Dive Brief:

• Electronics company Vizio and The Home Depot have developed a shoppable content series to highlight the many ways consumers can use the retailer’s products to decorate their homes, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The content series, called “Merry & Bright,” showcases how three families use Home Depot products to transform their homes for the holiday season. The show is hosted by onetime “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks.
• The content will include integrated QR codes that, when scanned, take consumers to a special Shop the Look page on the retailer’s website where the onscreen objects will be prominently displayed.

Dive Insight:

Shoppable content was one of the big themes for marketers during the 2022 holiday season, and it looks to be even more prominent as this year’s campaigns get underway. While many of the shoppable experiences last year leveraged social media and retailer platforms, the wide use of connected television (CTV) has enabled The Home Depot to expand immediate shoppable options to Vizio’s home screen content.

“This partnership exemplifies how shoppable technology is expanding the role of brand storytelling from an upper-to-mid funnel tool to driving immediate commerce action and sales impact,” said Brandon Helrich, group director at Omnicom Media Group’s The Content Collective, which developed the programming, in a statement.

The shift to streaming is accompanied by a corresponding shift beyond traditional 15- and 30-second ads into branded content that is closer to entertainment, Vizio executive Katlyn Wilson explained in the press release. Streaming via CTV platforms like Vizio’s home screen allows for interactive ad opportunities, like shoppable content powered by QR codes.

The “Merry & Bright” content will consist of three 10-minute episodes, along with shorter pieces highlighting holiday tips and tricks from host and “American Idol” winner Sparks. Each episode introduces a new family to viewers and shows off the ways they transform their houses with holiday decorations from The Home Depot. The content will be available through December.