Microsoft Rolls out NUads on Xbox LIVE
Microsoft Corp. announced Thursday the official rollout of NUads on Xbox LIVE, making the new interactive TV ad format available for sale to advertisers broadly.
It says Toyota, Unilever and Samsung Mobile USA are the first brands to develop NUads campaigns that will appear on Xbox LIVE this fall.
NUads advertisements transform standard 30-second TV spots into engaging and actionable experiences using the power of voice and gesture controls of Kinect for Xbox 360.
“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.”
[ Also Read: TV to Consumer: Look, I’m Changing Now ]
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. Today, 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, according to Microsoft.
[ Also Read: How Top Brands Will Use Kinect for Xbox 360 ]
Following on from 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 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.
Photo courtesy: Microsoft
