Hands up, who’s watching Love Island this year? As the UK experiences a heatwave, and we’re all set to melt by 9pm, a little light relief, and perhaps some retail therapy is a must.
To that end, this year ITV is trialling a brand new service, which allows viewers to find and purchase items from the programme they are watching… directly on screen.
According to the broadcaster, its launch of shoppable TV, the first service of its kind in the UK means that ‘viewers can initiate the shopping interface at any time by using their LG remote but must actively opt-in to receive the notifications and use the service… launching during Love Island on ITV2 with Boots UK confirmed as the launch partner’.
The super reactive service means user can enjoy on-screen shopping by scrolling through a range of products, which intuitively refresh as different products and characters appear during the programme. Then viewers simply view more information and purchase via their remote control, or a link sent to their phone. Sounds dangerously simple!
Paul Ridsdale, ITV, Acting Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Shoppable TV is a wonderful innovation to allow ITV viewers to be able to shop directly from their TVs, filling a real gap currently in the market. We know ITV viewers enjoy being able to purchase items featured in our programmes and this makes doing that smoother and easier than ever before.”
We’ve long been familiar with Love Island contests wearing outfits from brands including Pretty Little Thing and Oh Polly, and signing exclusive collection deals as they leave the Villa, but this year has also seen brands like Zara, Farai London, Murci and Rewired gain airtime, offering a new platform to showcase products to a new audience.
In reaction to the new ITV launch, The Drum reports that the social shopping experience is often still patchy, but gaining traction, with 33% of UK shoppers now making purchases directly through these platforms. Explaining that while ‘shoppable TV technology is still in its infancy in comparison, and its real value may lie – for the time being – in enhancing the mobile shopping experience…But the potential is increasingly being demonstrated, and brands looking to connect with the large volume of viewers who still value the TV experience will be watching closely’.
So, how do you feel about buying through the big screen?
Sources: Watching Love Island? Now you can buy what you see – straight from your TV | The Northern Echo, ITV To launch shoppable TV, Love Island 2021 Fashion: Clothing Brands Worn by the Cast | POPSUGAR Fashion UK, Channel (s)hopping: exploring the potential for shoppable TV ads | The Drum
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