FIRST INTERACTIVE AD CAMPAIGN ON ITV

CARLTON Active and Unilever have signed a deal to create the first interactive television advertising campaign to be shown on ITV.
The interactive commercials, which will feature two Unilever Bestfoods brands, Colman's two-in-one packet sauces and Olivio spread, have been produced and designed by Ogilvy and Carlton Active.
Ogilvy Account Director, Ian Kenny, said: “This new campaign demonstrates how Unilever has continued to successfully develop advertising for classic FMCG brands in the iTV Marketplace"
Planned and bought by Unilever's agency, Initiative Media, and designed and produced by Ogilvy and Carlton Active, the interactive commercials are part of an ongoing £2.3 million campaign budget for Colman's and a £10 million spend for Olivio. The move is part of the company's overall strategy to extend their interactive brand, Creative Kitchen, and demonstrate the benefits of interactive television advertising on ITV.
Richard Baker, Head of Interactive TV at Initiative Media, said: “Unilever is prepared to invest in learning new techniques in a medium that has re-invented itself in New Media's clothes. The prospect to sell the persuasive detail of brand benefits at such proximity to the TV ad is truly exciting."
Natasha Bell, Brand Activation Manager at Unilever, said: "These interactive commercials are a fantastic opportunity to immediately connect a TV message directly to a trial offer. They also offer an extra level of interest with access to more information on the brands, in effect turning a 30 second commercial into a ten minute one".
Access to the interactive content is available to DTT (digital terrestrial television) and ONdigital viewers via their digital remote controls, and gives the ability to watch the commercials on quarter screen mode concurrently.
The interactive ad campaign is scheduled to run from March 1 to March 11. (CMcL)