TiVo Introducing Interactive Ads

Tivo

Interesting.
The company that attacked television advertising is trying to resuscitate it.

TiVo, which allows viewers to digitally record programs and fast-forward through ads, is trying to sell ad spaces on its screens.

It is in a footrace with other companies, including Cablevision, Cox Communications and DirecTV, to offer interactive alternatives to the zapped-through television spots. The ads are called interactive because they ask the viewer to do something — enter in a new channel number, press a button on the remote — to get more information.

“In the last 18 months, the momentum has just lifted,” said Jacqueline Corbelli, the chief executive of BrightLine iTV, which designs interactive ads. “It’s started to become a staple of very large advertisers.”

One does wonder, though, if TiVo subscribers will find this to be a nuisance, like those dreaded pop-up ads online. That would be bad for TiVo and bad for advertisers.

“What we love about it is, if you think about it, the remote control and DVRs have really been a marketer’s worst nightmare,” said Anne Jensen, brand-building director at Unilever. “What we’re doing with ITV is we’re actually making the remote control our friend.”

Time will tell. For my money, I think advertisers are better served reaching TiVo audiences through more stealthy means.