commercials
Latest
Dish Network adds 'Auto Hop' commercial skipping feature to its Hopper DVRs
One of the main features when Dish Network unveiled its Hopper and Joey multiroom DVRs at CES was PrimeTime Anytime, a setting that archives three hours of network programming, every night on the four main stations for a week and now it's upping the ante by adding commercial skipping to the mix. While automated commercial skipping as an out of the box feature went out from most DVRs with ReplayTV, the new Auto Hop feature edits out the breaks from those PrimeTime AnyTime recordings starting at 1 AM that night. While it's still been possible on other platforms like Windows Media Center, Sage TV and MythTV with third-party add-ons (we can show you how on Media Center) this requires pushing just one button. So, assuming our glowing review and the knowledge that you'd never miss another primetime show wasn't enough to make the switch, is saving a few minutes watching those shows on DVR later pushing you towards the (potentially Mad Men-less) edge?
Super Bowl 2012 Ad Roundup: Galaxy Note, Hulu Plus, Best Buy and more
By now, we've become accustomed to the circus of elite advertising that takes place during America's biggest game, and this year was no exception. Last night's Super Bowl made room for over 50 commercials during its air time, some of which included the likes of Samsung's whopping Galaxy Note, the usual Go Daddy domain teasers, a bit of Best Buy "innovation" and the Hulu Plus Mushy Mush campaign, just to mention a few. Needless to say, we put together a small collection of some we believe you might enjoy, so take a virtual jump past the break to catch the big-ticket advertising in action. You can also find the rest of the ad pack at the source link below.
Comcast's extra ads ruin NFC championship game conclusion in some areas
It wasn't just RIM that had designs on the limelight during the football action last night. Comcast commercials appeared over the NFC Championship game last night, thoughtfully playing over the climax of the match 'twixt the Giants and the 49ers. Frustrated fans who missed out on parts of the fourth quarter and overtime promptly began voicing dissent on the company's support forums. The Washington Post has a quote from spokesperson Amiee Metrick indicating the problems were due to a possible "equipment failure" at a local Fox affiliate, WTTG, resulting in the ill-timed ads reported in Washington D.C. We've heard that of customers receiving a $10 credit and an apology, but it seems unlikely to soothe the brow of those -- like the person who recorded video of the incident you can see after the break -- thinking of switching to FiOS. Update: We've received a response from Comcast (included after the break), and updated the post to clarify the apparent breakdown was at local Fox affiliate WTTG.[Thanks, John]
FCC tells advertisers to CALM down, lowers the volume on commercial breaks
Pretty soon, you won't have to scramble to lower the volume during noisy commercial breaks -- that's if you even watch live TV. After making its way through Capitol Hill, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (or CALM) -- which aims to keep the sounds coming out of your flat panel even-keeled -- has just been adopted in a ruling by the FCC. Starting next December, ads and promos will have to remain in-step with the audio levels of scheduled programming. While the affected parties have a full year to get their acts together, the main burden of enforcement lies with broadcasters and MVPDs like Comcast and Verizon FiOS. So, come next holiday season, you'll be able to tune in and tune out without being blown away.
Enter at Your Own Rift: RIFT's battle plan
A month or so ago my colleague Karen looked at RIFT's own future forecast for the game, and it's apparent from Trion Worlds' state of the game reports that the company is confident and clear in the direction it wants to go. The problem is that nobody consulted me, personally, on what I think the game needs as it heads forward. Not that I'm any great gaming guru, mind you, but it would be nice to be asked. In a very real sense, RIFT is at a crossroads. It will shortly cease to be the newest big kid on the block, a position it has enjoyed for a majority of 2011. I won't invoke the names of the power hitters on deck, but trust me, many RIFT players are well aware of the competition. Players and guilds are evaluating the game as it is right now and whether or not they'll want to stay when the new hotness is released. My prediction? Some will, some won't. You can quote me on that. Personally, I think RIFT is in a remarkably good position. It continues to grow in subscribers, according to the company, and it's proven to have staying power a half-year after launch. I'm encouraged when I see friends and fellow players randomly praise the game even though its honeymoon veneer has long since worn off. There's something worth fighting for, here -- but a fight it will have. Hit the break as I lay out what I think should be RIFT's battle plan for the next 12 months.
Recorded TV HD plugin for Media Center adds commercial break indicator
The Recorded TV HD app for Media Center users debuted earlier this year, bringing the ability to sort saved TV shows by genre or personalized favorites list with additional metadata pulled in automatically. Today, developer Mark Terborg released v1.4.18, which adds a Sage TV-style commercial break indicator to the scrub bar, provided users are running properly configured commercial scanning software as well. The familiar look may ease the nerves of switchers jumping from the Sage ship, who can get a taste of the add-in during its 30-day free trial but will have to pay $19.95 for a license covering one PC plus extenders, or $39.95 for a whole household. Check after the break for a shot of the plugin's UI, or hit the source link for the full changelog.
Smartphones, not DVRs, are the biggest threat to TV adverts
TV viewers are a famously fickle bunch, which tends to drive TV advertisers crazy. The prevalent theory remains that skipping past ads using a pesky DVR is the biggest enemy of marketers, but new research has once again contradicted that received wisdom. The IPG Media Lab in Los Angeles pulled together a representative group of 48 TV and online video viewers and asked them to sit through some programming while equipped with the usual "devices or distractions" that accompany their viewing habits. Central to the study was the measurement of time each person spent facing the screen and how engaged they were with the content. The first thing noted was that 94 percent of TV viewers and 73 percent of online video consumers used some other form of media to augment their visual entertainment. Smartphones were the most common, with 60 percent of test subjects resorting to their handset while gawking at the TV. That's resulted in a mediocre 52 percent attention level during actual programs and 37 percent during ads. In other words, two thirds of the time, commercials are being ignored and smartphones are helping people with that heinous behavior. Ironically, fast-forwarding adverts using a DVR garnered attention levels that were 12 percent higher, mostly because people were trying to make sure they didn't skip too far ahead. Damn, why does reality have to be all complex and stuff?
iOS MMO commercials draw attention
As our own Beau Hindman knows well, mobile MMOs are on the verge of taking off in a big way, and now they have the commercials to prove it. Pocket Legends, the hit iOS and Android MMO from last year, may be the first mobile online RPG to release a nation-wide commercial. The ad, which features a high-schooler with a not-so-embarrassing secret in his pocket, will air on G4, Cartoon Network and Comedy Central, to name just a few venues. As Pocket Legends is often described as "World of Warcraft in your hand," it's kind of ironic that developer Gameloft is also making pretty much that. Gameloft is renowned for releasing thinly disguised copies of hit games, so it stands to reason that it would take a crack at the reigning champion. The studio just released an online teaser for Order & Chaos Online on its Facebook page, and it's hard not to see the inspiration-slash-knockoff. You can check out both commercials after the jump!
Xperia Play turns its marketing ship around with new ads (no more grafted thumbs!)
It's official! Against all odds, Sony Ericsson has finally ended its nearly year-long streak of embarrassing leaks, missed opportunities, and terrible advertising and come out the other side with this: a series of excellent ads for its "PlayStation Certified" Xperia Play phone. Spokeswoman (and comedian!) Kristen Schaal walks you through some of the phone's strongest features in a series of five ads, all found after the break. Did you know the Xperia Play is the perfect phone for downloading apps, looking at kitten pictures, editing spreadsheets, and watching YouTube? Neither did we. But it's also got a slide-out gamepad, which Ms. Schaal is all too happy to show off. Hey, Kristen ... do you mind if we call you Kristen? We know a guy you'd probably get along great with. Kristen, meet KB. KB, Kristen.
Skype to start serving ads in US, Germany and UK ahead of upcoming IPO
It's a common problem, not having as much cash as you want to, and Skype's solving it with a common web solution: advertising. It may come as a surprise to hear that the eminently popular voice and chat service doesn't peddle stuff to its users already, but it's now formalizing a plan to introduce a carefully controlled measure of paid-for display ads on the Home tab of its Windows desktop client. You heard that right, there's no mention of Mac or mobile services here, and it's further limited to the nations of Germany, the UK, and USA. Anonymous data may be collected as part of the new scheme to target ads to specific audiences (you can, however, opt out), while Skype promises that user experience remains paramount to its future goals, though clearly that looming Initial Public Offering isn't too far from its thoughts right now either.
Leaked Windows Phone 7 ads challenge your phone head-to-head
Microsoft's slowed the pace of Windows Phone 7 ads after saturating the airwaves at launch, but it looks like another campaign is about to begin -- WinRumors has a leak of a new set of "Real Time Challenge" interactive web ads that challenge you to complete tasks using your phone against a WP7 device. Challenges include taking a photo and posting it to Facebook, checking Xbox achievements, getting directions, and telling meeting participants you're running late. Not surprisingly, the WP7 device performs handily at everything -- although we're definitely wondering why you'd be checking Xbox achievements in a hurry while on the run. WinRumors also says that the "Your Phone" image is just a placeholder that will be filled in by other devices in the final ads, so we'll see how MS decides to portray other platforms and their apps -- there's a lot of ways to do some of these things on Android and iOS devices. (And, sigh, we would note that "Update system software without fatal errors" is not a listed activity.) In any event, it's a clever ad idea -- check the video below. [Thanks, Irv]
Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out
So the UK is finally catching up with the fine money-grubbing nations of this world and allowing product placement in British-made TV programming, starting from next Monday, February 28th. Advertising embedded in internationally sourced films and shows has long been tolerated as a necessary evil within the Queen's realm, but now that the telecoms regulator Ofcom is opening up locally farmed TV content to the blight of commercialization, it's come up with a suitably austere logo to warn us of its dangers. Basically, any future episodes of Hollyoaks that may contain a "stray" Diet Coke or Nokia N8 within the frame will be preceded by the above P placed within a P, which will prep you for the pernicious potentiality that the programming you are perusing may provoke you into purchasing new property. Capiche?
Verizon halts iPhone pre-orders, brings back everyone's favorite technician for new ad (video)
As they say, "Ye who snoozes, something something something, set your alarm for launch morning." Take solace in a new dramatic commercial for Verizon iPhone featuring you-know-who -- it's after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Is comparing your game to World of Warcraft really such a good idea?
Look, it should come as no surprise that World of Warcraft is king of the hill, head of the list, cream of the crop, at the top of the heap when it comes to MMOs. Whatever Blizzard did, it did it at exactly the right time with the right team and the right IP; it was a perfect storm of something. And it did other game developers a favor in that it's now possible for an MMO to do respectable business, even if the numbers don't quite approach WoW's 12 million concurrent subscribers. Naturally, though, there are studios that aren't content with having their own subscribers. They want WoW's, too. And that's a pretty tall order. To that end, they reference WoW in their ad campaigns. But what good does name-dropping the world's most popular MMO in your ad campaign even do? Let's take a look.
Advertisers, broadcasters fight over who owns the HD sidebars during 4x3 commercials
Surprisingly, even in 2010 not every commercial on high definition channels is actually in HD, and for channels like TBS that fill in the sides of 4x3 content with their own branded bars, advertisers are suddenly finding issue with competing for screen space. Things reached a head when TBS used its bars to promote the new late night Conan show, and now the Association of National Advertisers has come out with a statement indicating the sidebars belong to the advertiser, not the network, while the ad is running unless otherwise agreed. Of course, simply making commercials in HD (if they're going to be on, they should at least look good) would fix this, but until then well see who has the upper hand in this battle of wills.
CALM Act approved by Congress, should make TV commercials slightly less obnoxious
We did say it'd take an Act of Congress to lower the volume on televisual commercials and, shockingly enough, that's exactly what we've got now. The House of Representatives has given its nod of approval to the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which, having already cleared the Senate, is now on its way to President Obama's desk for final validation. Once signed into effect, the new legislation will require that all advertisers modulate their volume down so it's no higher than that of the program you're watching, and it'll be the FCC's duty to ensure that they all adhere to the new rule. A year's leniency will be allowed for all those who struggle with figuring out how to turn it down from 11, but after that we should all be able to watch the dying medium that is live television without dreading the commercial breaks.
Verizon iPad commercial hits the air
You didn't think Verizon would start selling its iPad / MiFi bundle without an ad blitz, did you? Big Red's running a new commercial called "Breakaway" that features a dude using the combo to tear down the walls of his unfurnished home and wind up sitting alone on a bluff in a plastic chair. The magic of iPad, the power and reliability of Verizon. Video after the break. [Thanks, Nick]
TiVo issues 30 for 30 interactive ad challenge to shift how brands buy advertising
The way TiVo sees things, advertisers shouldn't foolishly pay for ads no one is watching thanks to their DVRs, when they could use the same money to pay TiVo -- a DVR company -- for special ads DVR users are more likely to see. At least that's what we're getting from their recently announced 30 for 30 interactive ad challenge, which involves asking advertisers to move money from poorly performing prime-time 30-second TV spots and instead put it towards buying 30 days of ad exposure on TiVo. For those unfamiliar with TiVo's ad offerings, this exposure appears as clever advertisements shown in places such as the pause menu and home screen, or via special placements through fast-forward billboards and interactive tags that appear during regular commercials. While this may be bad news for TiVo's commercial-hating users who bought the device to avoid ads in the first place, depending on the trial's success, we're hoping TiVo could earn enough dough to drop the monthly subscription fee -- that is as long as VOD doesn't make the discussion moot. Sure the concept is crazy enough to make even Joseph Heller proud, but thankfully whatever happens, there's still HBO.
Networks hoping video on demand will save them from DVR woes
We've all gloated in delight from mashing the fast forward button through ExtenZe ads on DVRed shows, but according to CBS's chief research officer David Poltrack in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, networks and advertisers hope VOD will soon put the brakes on our hell-raising remotes. Sure, the actual impact of DVRs on advertising may still be unclear -- remember Oliver Wyman found 85 percent of DVR owners skip 3/4 of commercials in recorded shows, while Duke researchers found 95 percent of TV is watched live -- making the devices a non-issue. The way Poltrack sees it though, more prevalent VOD will "give the consumer the ability to watch shows any way they want to, and to do so in a way that is much more advertiser-friendly." He also mentions the potential cost-saving benefits for consumers, who may not need to cough up monthly DVR fees in the future just to view The Jersey Shore whenevs. As support, he cites convenient CBS research showing that 90 percent of consumers would be willing to deal with commercials in exchange for $10 in cable bill savings. But what do you say Engadget research subjects? Would you sacrifice the joy of the commercial skip if VOD had everything you could possibly want to watch? Let us know in comments below.
Windows Phone 7 slides into TV spot, Rachel Zoe's life
If you knew anything about The Rachel Zoe Project, you'd know that dear Rachel never, ever leaves home without her BlackBerry. Apparently, her comforting hubby -- known affectionately as Rodger Berman -- isn't going far without his unbranded Windows Phone 7 device (and a little help from Bing, naturally). Curiously enough, the date on the screen shows July, so there's a halfway decent chance the software they're playing with is of the pre-production variety... particularly since he's wielding a Samsung Omnia i9810-based prototype. Oh, and as you can see above, we're guessing he's relying on WiFi or some off-camera magic to actually pull anything up. Hard to get 3G in Los Angeles, especially when your phone is missing its SIM card. At any rate, the spot in full is embedded just past the break, and just between us, we get the feeling this is just the first of many more to come. [Thanks, Michael] %Gallery-102348%
