MAM
TiVo announces first advertising search product for TV
MUMBAI: TiVo Inc. is planning to offer the first television-based advertising search solution in mid 2006. Leveraging TiVo’s television search capabilities that enhance the TV viewing experience, the new product will deliver relevant, targeted advertising to subscribers that want to view particular advertising categories.
This new advertising approach presents an opportunity for TiVo service subscribers to search for relevant information on products or services that match their needs. The heightened viewer experience that the new offering is intended to provide will deliver non-intrusive, relevant, interactive advertising, on a opt-in basis.
Today television advertising is almost entirely delivered when adjacent to mass programming. For the first time, advertisers will have the ability to deliver television advertising, on demand and targeted to consumers, without the limitations of traditional television media placement.
Agency research and development techniques will contribute in determining relevant categories of interest, such as automotive, travel, telecommunications, and consumer packaged goods, as well as determine relevant pricing models.
“TiVo is once again introducing to the TV landscape a new and innovative advertising solution that is intended to deliver an even better viewing experience for subscribers,” said TiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers.
Advertisers will be able to reach viewers in the market for a certain product or service. Ads will be delivered to subscribers who can conduct a search for a product by category or associated with keywords, utilising the same revolutionary keyword search techniques offered with internet advertising, resulting in increased relevancy for the consumer, as well as efficient, measurable results for the advertiser.
TiVo subscribers, if they choose to use the search capability, will retain control over their viewing experience through the creation of a viewer contributed profile via the set-top box that will enable them to receive advertisements based on their interests.
“TiVo intends to capture the best of the internet advertising model and create a unique advertising product for the television medium that will provide measurable results.,” said TiVo vice president national advertising sales Davina Kent.
Leading media and advertising agencies including Interpublic Media, OMD, Starcom Mediavest Group and The Richards Group, as well as Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, have worked with TiVo to provide their expertise in the development of this product.
“We recognise that consumer media usage is changing and are committed to seeking out opportunities, like the new search product to be offered by TiVo, to continue to deliver our clients with maximum return on investment in their media choices,” said Interpublic Media chairman and CEO Mark Rosenthal.
“The new TiVo application will provide both a needed platform for consumers to seek out relevant, searchable commercial content and an environment for advertisers to engage highly desirable and motivated consumers. It’s the first of its kind in the industry, and a platform that is clearly needed in this challenging advertising marketplace,” said Starcom vice president and Video Innovations Director Tracey Scheppach.
OMD Digital US director Sean Finnegan said, “This product represents the next iteration of search . Through initial conversations with our clients, we have seen much interest in TiVo’s advertising solutions and believe that through further development, we will have the opportunity to reach target audiences in a more relevant and engaging manner.”
“The Richards Group is intent on delivering the most innovative and creative solutions to our clients. We believe that TiVo’s new search advertising product is the right solution to ensure that our client’s brands are seen by the highest-value customers,” said The Richards Group principal Larry Spiegel.
“Comcast Spotlight is thrilled to be working with TiVo and the advertising community on this exciting new product offering,” said Comcast Spotlight president Charlie Thurston.
TiVo launched a successful interactive direct response advertising program in August, where subscribers were given the opportunity to respond to a customised call to action or branded “tag” in select commercial spots. TiVo’s new search advertising product allows advertisers to further engage their target consumers with the benefits of the television experience.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
