Sky to launch Green Button advertising

The company says that final testing is in progress with the service expected to launch in June 2009.

The new service has been developed using the same technology as Sky's Green Button programme reminder facility. It allows advertisers to prompt viewers to press the green button on their Sky remote to book longer-form content into their Sky Guide or to record content onto their set-top box.

This longer form content, which can be anything from two minutes to two hours in length, will include extended versions of TV ads, behind the scenes footage of the creation of particular ads and exclusive content or extras relating to an advertiser's products or services.

Advertiser created programming will be made available to households with standard Sky boxes twice a day, with viewers being prompted with an on-screen reminder to watch selected ads when they become available. In Sky+ households, meanwhile, viewers will be able to store the ads to watch them when they want.

The first advertisers planning to use Green Button advertising include Warner Brothers for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, T-Mobile and Fox’s Ice Age 3.

“Throughout its history Sky has continually sought to innovate for advertisers and provide them with more choice and greater opportunities in reaching audiences in new and engaging ways,” said Chloe Smith, head of interactive advertising at Sky Media.

“Green Button provides brands with the opportunity to develop high-quality long-form content catering to those audiences who want a closer relationship with particular brands, or who would value access to exclusive content which has been developed or funded by an advertiser. And with the added functionality of Sky⁺, they can interact with those brands at a time of their choosing.”