In reality, live ads are nothing new, with Honda's ‘skydiving' spot on Channel 4 the most recent example. But ignore for a moment the scrutiny any live ads would be subjected to by broadcasting members of TV Eye, and there is certainly potential in this idea for DRTV advertisers.
Any live advertising would be likely to involve high production costs. With little scope for amortisation across future advertising, the expense would need to be offset by proof that the broadcast opportunity is highly valuable in its own right.
These ad slots are few and far between, but they do exist, most appropriately in big event live programming, and most commonly in sport. A spot in the UEFA Champions League final in May 2008, reaching over 20% of all men in the UK aged between 16 and 44, would have been an ideal candidate.
There are plenty of advertisers, both brand and direct response, that would like to target this audience. But if you are going to the additional expense of doing so live, you would most certainly want the advertising to be seen to be live and to benefit from the topicality that such a huge live event can deliver.
The most obvious benefit would come from making the advertising a name-gathering exercise by involving some form of competition based on the live event surrounding the advertising.
For example, we could envisage a motor insurance advertiser trying to collect renewal data by employing an online or interactive competition device, offering prizes to all viewers correctly guessing the time of the first goal in the second half.
But there is an issue of logistics here. Sufficient capacity -- phone line or website monitor -- would need to be on standby to handle the very high and immediate response that such a promotion would generate. There would be no opportunity to get it right ‘next time' in such an event -- it has to be spot on first time around.
Finally, before TV executives get too carried away, it is worth remembering there is already much live advertising on our TV screens.
It is called teleshopping, and judging by audience share, most of us choose not to watch it most of the time.
Andy Sloan is CEO of All Response Media