Australians will soon be able to try buying goods directly related to the TV programmes they are watching, and if successful the practice could be headed for mainland Europe. Shoppable adverts are already used by many US-based TV companies and increasingly in the UK.
ADVERTISEMENTUS media company Paramount will test the Shoppable TV technology, created alongside AI company Kerv, when the next season of ‘Australian Survivor’ airs in 2024.
Shoppable TV ads is the practice of selling products that relate directly to the media audiences are watching. For example, if you’re watching a football match, viewers will be given the chance through adverts to buy the kits of the teams playing.
When the next season of ‘Australian Survivor’ airs on the 10 Play channel, it will be the first time that shoppable ads will be available on Australian screens, as well as Paramount’s first foray into the technology.
Shoppable ads are far from new. They were first used by a national broadcaster when NBCUniversal tested them in 2019. In the US, Roku and Peacock have also invested in the technology.
Over in the UK, shoppable TV ads were first tested by ITV last year. In 2022, ITV tested shoppable ads through LG televisions for the show ‘Love Island’. The reality TV show has partnered with clothes brands so that viewers could purchase the same outfits contestants wore.
This week, another UK broadcaster has announced it will begin using shoppable ads. Channel 4 will launch shoppable ads with the next season of its reality show ‘Made in Chelsea’, following a similar model to ITV’s one for ‘Love Island’, this time specifically for Philips, which adds to a pre-existing product placement deal with the show.
