Microsoft announced the official rollout of NUads on Xbox LIVE, making the new interactive TV ad format available for sale to all advertisers. Toyota, Unilever and Samsung Mobile USA are the first to develop NUads campaigns that will appear on Xbox LIVE this fall. NUads ads transform standard 30-second TV spots into the experience, via engaging and actionable experiences using the power of voice and gesture controls of Kinect for Xbox 360.
The first NUads format to roll out offers polling capabilities that allow advertisers to ask a multiple-choice question during the airing of a 30-second spot. Consumers can enter the poll with a simple wave of a hand or a voice command while viewing the commercial. Consumers get a real-time tally of the answers so they can see how other Xbox LIVE subscribers are voting, and advertisers get real-time feedback from consumers to help inform future campaigns.
“NUads marks the beginning of a new era for TV advertising. It delivers the one thing traditional TV advertising is missing — engagement,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox LIVE Entertainment and Advertising. “We developed NUads to breathe new life into the standard 30-second spot. With NUads, brands can get real-time feedback from audiences, making TV advertising actionable for the first time.”
Microsoft released a sneak peek of some of the first NUads that will air on Xbox LIVE this fall:
Toyota’s “Reinvented” ad campaign premiered during Super Bowl XLVI, promoting the reinvention of the 2012 Camry. The ad marked Toyota’s return to Super Bowl advertising. Toyota is reinventing that campaign for Xbox LIVE, adding a layer of interactivity enabled by NUads. In this version of the “Reinvented” ad, Toyota asks viewers what they would like to see reinvented. Viewers can then respond using Kinect-powered voice or gesture controls. This gives Toyota valuable feedback it can use for its next campaign.
Following the campaign for the launch of Axe Attract for Him and for Her, Axe — called Lynx in the U.K. — will be one of the first brands to turn the digital ad into a NUad with Xbox. The creative centers around a cops-and-robbers setup with the tagline, “Nothing will ever be the same again.” Using the new format, Lynx will ask the audience if the Lynx Effect should be given to girls. Viewers will have the option of voting “Yes, of course” or “No way” using hand gestures or a simple voice command.
“The creative possibilities of NUads are endless. We can take a 30-second TV spot and customize it for NUads to get an immediate response from Toyota’s customer,” said John Lisko, executive communications director at Saatchi & Saatchi LA for Toyota. “It allows customers to participate with our advertising, which is really exciting. The interactivity of NUads is leading the industry and changing the way we’re connecting with our customers.”
“NUads is a game changer for the 30-second television spot, and for the first time allows customers to interact with a brand on TV. Toyota has always been at the forefront of advertising innovation, so NUads was a natural next step in our longstanding work with Xbox,” said Dionne Colvin, National Marketing Media Manager for Toyota. “Xbox LIVE Advertising has given us the opportunity to learn a lot about our customers and apply those learnings across all our media plans, and the addition of NUads will help us deepen that customer understanding.”
RBR-TVBR observation: Xbox has a leg up on cable for interactive advertising with the Kinect system—it’s much more appealing than having to find the right buttons on a remote, and apparently much more interactive. Remember, The Xbox 360 experience is no longer just about games. Content includes TV and entertainment content from partners like LoveFilm & Sky Go, 4 on Demand, blinkbox, Crackle, Dailymotion, Demand 5, MSN, Muzu.tv, VEVO, YouTube, the BBC and more. While in-game advertising is part of the overall ad offering, the Xbox LIVE infrastructure supports a variety of promotional and sponsorship programs that blend with the overall experience including: Video and display ads on the Xbox LIVE dashboard or home screen; Branded destination experiences (sites dedicated exclusively to your brand) and Sponsorship opportunities (play and wins, free content sponsorships, downloads and other giveaways).
