Sky to use green button for ads on demand

Sky is to offer advertisers the ability to show extended advertising content to viewers who push the green button to access it.

The green button is already used during some trails to allow viewers to book programme reminders. This functionality will now be extended to allow viewers to book longer-form advertising content into the Sky Guide or record content onto their Sky+ and Sky+ HD boxes.

"Throughout its history Sky has continually sought to innovate for advertisers and provide them with more choice and greater opportunities in reaching audiences in new and engaging ways," said Chloe Smith, Sky Media's head of interactive advertising. "Green Button provides brands with the opportunity to develop high-quality long-form content catering to those audiences who want a closer relationship with particular brands, or who would value access to exclusive content which has been developed or funded by an advertiser. And with the added functionality of Sky+, they can interact with those brands at a time of their choosing."

Green button ad content will vary in length from 2 minutes to 2 hours, and could include extended edits of existing ads; a "behind the scenes" documentary showing how an ad was made; access to exclusive content; an mini-sodes of content related to an ad storyline.

The first campaigns to take advantage of the new functionality will be for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, McMillan Cancer Support, T-Mobile and Ice Age 3. 50 channels, including all in Sky's wholly-owned portfolio, will carry the service.