Benjamin Moore Among First to Use Interactive TV Ads From Cablevision
Optimum Select will soon roll out to the three million subscribers to its iO TV digital cable service.
Cablevision plans to launch an interactive ad program, Optimum Select, in early October for the nearly three million customers that subscribe to its iO TV digital cable service.
One of the first Optimum Select advertisers is Benjamin Moore, which will send a coupon for a free two-ounce color sample for those who use the service. A Cablevision rep said half a dozen advertisers will participate in the initial phase of the new program over the next few months.
Cablevision says Optimum Select enables people to interact with marketing content while they continue to watch current programming. This interaction includes requests for more information about a product or service as well as free samples or coupons and access to longer form content.
During a commercial, a Select button overlay appears at the bottom of the screen and the viewer can press “Select” for more information. Once that happens, the program is shifted to the top right corner, which Cablevision says allows for continued viewing. From there, specific choices depend on the advertiser and the campaign. And when the consumer selects “Submit,” the sample, coupon or product information is mailed to the address that corresponds with the user’s account.
“The beauty of Optimum Select is that the consumer owns the interaction with the service and after just a few short steps, consumers will receive coupons or free samples, mailed directly to their home,” said Gemma Toner, Cablevision’s SVP of marketing and business development, in a prepared statement.
David Kline, president of Rainbow Advertising Sales Corp., Cablevision and Rainbow Media’s advertising sales unit, called it an “extended brand engagement experience.”
The service will launch with Optimum Select RFI, the Request for Information feature of Optimum Select. It will roll out additional features over the next 12 months, including the ability for consumers to save content and eventually make purchases.
Optimum Select will also eventually introduce Optimum Select Content Saving, which it says will provide the ability to save video on demand content like movie trailers or short videos like recipes. The saved content will be available immediately and accessed from the consumer’s personal Optimum Select folder, which will be found on the main iO TV menu.
