Sky has extended the creative opportunities offered to advertisers with the introduction of ‘bookable’ advertising. The new service uses the same Green Button technology already used by Sky-branded channels and Channel 4 to set reminders for forthcoming programmes in the EPG.
Advertisers will use the Green Button on the Sky remote to encourage viewers to either view or record longer form advertising content at a later date. Possibilities include an extended edit of a linear TV ad; a behind the scenes documentary explaining how an ad was made or episodic advertising along the lines of the famous Gold Blend couple.
The first campaigns to take advantage of Green Button advertising include Warner Brothers for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (PHD), McMillan Cancer Support (PHD), T-Mobile (Mediacom) and Fox’s Ice Age 3 (Vizeum).
Final testing of the service is currently underway in readiness for an expected June 2009 launch. The service will be available to the 50 channels represented by in-house agency Sky Media.