NBCUniversal is partnering with Walmart to launch a series of ads featuring products from Bravo’s oceanic reality series Below Deck Mediterranean on Peacock.
The ad “experience” uses NBCUniversal’s Must ShopTV ad format powered by KERV Interactive. It uses artificial intelligence to identify items on the screen and refer customers to similar products available to order online at Walmart via a QR code.
“Walmart customers are finding inspiration everywhere and anywhere, including their favorite TV shows,” said William White, chief marketing officer at Walmart U.S. “By expanding our shoppable TV footprint with NBCUniversal, we’re pairing our incredible product assortment with some of their most talk-about content so our customers can quickly purchase items inspired by their favorite cast members while they’re watching.”
Audiences streaming the eighth season of Below Deck Mediterranean on Peacock will catch themed advertisements on a carousel, such as the dishware the characters use during a dinner scene or a pair of white and black sneakers worn by a crewmember. Viewers can flip through product suggestions with their remote and scan a QR code to check out at Walmart.com.
The advertisements will stream on November 7, December 5, and December 12. Walmart’s online inventory syncs with Must ShopTV, so audiences will only see products in stock and ready to ship.
While the feature may be a nifty idea for people tired of running, at times, lengthy searches to find clothing or other items featured in a series, to many, this is nothing more than another gimmicky tactic advertisers are taking to promote their products. Still, the partnership shows NBCUniversal and Walmart’s commitment to bridging the gap between product placement and purchase by creating TV programming and ads that are interactive, similar to Roku Action Ads.
“For so long, viewers had to take the hard route, scouring the internet to find a product like what they saw their favorite icons or creators use in-show,” said Josh Feldman, global chief marketing officer of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal. “Now, through the power of Must ShopTV, and with Walmart as our launch partner, Bravo fans can get even closer to the content they love by discovering the brands that are already part of the story.”
Image credit: NBCUniversal