Orange County Register

Noted: Wall Street Journal wrote about the trend of interactive ads on TV, including one from Burger King, Axe Body Spray and Charmin. All three have TV commercials offering viewers a way to respond immediately and either ask for a coupon, watch related videos or get quizzed about the popular movie series “Twilight.”

It’s a lot more work for the advertiser. The ad agency behind the interactive Axe commercial (where freestyle motocross champ Adam Jones demonstrates the product by spraying his armpits while in the middle of a stunt) had to be sent to TiVo, coded, and then distributed to TV providers. All that work and only DirecTV customers could spot the “learn the move” overlay and go to another channel to watch the making-of video. Some 3.5 million people did go there, spending an average of 5 minutes playing with the ad.

Reminder, cable companies are also doing this. Time Warner rolled out its ads on demand, allowing viewers to turn to a channel, watch specially chosen TV commercials and then request a coupon. Read the earlier story: “TV ads on demand? Only from Time Warner.”

The WSJ’s conclusion? It’s worth the extra work and advertisers are plowing ahead. So, expect more ways for your TV to talk back to you.

Read: “Talking Back to the TV.”

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