March 15th, 2007
TrimSpa to Launch ‘Tivo-Proof’ Ads
By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
It’s not secret that Tivo (and other PVRs) and the fast-forward (or 30-second skip) have impacted advertising revenues on television. Recent studies have shown that people may not be skipping as many commercials as originally thought. Advertisers have been looking for ways around this, and TrimSpa claims to have figured a way around it.
KFC used an embedded message in one of its recent campaigns. Consumers had to watch the ad in slow motion to get a coupon for a free sandwich.
TrimSpa wouldn’t release too many details of its new campaign but suggested images used in the television ads would remain on the screen no matter what a consumer tried to do with the remote. Source: ABC News
We Say: So, I have my own Tivo, of course. I use the 30-second-skip, of course. But I still occasionally watch ads … those ads that catch my eye as I skip through them. If you really want me to watch an ad, make it clever and cool, instead of forcing me to watch it, OK?
As far as TrimSpa’s idea, I have no idea how they could get this to work, but I’m guessing I’ll find out … however, I can’t really see something being unhackable. The question is: how can we get that hack onto our Tivos? 
John Corliss says:
I have a simple solution to deal with Trimspa’s idiocy, and I don’t even know what they’re going to try! All you have to do is to STOP WATCHING TELEVISION. That is, if you haven’t already. By the way, note that their solution (according to the ABC article) only applies to DVRs. Looks like DVRs are another “improvement in technology” that I will never buy into.
One of the key sentences in the article was “Swartz thinks change is inevitable in television advertising simply because consumers are faced with so many different disruptive technologies.” Note the word “disruptive”. What is it about that which ad companies don’t understand??? Boneheads. Absolute BONEHEADS!
March 15th, 2007 at 3:34 am
Inglix the Mad says:
I agree John, watch less TV. Buy less crap you don’t really need. Have more money to actually go out and enjoy life.
It really only is disruptive to the ad companies whose traditional models are being forced to change.
March 15th, 2007 at 4:43 am
Busto963 says:
“images used in the television ads would remain on the screen no matter what a consumer tried to do”
I agree with the previous comments, TV continues its long decline in terms of both content quality and in abusive advertising.
What part of providing the customer what they want, don’t these people get? John is right, screw them and findan alternative.
March 15th, 2007 at 6:26 am
Leo says:
What I find funny is that this will actually alienate Tivo users from buying their product completely. Nothing like sticking it to the consumer to get them to buy your product huh? This will backfire on them, if they can even get it to work.
March 15th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Greg says:
Yes, John, stop watching television. In fact, stop using ALL forms of electronic communication that involve advertisement, including (and not limited to) the internet (including realtechnews, note the shiny “GoToMeeting” ad up top) and radio (unless it’s satellite, at least for a little while longer).
In fact, you better stop driving on major highways as well so as to not see any billboards, and don’t even think about looking in a newspaper or magazine.
I, for one, am not afraid to admit to those pretentious “I don’t watch TV” types that I do watch TV. Not so much as to not allow me to run marathons, snowboard, hunt and have a pretty demanding job, but I watch shows I enjoy.
Ads aren’t all that bad. They keep things like TV, radio and some internet sites free. And maybe, just maybe, at some point, you might see an ad for something you’d like!
That’s all I have, I have to finish up here at work so I can get home and watch “The Office” tonight on NBC, ads and all.
March 15th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Charles says:
Greg,
Completely agree. How presumptuous of John and Inglix to assume everyone that turns on a TV is a full on couch potatoe.
There are some good things on TV, and it has even helped the world at times.
Come on man… Mythbusters. Mythbusters!
But you do run into those poeple at parties that declare, ‘Oh I don’t even own a TV’. Implying that their life is so full and enriching that they don’t have the time or inclination for the low brow entertainment of the unwashed masses.
March 15th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Erik says:
Until it is easier for them to create decent ad content than it is to force viewers to see their ads, the advertisers will continue to lose.
I like a good ad, I hate bad/stupid/lame/overdone ads (I’m looking at you Subway and Geico). No amount of force will make me buy your products because your ad campaigns are so incredibly annoying.
Also, didn’t TrimSpa used to use Anna Nicole as a spokesmodel? ‘Nuff said about their marketing.
March 15th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Freud says:
I read the first three comments and I began to wonder; Didn’t they catch the Unabomber?
March 15th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
John Corliss says:
Hmm. Seem to have ruffled the feathers of a couple of ad executives.
Greg’s reply is totally over the top and illogical.
Charles ignores the fact that the increasing pervasiveness of commercialism does have an upper limit, and we have reached it. This is proven by the fact that so many people detest commercialism.
Freud’s reply is simply a troll. There is no way that refusing to be subjected to a bombardment of commercials equates one with being a “unibomber.”
Television is NOT free. There are other costs to life than monetary.
March 16th, 2007 at 1:13 am
Lewis says:
Well, I stopped watching “TV”. All I get is cable here, which is NOT free. I PAY to watch ads, which, incidentally, are now actually running DURING shows. However, I like to rent complete seasons of shows from Netflix, so I can actually enjoy an uninterrupted story arc for 40 minutes or so. An amazing difference which actually costs less than cable. I may not see it when it’s new, but good shows are timeless.
March 16th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
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