Typically, commercial breaks don’t provide value to consumers. Most commercials are considered to be an interruption and fail to even hold viewers’ attention. That’s why 90% of people skip or ignore ads all together. Using the TV remote to change channels from commercial break to commercial break is still an interruption of their program. And watching another channel or platform (Netfilx, etc.) for 30 or 60 seconds means the viewer risks losing track of when their program returns from commercial break. SHIFT is a device that gives people the power to replace an unwanted ad, or an entire commercial break, with meaningful short-form content, between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long. Offering more fulfilling moments that can educate, entertain and make people more informed, more fit, more relaxed, even more happy, because it’s a break that brings value to people’s lives.

At its core, SHIFT interrupts an HDMI signal and replaces that signal with content from another source both automatically and with user interaction. The device relies on input and output signals, therefore is platform independent. Content is pulled into the device from a mix of sources like Rheo, a short video platform, YouTube and Facebook. Custom-created short-form content can be created on behalf of brands specifically for the SHIFT platform. Currently, we have an Alpha Prototype showing the SHIFT algorithm functioning and properly identifying a commercial via a live television source.

SHIFT Components:

• HDMI cable Input

• HDMI cable output

• Internal pass-through for uninterrupted content

• Internal switch for swapping out signal

• Onboard processer for processing signal data

• Wifi connection for content and updates

• IR LED receiver to interface with remote

By giving more power to the viewer to control what is watched during commercial breaks, we have the ability to capture data on what is liked and disliked. Brands and agencies can analyze this information and use it to create better communications that people won’t ignore. Ultimately, SHIFT has the potential to help make the industry better, by forcing us to look at what isn’t working and discover creative solutions to earn people’s attention.