over 7 minutes per video, not accounting for any breaks taken. Then they woke up this morning and they are still making more videos right now. Here's how it's going down.

Read full article.

TV ad for mymuesli shot with an iPhone

The made-to-order muesli mixers of mymuesli recently created the first TV commercial filmed and edited entirely on the iPhone 4. [via SpringWise]

... mymuesli's founders were so impressed by the phone's video quality, that they decided to use it to shoot and edit an ad for their new product. Highlighting the convenience aspect of mymuesli2go, the ad features a skydiver eating cereal before jumping out of a plane.

mymuesli2go, a tv commercial - filmed and edited on an iPhone 4 from Max Wittrock on Vimeo.

Google Working On "Interactive Video Ads"

According to Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, "interactive video ads" are on the way.

Such ads, which could appear anywhere on a Web page, not just inside a video, would be like mini-Web pages. That means they could allow Web users to watch a video, leave a comment and see real-time updates within the ads that are more customized to their interests.

Read full article in Business Insider.

Get a Mac campaign tribute

Apple has officially concluded their "Get a Mac" campaign with a mashup. Click here for a trip down memory lane.

[via Gizmodo]

Schmidt Says Google TV Ads Will Be a Cash Machine

Television may have been around for half a century or so, but Eric Schmidt thinks Google TV can one-up regular television — at least when it comes to advertising. Why? Because it can target ads the same way Google does online, and thus make them more relevant and more valuable to advertisers.

[via GigaOM]

The CW boosts online advertising -- and other programmers are likely to follow

According to The LA Times, if you watch the CW's "Gossip Girl" online instead of on television for convenience or because there are fewer commercials, here's some bad news:

The CW is going to start running the same number of commercials online as it does over the air. The Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, says that CW shows online will have 20 30-second commercials per hour, which is double the current ad load.

Read full article.

Super Bowl Commercials on YouTube adblitz

YouTube announced the launch of its Super Bowl ad channel at youtube.com/adblitz, a one-stop shop for everything Super Bowl-related. YouTube partners have been busy making predictions, cooking up party recipes and generally dishing on all things related the big game:

During the game, YouTube will be adding all the 2010 Super Bowl commercials to a video wall on the AdBlitz channel immediately after they air on TV.

The top rated commercial will be featured on the YouTube homepage on Thursday February 18th.

[via Mashable]

Mobile Ad Lets Consumers 'Inglourious Basterds'

Universal Studios Home Entertainment on Thursday will launch a mobile campaign that lets people purchase a movie directly from an ad. Mediapost reports.

The ads will allow consumers to start pre-ordering the movie 'Inglourious Basterds' today on Blu-ray and DVD, or purchase the movie on Dec. 15. The transactions are done through the "secure" rich media ad-unit via mobile phones.

YouTube UK to promote its full-length TV shows with press and bus ads

In the UK, YouTube turns to traditional advertising to draw attention to its 4,000-strong collection of entire television programs. The Guardian reports.

With the slogan "YouTube's got TV", the campaign will feature advertisements on the sides of buses and inside underground trains, along with full-page print ads in publications, including one in today's Guardian. There will also be online ads to support the campaign.

Read full article

Google and TiVo partner to analyze viewer data, sell ads

According to engadget, TiVo and Google announced a data-sharing partnership on Tuesday that'll give the Google TV team access to TiVo's second-by-second viewing data -- anonymized, of course.

That means advertisers who buy their TV ads through Google will only have to pay for the ads that customers actually watch -- a system the networks obviously aren't so keen on, but which makes total sense given Google's pay-per-impression online advertising model.

Read full article.

Singing in the car auditions on YouTube

To promote it's na-vu vehicle navigation system, Sony has launched a “Singing in your car” video campaign in Japan.

Singers can post their auditions on YouTube and the best will be featured on TV CM.

[via JapanTrends]

Online ads work wonders, research finds

You might think all those online ads you thought you never noticed are never noticed but new research is forcing even the experts to think again, writes the Sydney Morning Herald.

According to a study of 100,000 Australians by Nielsen Online, a surprisingly high number of users can recall online ads and admit they are more inclined to buy those products.

But, in a strange twist, people who were unable to recall an ad, despite Nielsen knowing they had seen it using its online tracking technology, are equally influenced with their buying patterns.

"That's a real positive," said Nielsen Online's research director for the Asia-Pacific, Tony Marlow. "It means you can get your message through to people without being intrusive or annoying."

The figures from Nielsen show a third of online users who have seen an ad are able to recall it when asked, a result other researchers say is surprisingly strong.

Read full article.

YouTube’s Skippable Ads Could Command a Premium

Google launched a “small test of skippable pre-roll” video advertisements on YouTube that asks users to “opt in” to advertisements by not opting out using a skip button in the upper right corner of the viewing area, potentially making them more valuable to advertisers.

[via Wired]

Online Video Ads are Booming

News Web sites are starting to look a lot less like newspapers and a lot more like television, writes The New York Times.

... At a time when other categories of advertising dollars are shrinking, video ads are booming. News sites are adding more video inventory to keep pace with the demands of advertisers, and benefiting from the higher cost-per-thousands, or C.P.M.’s, that ads on those videos command.

Read full article.

Futuristic TV, online ads 'know what you're watching'

A futuristic new form of TV and online advertising is driven directly by what is happening on the screen in real time, not booked weeks in advance by a media buyer. The Australian reports.

The world-first technology driving the system was developed in Australia by a group of visionary sports fans.

The concept has been under development for the past three years, undergoing extensive trials in China before its official launch in the US this week.

Entertainment Weely with video ad sells on eBay for $ 122

A copy of Entertainment Weekly's Sept 18th issue with a video insert that went out to subscribers in only two markets, was up for bidding on eBay and sold for $ 122.-

[via ADLab]

UK Internet Advertising takes overtakes Television

According to The Guardian, the UK has become the first major economy where advertisers spend more on internet advertising than on television advertising, with a record £1.75bn online spend in the first six months of the year.

The milestone marks a watershed for the embattled TV industry, the leading ad medium in the UK for almost half a century. It has taken the internet little more than a decade to become the biggest advertising sector in the UK.

Cablevision to Launch Clickable TV Ads

Cablevision announced today that it will begin rolling out interactive TV ads, allowing viewers to use their remotes to “click” on a commercial in order to get more information.

[via NewTeeVee]

UK. Product placement for TV approved

Product placement is to be allowed on British TV shows, in a move due to be announced next week, reports the BBC.

Independent broadcasters will be allowed to take payments for displaying commercial products during shows.

The change is intended to bring in extra funds for commercial broadcasters. Experts believe it could raise up to £100m a year.

There are currently strict rules against product placement and this ban would remain in place on BBC shows.

Read full article.

Related:

-- USA. The State of Product Placement

-- Product Placement Creeps Into Amateurs' YouTube Offerings

-- Obama's Abercrombie Fans. For real? or product placement

-- Product placement agency targets YouTube

-- Screen Actors Guild slams "Stealth" Ads

-- MPs reject TV product placement advertising plans

Google shows off videos in text ads

Google is now offering advertisers a chance to insert a video trailer into their text ads. "In many cases, the best information is video," said Nick Fox, business product management director on Google's AdWords team. News.com reports.

Fox demonstrated how Electronic Arts is using a video trailer inside an ad for the new Tiger Woods video game. The result is a marriage of the text ad format that Google has used to rise into a dominant Internet company with the display ad style that others, such as Yahoo, are hoping to finally make a success.

Google hasn't made many changes to its text ad format and now sees this as a big opportunity," wrote J.P. Morgan's Imran Khan in a research note distributed after the Webcast. It can charge either by the click through to the advertiser's Web site or by the play of the video, therefore adding a revenue stream that didn't exist before.

Read full article .

Fox Cast members to tweet live during repeats of 'Fringe,' 'Glee'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is teaming with Twitter to give repeats a 21st century twist.

The network this week will introduce "tweet-peats" of "Fringe" and "Glee": encore presentations accompanied by messages from cast and producers via the online social network.

During the episodes, viewers can follow Twitter-sent messages (online and on-air via a scroll near the bottom of the screen) providing commentary on the episodes, revealing behind-the-scenes details and answering fan questions.

Read full article.

Fun. Two new "Get a Mac" ads

Always fun. Apple has come out with two new "Get a Mac" ads. One above and here's a link to the other.

CBS to run video ad in magazine this fall

Broadcast network CBS will be advertising its fall TV season with a video-chip ad embedded in an issue of Entertainment Weekly. CNet reports.

The September 18 issue of the Time Inc.-owned magazine will feature the first video ad to appear in print, George Schweitzer, CBS marketing president, said Wednesday at a press conference at the company's headquarters here.

Not everyone will be seeing it: the ad will appear in a magazine insert sent to subscribers in the New York and Los Angeles areas--an edition without the video chip will be sent to subscribers elsewhere and show up on newsstands.

The technology for the battery-powered ads was manufactured by a Los Angeles-based company called Americhip, and each ad can handle about 40 minutes of video.

Watch video demo to see how it works.

Read full article.

Mad Men Retro: The Golden Age of Advertising

With Season 3 of Mad Men premiering last Sunday, a renewed interest in all things retro - the fashion, the lingo, the drinks - can be expected to tighten its grip on popular culture.

WebUrbanist features a comprehensive collection of the product of the Golden Age of Advertising.

[via PSFK]

'Mad Men' yourself avatars

Now you can be one of the Mad Men. To get an online buzz going for the popular drama series' third season, which starts Aug. 16, AMC is teaming up with Eight O'Clock Coffee for a new "Mad Men Yourself" online avatar application. It launches today at www.amctv.com.

You can create your own Sixties-styled doppelganger using art from illustrator Dyna Moe and use it on Facebook, Twitter, iPhone and your computer desktop.

[via USA Today]

Harry Potter spreads love potion on Twitter

Warner Bros has created one of the most innovative Twitter campaigns to date, allowing fans of the film to cast spells on their followers, according to Revolution Magazine.

The campaign gives Twitter users the chance to send potions and cast spells on the people following them. The three options on offer include shrouding the follower's Twitter page in darkness, sending a flock of birds that fly across the screen and declaring affection for a follower by sending a love potion.

A website hosting the campaign has been set up to back the launch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which debuted in UK cinemas last week.

Wonderful. Above, my spell cast on twitter.com/newteevee.

Click here to see what happens to NewTeeVee's mirror Twitter page.

And on Twitter Search to see how the "Harry Potter has been casting spells" campaign is spreading.

[via Adverblog]

About that new Mad Men ad ...

With the third season of Mad Men just weeks away, read all about finishing touches on a local blitz called “New York’s Gone Mad” in The New Yorker via TV Tattle.

Above making-of video spotted on TV Squad.