Ryff helps Lego Masters NZ monetise global content
July 6, 2022
Lego Masters NZ and Television New Zealand are turning to AI-powered product placement technology from Ryff to give them a clean slate for future brand integrations.
The Lego Masters TV show is a global phenomenon, shot and distributed all over the world. The distributors, Banijay, were keen to ensure that the show shot in New Zealand was able to be repurposed for other markets. For TVNZ, who bought the rights for Lego Masters NZ, the challenge was to incorporate local sponsors, well known to New Zealand audiences but not to global viewers.
“This is a challenge increasingly faced by broadcasters and content creators as they look for more revenue by distributing and monetising globally,” says Roy Taylor, CEO of Ryff. “After all, you can’t sell a sponsorship more than once.”
Or can you?
Enter Ryff, with 3D technology inspired by the world of gaming; new products can be inserted digitally into footage that has already been shot, as simply as a gamer could change out armor. For distributors of content, that means the same episodes can be resold to sponsors in each local market.
Ryff’s Placer platform ingests content such as a television episode, and its AI-driven Scene Intelligence software analyses the content for moments when logos make sense to appear, such as the wall over a contestant’s head. Ryff then inserts logos in place and renders them to match lighting and cinematography, so they look like they were always there.
With Ryff’s technology supporting it, TVNZ was able to shoot a ‘clean’ production, with no sponsor logos in sight. Ryff can then place sponsor logos in after the production, which will air in TK. The result is that TVNZ gets additional value to their sponsorship, and Banijay has a show to distribute without New Zealand brands, increasing its resale value.
“Lego Masters is a big moment for TVNZ and the brands who want to be a part of it,” says Aaron Dawson, General Manager, Blacksand & Partnerships TVNZ. “With Ryff, that moment will be able to stretch on long past our initial production ends.”