Branded entertainment is allowed at commercial stations and largely prohibited on the public TV stations by media legislation. Branded entertainment has shown a huge increase in professionalism over the last years. From late afternoon programming, cheaply produced and low ratings, branded entertainment has evolved to a valuable media opportunity, with high rating prime time programming being made accessible. TV stations, radio stations, online and print titles as well have created departments to accommodate the increase in demand. Moreover, they increasingly have their own in-house creative agency, designed to create new opportunities and to expand on existing branded entertainment projects.

However there are restrictions to branded entertainment. We cannot directly stimulate sales, so ‘new’, price information, distribution information and anything that might be aimed at driving sales is prohibited. Use of material from commercials (even characters) is not allowed. This goes for in program branded entertainment as well as branded entertainment only associated with a program (e.g. so called billboards). Also the amount of exposure and the emphasis with which a brand is being used is limited.

Advertisers increasingly make use of branded entertainment as they experience its effectiveness and learn how to use branded entertainment to achieve objectives.

The creative media idea was created by the media agency and developed in partnership with content and technical developers.

To turn viewers into performers we created a unique broadcast concept, with a new TV moment and a new app: the interactive rerun The Voice of Holland Singing Sunday.

Every Sunday afternoon there is a karaoke-edition of performances of the big Friday live shows.

Everyone with a smartphone or tablet is able to sing along through this mobile video app, and show his or her best performance. All uploaded video content can be viewed, shared and rated within the app. The badges people earn within the app stimulate them to participate and to share their efforts within the app and through social media. A compilation of the most entertaining videos is broadcasted during every next TV show.

Commercial promo’s and in programme moments were used to create awareness for the activation.

Together with Vodafone, the Voice of Holland broke its own audience participation record with this integrated media approach. An unprecedented 38% of the viewers were activated and downloaded the app. More than 50% of the participants uploaded a video within the app.

After only 10 weeks airtime:

21% of the viewers knew that Vodafone sponsors the program.

73% of the target audience (aged 20-59) knew the Singing Sunday App by name, (18% knew the app reasonably well.)