LG plans shoppable ads for its smart TVs

[Alex 71]

LG Electronics is partnering with TheTake, a video commerce technology company, to launch shoppable advertising on its webOS smart TVs.

Beginning this spring, LG smart TV owners will be able to shop directly through content using TheTake’s proprietary technology that identifies and tags different products within episodes of television and movies. Along with LG, TheTake is also working with programmers including WarnerMedia, A+E Networks, Crown Media Family Networks, NBC Universal and others.

“Shoppable video has been talked about since the days of Rachel’s sweater on ‘Friends,” said Tyler Cooper, co-founder and CEO of TheTake, in a statement. “Previous solutions haven’t addressed the long tail opportunity where each individual viewer wants to shop for something different. Shoppable video isn’t just about Rachel’s sweater, but also Chandler’s jacket, Joey’s sunglasses, Monica’s couch and so on. To address the full breadth of consumer interest, we leverage machine learning to make more than 500 products shoppable in a given episode of television. We’re excited to bring our AI-powered solution to viewers with LG and our various content partners.”

“The ability to seamlessly shop for the items we see in our favorite shows and movies is something we’ve long wanted to bring to LG smart TV users,” said Michelle Fernandez, head of home entertainment brand marketing for LG Electronics USA, in a statement. “Now, in partnership with TheTake, we’re introducing the feature on LG’s 2020 smart TVs for the easiest and most consumer-friendly experience for shopping the looks from TV and movies.”

The AI-powered shoppable ad feature will be available on all 2020 LG OLED, LG NanoCell and UHD smart TVs with the webOS smart TV platform.

TheTake also said that it has negotiated an agreement with a large U.S. MVPD to roll out the technology across millions of set-top boxes later in 2020.

The shoppable advertising from LG will likely be similar to NBCUniversal’s ShoppableTV ads, which direct viewers to e-commerce and online shopping sites via their mobile devices. NBCU also released some data claiming that the average conversion rate on ShoppableTV is almost 30% higher than the industry benchmark for e-commerce conversion and that the ads are driving fan acquisition in the double digits along with a 10% growth rate on social media.

Source: https://www.fiercevideo.com/tech/lg-plans-shoppable-ads-for-its-smart-tvs