Green Button Advertising
Launched 1st June
To extend the range of creative opportunities available to brands through TV advertising, Sky has launched Green Button ‘Bookable' advertising, a service which allows viewers to easily watch and access extended - or ‘long form' - advertising. Built upon the same underlying technology as the successful Green Button programme reminder service, advertisers will be able to encourage viewers to press the Green Button on their Sky remote to book longer-form content into their Sky Guide or to record content onto their Sky or Sky+HD set-top box.
Through the Green Button, viewers will be offered the opportunity of watching extended versions of ads, finding out more about particular products or services, or accessing related behind-the-scenes or exclusive footage. This could include, for example:
- an extended edit of an existing linear TV ad - where original footage was cut in order to work within the confines of traditional linear ad breaks
- a behind the scenes ‘making of' documentary, outlining how a particularly innovative ad was created
- access to exclusive content, performances or extras that relates to an advertisers' products or services - particularly well suited to record companies, movie studios and other media or gaming companies with access to content and talent, or...
- advertiser mini-sodes - in the tradition of the Nescafe couple and Oxo family
Green Button content can range from 2 minutes to 2 hours and the service even allows for the series-linking of advertising content, for those brands wishing to create episodic advertising.
Click on the play icon above to watch a full Green Button demonstration.
Each piece of advertiser created programming will be made available to Sky homes with standard digi boxes twice a day - viewers will be prompted with an on-screen reminder to watch a selected ad when it becomes available . However, in over a third of homes that have Sky+ or Sky+HD, viewers will have the opportunity to have the ad stored on their Sky+ planner for playback at a time of their choosing.
The first campaign to take advantage of Green Button advertising in Ireland was Diageo's Budweiser (Initiative). To view 90 second exclusive video of Budweiser's new Lyrics creative, viewers were able to ‘press green' during the commercial across Sky Media Ireland's channel portfolio; Sky1, Sky News, Sky Sports 1&2 and Sky Sports News.
Bookable advertising further extends the long-from advertising opportunities offered to advertisers, complimenting ‘red button' interactive advertising and pre-roll/post-roll advertising via Sky Anytime ‘push' video-on-demand service.
Malcolm Murray, Sales Manager at Sky Media Ireland, comments: "Throughout its history Sky has continually sought to innovate for advertisers and provide them with more choice and greater opportunities in reaching audiences in new and engaging ways. Green Button provides brands with the opportunity to develop high-quality long-form content catering to those audiences who want a closer relationship with particular brands, or who would value access to exclusive content which has been developed or funded by an advertiser. And with the added functionality of Sky+ and Sky+HD, they can interact with those brands at a time of their choosing."
Jenny Byrne, Director, Initiative, adds: "We are delighted to be on board the launch of Sky's Green Button service in Ireland. In anticipation of the launch of Budweiser's epic new TV execution ‘Lyric', we have worked closely with Sky over the last number of months on securing a first in Irish media. We felt the Green Button was the perfect platform from which to launch Budweiser's long awaited new campaign due to the fantastic content, high quality and level of detail contained in the execution. Most importantly, it allows us to drive engagement with our audience beyond the traditional ‘spot' on a platform of channels that are hugely important to male viewers"
Charles Wong, Marketing Manager, Budweiser commented: "We're delighted to be launching this on Independence Day and to be first to market with the Sky Green button, so that we can deliver what is a very innovative ad to our consumers through innovative technology. We are confident that consumers will really enjoy this feel good ad, from the concept that great things happen when people come together. ‘Lyrics' has the same entertaining and memorable quality as some of the most iconic Budweiser ads in history including ‘Frogs and Lizards', ‘Whassup' and the Clydesdales Christmas ads, and the best part of this ad is that it was shot for real. It wasn't an easy ad to produce so we're delighted to have the ‘Behind the Scenes' footage for consumers to see how we did it!"
For more information contact:
Malcolm Murray - Malcolm.murray@bskyb.com 01 6147612
