BMW is the first advertiser to use TiVo Inc.’s interactive advertising features in a television program. This advertising capability opens up more opportunities for advertisers to extend their in-program product integration. Working through TiVo and SPEED TV, BMW embedded interactive tags in promotional spots for Test Drive to drive sales leads and increase the response rate over traditional direct mail campaigns. The interactive tag feature lets viewers access more information, schedule a recording of the program and view an exclusive BMW M series cars video. TiVo’s previous advertising opportunities only allowed viewers to do this from an ad.
Actuan, an emerging technology consultancy, announced the patent-pending Atomic Media Model. It provides media buyers and planners, as well as other marketing personnel, with a means of graphically viewing media plans and ad placements. Loosely based on the chemical atom, the model allows agency staff to gauge budget allocations and allows market researchers to create template atoms for specific demographic targets that identify “ideal” advertising placements across multiple channels. Agencies can then use the templates as baselines for their campaigns.
BSG Clearing Solutions North America, LLC a wholly owned subsidiary of Billing Services Group Limited acquired VoiceLog, LLC’s third-party verification business, VoiceLog. The all-cash deal values VoiceLog at $15.63 million and will be financed from the existing resources and facilities of the group.
Telephone dating service Lavalife launched two new direct response television campaigns, each done in French and English. Northern Lights Direct Response Television created the effort. The first campaign consists of 60- and 30-second DRTV commercials for Lavalife. The second campaign includes a 30-second DRTV commercial promoting Night Exchange, a telephone service that lets people explore romantic fantasies in a safe and anonymous environment. The campaign is set to roll out this month across North America.
Cyberlux Corp., a Durham, NC-based provider of LED lighting solutions, recently appeared on QVC to offer the EverOn Multi-Purpose Emergency Light. Designed originally to provide homeowners with portable, long-lasting, emergency lighting during the hurricane season, the new EverOn is a sturdy, virtually indestructible lighting product that provides more than 60 hours of light on the medium setting and more than 30 hours of bright white light on the highest setting, all in a 7-inch by 3.5-inch by 2.4- inch package.
DirecTV Inc. offers local HD programming via satellite to customers in the Baltimore, Cleveland, Charlotte, NC, Denver, Hartford, CT., Miami, Orlando, FL, Raleigh, NC, and West Palm Beach, FL. With the addition of these nine markets, DirecTV offers local HD broadcast channels in 36 cities with plans to launch in an additional 13 cities later this year, offering access to DirecTV-delivered local HD channels in more than 65 percent of U.S. television households.
DASH Systems, Jericho, NY, re-launched its national infomercial for The DASH System, a self-improvement program that helps individuals make life-changing decisions. The system includes the DASH book, four motivational CDs, four DASH workbooks, four motivational lithographs and a certificate for one month of group coaching. The infomercial, produced and directed by Orange, CA-based Caudill & Associates, runs approximately 30 minutes and features Eric J. Aronson and Chuck Woolery as hosts. It will feature testimonials from newsmakers and celebrities. DASH Systems made the decision to update and modify the national infomercial to reflect results from a dial test and focus group discussions.
Capital Media, Mission Viejo, CA, announced the launch of a Spanish language infomercial campaign for Hearthware Home Products’ Nu-Wave Oven. Initial testing began in early June. Based on initial response, Nu-Wave Oven may represent another in a string of 2006 wins for Capital Media. U.S. Hispanic long form introductions include Dual Drill and Iceland Health Omega 3, among others. On the short form side, the launch of a 60-second campaign for BlueHippo Funding has worked.
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