Following the success of the first iteration of ITV’s interactive VoD ad format, Ad Explore, ITV Commercial has unveiled a new suite of functionality for ITV Player audiences. The new format launched with Thinkbox’s ‘Harvey and Rabbit’ campaign on September 16.

The first iteration of Ad Explore, launched in February 2012, was developed to increase user engagement with clients’ brands and allow viewers to explore more about the advertiser’s products or services from within an advert itself. ITV Commercial has now entered into a partnership with UK-based interactive video company Brainient to build and deliver new functionality for the premium VoD format as well as provide comprehensive analytics and insight capabilities for each campaign.

The new functionality for ITV’s Ad Explore format will launch next week, offering advertisers a variety of bespoke interactive templates to best showcase their brand, product or service. Each template allows for interactive overlay allowing viewers to interact with brands, including seamless click-to-purchase capabilities, whilst the underlying video advertisement continues to play.

New formats include:

• The Carousel allowing users to view additional content such as video, gallery or links to websites in a slick and strategically placed carousel.
• The Ribbon allowing brands to advertise products through multiple synchronised experiences with products strategically appearing in the overlay, which have been triggered by the video advertisement.
• The Button allowing advertisers to have multiple calls-to-action on screen to a variety of products at the same time.
• The Extend allowing audiences to enjoy an extended version of the advertisement without any interruption.
• The Select giving viewers the choice of which creative to watch from a variety of options, also allowing advertisers to communicate with audiences through the content they think is most appealing.
• The Microsite allowing for compact yet powerful experiences to live inside the video player with extra content for consumers to discover.

Jon Block, Controller of Commercial Digital Products at ITV said that ad Explore had proved to be a great success for ITV. “Since launch, we have seen average interaction rates of four per cent, with the most successful creatives above fifteen per cent. We are very excited to be able to offer an extended suite of interactive formats and believe the next generation of Ad Explore is an attractive, affordable and effective solution for brands.”

Categories: Ads, Advertising, Articles