Lagardère Unlimited, the sports marketing division of media conglomerate Lagardère, has announced that it co-produced the first in-event, real-time television advertisement last Saturday.
The advertising spot, which was shown during US pay-television broadcaster Universal Sports Network’s coverage of the International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series event in Chicago, was the first advertisement to be shot, produced and broadcast in-event using real-time content captured on location and via social media, the agency said.
The 15-second spot, advertising sports equipment brand Asics, began with real-time weather data and event footage captured moments before the start of Saturday’s race mixed with real-time video highlights and posts on social networking website Twitter.
The commercial was co-produced with the USA Triathlon governing body.
"We've been working with brands for many years on creative ways to engage with consumers and harness the energy surrounding major televised events," said Al Silvestri, the senior vice-president of marketing and new media at the agency’s consulting arm. “Now with our real-time broadcast platform brands are able to take this engagement to the next level and tap into consumer passion at the precise moment it's most relevant – that's incredibly valuable for marketers.”