Lights, Camera, Branding
The US now spends close to $200 billion annually on digital ads The biggest slice of that is for display ads, the majority of which are now video spots. We’ve all seen those video ads which run before or after our favorite puppy compilations or sporting highlights. But have you heard of ads inside those videos?
Swedish furniture juggernaut Ikea is leading the way with a clever video ad that customers can simply click on to buy a product. It’s a long way from its founding in 1943, when a teenager named Ingvar Kamprad used money his father gave him to open a small business in Älmhult, Sweden, which eventually grew into the international home-furnishing giant. Last year, the company put out an ingenious video advertisement—called a shoppable video--that allows viewers to shop as they watch. According to Toolbox writer Karthik Kashyap, “In a shoppable video, icons are placed in strategic places and made clickable by embedding links. During the video, consumers can click on these hovering icons to obtain product information.” Ikea’s shoppable video shows a couple making their bed together, accompanied by comically dramatic narration. Throughout this entertaining spoof, numerous clickable shopping baskets appear on corresponding items seen in the video. For instance, as an actor joyously squeezes an ergonomic pillow before placing it on his bed, the shopping-basket symbol appears, which leads to the pillow’s eCommerce page; the page provides details about the pillow and a link to purchase it. The interactive advertisement worked. Unscreen contributor Salma Madwar writes that “from their video ad, Ikea saw: Almost 4x more interactions per active viewer; An average of 1 minute spent on interactive product shots; 50% of product hotspots explored.”
Live Nation is another major firm that uses shoppable videos to bring music and merchandise to fans around the world. Founded in 1996 as SFX Entertainment and later spun off as Live Nation in 2005, the company has brought “40,000 shows and 100+ festivals to life”. Live Nation produced a shoppable video that features various rap and reggae musicians performing in front of dancing fans. The videos included links to Ticketmaster in its video, which enticed viewers to buy tickets for upcoming concerts. AiBUY’s website says that “nothing drives people crazier than hearing an ad interrupt their music” but people watching a shoppable video like Live Nation’s “don’t even have to stop listening to the song to purchase!”
But shoppable videos are just a start. According to Techfunnel.com, “users who have watched the complete video have engaged already. Therefore, you must keep that connection and engagement continuous with an interactive opportunity.” Social media campaigns, experiential marketing promotions, and contests are a few options for keeping the excitement alive, and of course, you could see a concert.