AMC Networks brings shoppable ads to the upfronts

AMC Networks will take shoppable ad opportunities out to the marketplace during this year's upfronts as it looks to drive commerce in TV. The shoppable feature is part of the network group's so-called "TEAL" offering, an acronym that stands for "technology enabled, audience led." Essentially, the tool is a collection of digital ad products that, aside from shoppable ads, includes interactive overlays, product integrations and sponsorship of a limited commercial experience. AMC will debut its first shoppable experience during the digital series, "Show Me More: Killing Eve," a behind-the-scenes companion for the show, in collaboration with Hunter Boots. The footwear brand partnered with the Sandra Oh-starring series on a line of boots earlier this year and will feature products during the show, with the opportunity for viewers to make a purchase directly with their remote controls. RSVP for Ad Age In-Depth: TV Pivot on May 24 and 25 at AdAge.com/TVPivot Viewers will be able to engage with the content through their remotes and will be able to scroll through creative assets featuring products, said Evan Adlman, senior VP, advanced advertising and digital partnerships, AMC Networks. For the “Killing Eve” and Hunter Boots partnership, the show’s host will wear shoes from the collection on-screen, which will then lead into a commercial break that will feature a shoppable ad for the same boots. AMC is getting into the shoppable space with partnerships that naturally align with its IP, rather than just trying to find the biggest brand, said Kim Kelleher, president, commercial revenue and partnerships, AMC. “The reason Hunter [Boots] is working and will work is because it is so contextual,” she said. “It's literally built into the ‘Show Me More’ actual show and the show actually has a real style flair because Villanelle is such an icon. So, it hits all the right things.” One new series, “Obsessed with the Vampire,” will harness the anticipated hype for AMC’s upcoming “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire,” part of its forthcoming universe based on the author’s works that will launch just as the network’s beloved “The Walking Dead” series comes to a close this year. Kim Granito, executive VP of AMC's Content Room and integrated marketing, said, “‘Obsessed with the Vampire’ is really based around the shopping experience, so we're attacking different verticals of the show each week—whether it's fashion, travel—and they will be not only in the show, the ability to shop from a tech standpoint, but also a late-night shop that opens during vampire hours where consumers can also buy the products.” AMC is the latest TV brand trying its hand at shoppable advertising. NBCUniversal has leaned into shoppable advertising over the past several years, weaving e-commerce capabilities into things like its "Today" show. Aside from the shoppable capabilities, AMC is also introducing interactive overlays that allow viewers to engage with ads during times like when they pause a show or during the credits. Brands can also integrate products into series post-production and sponsor a limited-commercial experience. “TEAL” will back content across AMC Network’s digital originals that live alongside its scripted series, leveraging fandom of its linear IP. In addition to renewing the “Show Me More” series, AMC announced six additional digital offerings today that will air across the network’s FAST and ad-supported video-on-demand channels, AMC+ and social platforms.

AMC Networks brings shoppable ads to the upfronts

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