Israeli start-up to power interactive, star-studded Super Bowl ad
P&G partnered up with Israeli start-up eko to create an interactive commercial, which will air during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
By EYTAN HALONThe cast of P&G's interactive Super Bowl ad(photo credit: P&G)
Commercial breaks are the primary trigger for viewers to reach for their remote controls and switch between television channels. That is, except on one occasion: the Super Bowl.A total of 98.2 million Americans tuned in last year to watch the New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams, the most-watched broadcast by far in the US in 2019. The Super Bowl will be streamed online in 4K for the first time this year, which is expected to boost viewership of the annual championship game.One 30-second advertisement during Sunday’s highly anticipated Super Bowl LIV clash between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs was sold for as much as $5.6 million, according to broadcaster FOX. The game at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will kick off at 6:30 p.m.To stand out from the crowd, consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble decided to partner with Israeli start-up eko to develop a first-of-its-kind, interactive commercial. The star-studded 60-second ad is scheduled to be broadcast during the fourth quarter of the game.The interactive commercial will first be aired on a dedicated website launched by P&G on Wednesday, enabling viewers to vote and control the story line. The most popular choices determined by viewers will then shape “in real time” the final ad broadcast to millions of viewers on Sunday evening.The cast of the interactive ad includes actress Sofía Vergara and her son; Old Spice commercial star Isaiah Mustafa; actor Rob Riggle; Dawson’s Creek actress Busy Philipps; and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.“This project excites me on a personal level,” said eko co-founder and chief executive Yoni Bloch. “This is a significant step in the development of the company and the introduction of interactive video content into the mainstream. For eko, this is a wonderful opportunity to launch new technology that is leaving the limits of the Internet and entering the world of television broadcasts.”Founded in 2010, eko was formerly known as Interlude, and initially focused on developing interactive music videos. The start-up grabbed the music industry’s attention in 2013 when it partnered with Sony to release an interactive video for Bob Dylan’s iconic song “Like A Rolling Stone.”In October 2018, Walmart invested $250m. in eko, launching a joint venture to develop original, interactive content for the retail giant.Advertisement
