LG Electronics is teaming with YuMe, a provider of video advertising software and services, to let developers and publishers serve targeted ads on LG broadband-connected TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, and the duo said they have signed Toyota Motor Sales USA as its charter advertiser.
Starting this month, LG and YuMe will launch pilot ad campaigns in the U.S. with Toyota and other advertisers. They plan to engage more advertisers in the spring of 2012.
"At Toyota, we pride ourselves on our innovative approach to advertising, and as media consumption habits change, we see a real opportunity to further engage consumers through YuMe and LG," Toyota national marketing media manager Dionne Colvin said.
The LG ad platform will enable different ad formats such as interactive display banners, in-banner video and in-stream video as well as sponsored applications and search-related ad units. The advertising system uses YuMe's ACE Relevance Engine, which manages publisher ad inventory to optimize ad yields and supports various ad sales models.
In a separate trial, Rovi has been working with Sony Electronics and Samsung Electronics, in partnership with Nielsen, to analyze advertising on those manufacturers' connected-TV devices.
Sales of connected TVs are expected to boom in the next few years. TV manufacturers will ship 60 connected TV units worldwide in 2011, growing to 138 million by 2015, according to research firm DisplaySearch.
"As users discover the expanding content and application offerings on LG's Smart TVs and connected devices, usage is growing rapidly which will provide advertisers with the audience and reach for both broad and targeted campaigns," Sam Chang, general manager of LG's Smart TV Innovation Development Group, said in a statement.
More information on the LG connected-TV ad solution is available at www.lgad.lgappstv.com.
