NBCUniversal’s Peacock is upping brand exposure for advertisers, introducing this week market availability for its Must ShopTV product along with three new ad formats.
NBCU in February had already disclosed plans to bring shoppable TV to Peacock, but at the time didn’t provide an exact release date. The Must ShopTV product is powered by video intelligence company KERV.
At IAB NewFronts, Peacock demonstrated its new shoppable capabilities with a clip from “Top Chef.” While watching the program, viewers are prompted to “get [their] remote ready to shop the kitchen’s favorites.” In this case, the screen advertises cookware from Anolon.
Must ShopTV is an opt-in experience, so Peacock viewers who don’t want to see shoppable ads can skip the option and continue watching their show.
“The journey starts in Browse, where users can see sponsored signals informing them which content is shoppable,” said Peter Blacker, NBCU’s EVP of streaming and data products as well as global advertising and partnerships, at Tuesday’s presentation.
“Once they opt in, they’re brought to a screen where they can browse ‘Top Chef’ must-haves and add it to their wish list,” he continued. “Viewers can complete the purchase in the moment or, if they wait, a mobile push notification will prompt them to complete the process,” which is powered by the NBCU Checkout platform.
One theme of this year’s NewFronts seems to be placing brands at the center of the action, i.e., content. Peacock’s new Spotlight+ ad format allows advertisers to initiate a “full brand takeover” across all platforms, content and screens.
“Imagine you’re looking to drive consumers into theaters for opening weekend, Thursday’s your sweet spot. Your fans may be streaming ‘Chicago P.D,’ next-day on Peacock they’re tuning in live to ‘Law and Order’…scrolling through Apple News or playing their favorite video game,” Blacker explained. “No matter where they are, Spotlight+ lets you reach all of them, all at once.”
The other new Peacock formats are Marquee and Power Break. NBCU originally designed the Marquee ad for linear, but it’s now available for Peacock’s live sports programming.
“It puts your brand at the center of excitement on the field or pitch,” said Blacker. “So when someone scores, your brand scores too.” He noted on linear, brands running Marquee ads benefit from a 57% lift in brand awareness.
Furthermore, Blacker said Marquee ads are fully data-enabled, meaning advertisers can, for example, “target those Premier League fans who might be looking to take a trip across the pond.”
Finally, Peacock’s Power Break ad aims to take the Pause ad “to the next level.” When viewers pause a show, they will see a brand message that’s customized by color, language and creative, depending on the target audience.
“Let’s say you’re a QSR [quick service restaurant] who wants to reach health conscious QSR regulars,” said Blacker. “Our data will inform you how your Power Break gets built; specific colors, copy, imagery…a personalized message specifically for that customer.”
Peacock’s new ad formats build upon the Frame and In-Scene ads the streamer introduced at last year’s NewFront. Those formats feature geotargeting and customization, allowing brands to advertise products based on a viewer’s location.
Blacker also brought up how Peacock’s first-party data lets advertisers target a specific type of consumer depending on the show they watch. For example, Peacock’s data indicates business travelers prefer Bravo shows like “Below Deck” and “Top Chef.” Whereas late night programming, such as “The Tonight Show” and “Watch What Happens Live,” tends to “overindex” with electric vehicle buyers.
Peacock is already prepping for showcasing brands in content, as Blacker announced Capital One, Google and State Farm will be featured partners in Peacock’s upcoming original film “Shooting Stars,” which is about Lebron James’ journey as a high school basketball player.
Amazon and Vizio also held NewFronts presentations this week. Vizio is upgrading its home screen to boost brand awareness, while Amazon is launching audience-based creatives for NFL Thursday Night Football and introducing Fire TV Channels.