SeeSaw sells out of ad inventory till May

SeeSaw has announced today that it has sold all its planned advertising inventory up until May 2010, in partnership with Video Initaitves, the specialist online video advertising arm of eType.

SeeSaw, which launched on 17 February, provides viewers with an online TV service with programming secured from a range of content partners including terrestrial broadcasters, independent producers and sporting bodies.

Video Initiatives was appointed to sell all current advertising on the platform with the exception of Channel 4 and Five content.

Seventeen brands will be advertising in programming from an array of content providers including Hustle, Hotel Babylon, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Footballers Wives, Bad Girls, Doc Martin and The Apprentice.

Once the launch period has been completed, each of the launch advertisers will be presented with results from a research study, conducted with dres consulting and Continental Research, providing the launch brands and agencies with an insight into viewer profile information and VOD usage habits. The brands will also receive an exclusive comprehensive advertising awareness and effectiveness summary.

Barclays Bank, Bupa, The Coca-Cola Company, The Central Office of Information, Diageo, Discovery Foods, Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix), Halifax, Hyundai, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Microsoft, Sainsbury’s, Santander, Specsavers, Swiftcover and Ubisoft are among the brands signed up to SeeSaw for its launch.

Matt Rennie, commercial director at SeeSaw, says: “The response from the advertising community to SeeSaw’s proposition has been nothing short of phenomenal. We’re delighted with how Video Initiatives have launched the service. We set out with the aim of working with all major media agency groups and they’ve delivered, bringing on some of the biggest mainstream UK TV advertisers. We built the SeeSaw platform with both viewers and advertisers in mind and, together with the research we’re planning in the coming weeks, we will further enhance the strong relationship we’re creating between viewers, content providers and advertising partners.”

Seesaw says it is now focusing on selling ad opportunities for early summer and is looking to develop more targeted and genre-specific opportunities to be revealed in the coming months.Further programming will also continue to be added to the service over the coming months.

 

 

 

WHAT THE ADVERTISING WORLD IS SAYING ABOUT SEESAW

  • Anthony Pye-Jeary, chief executive officer of Dewynters: “The on-demand market is clearly a major growth area for digital advertising. One of the most exciting advances with this new site is the ability to target BBC content, which has been the Holy Grail for theatre advertising for decades. This particular audience has always closely crossed over with the theatregoer, and it has only been possible to reach them via PR activity. This is the future.”
  • i-level head of emerging platforms, Oli Newton: “The growth of online video is still in its early stages and with quality offerings such as SeeSaw launching it will only get better. As viewing habits continue to migrate we are seeing the a major shift for how brands must communicate with their audiences. It is no longer enough to simply put a video advert out there in the traditional TV model, brands need to understand what happens after the view. SeeSaw gives us that opportunity with access to quality content and we are very proud to be a part of the launch.”
  • Vision account director for MPG for Hyundai, Richard Rowe: “MPG and Hyundai look forward to working closely with SeeSaw in the near future in what is Hyundai’s first venture into the VOD market. We recognise SeeSaw have a good proposition in this area and this will form an important part of our overall campaign.”
  • Account director, Simon Delany, from aka: “SeeSaw is the perfect platform for aka’s clients to reach an engaged audience and increase exposure. The clutter-free and intuitive interface means our Live Entertainment clients take pride of place on the page. Plus, we can track user interactions and prove return-on-investment so clients can really buy into pre-roll and push their brands further.
  • Grant Tasker, UK product manager of Square Enix: “We are really excited to be partnering with SeeSaw for the launch of their video on demand service in the UK, which will see the exclusive first airing of the Final Fantasy XIII UK TV ad. Video on demand continues to grow both in terms of importance and relevance, with the traditional hard to reach video gaming audience increasingly consuming broadcast content as and when it suits them. SeeSaw, with its pioneering technology and strong content offering is a natural fit for us.”