As technology makes it easy to avoid advertising, a growing number of UK brands are looking to create entertainment rather than disruption to engage their customers.The most significant area for growth is digital media while broadcast remains highly regulated. Product placement on TV remains off limits for many brands and for those that can, screen time is limited by a requirement to only appear when editorially justified. This over-regulation combined with broadcasters’ protracted processes for commissioning programmes results in very few advertiser funded TV shows being made.

Instead, brands are creating content and experiences to engage their audiences on other screens, and distributing content via largely unrestricted digital channels, which are under their control.

However, linear TV remains massively popular, and even without product placement, TV programmes can cleverly be used by brands to drive audiences to digital content, social media channels and experiential projects. In this case, the funding of a TV show allows advertisers to license an entertainment property for more overt brand integration and inspire active participation in their campaign objectives.

When Cadbury wanted people to play games in the run up to London 2012 they didn’t advertise. Instead, they took inspiration from “Minute to Win It” a global TV format that had people playing games from America to Australia.Acquisition of the UK rights to the show provided Cadbury with a programme that they knew would entertain. An agreement with broadcaster ITV gave them access to an audience of people who would go onto play over 1.5m Cadbury games in their homes, across digital platforms, on mobile and at Minute To Win It events across the country.

By developing a popular entertainment format Cadbury were not only able to make their Olympic association famous they were also able to encourage active participation in their campaign.In total 7m people chose to watch Minute to Win It on ITV2.

Over 1m people went online to play along or download a decathlon pack.The Minute to Win It iPhone app reached number 4 in the iPhone app store download chart.Over 250,000 people left their homes to attend one of the Minute to Win It events around the country.In total over 1.5m, games were played as part of the campaign.Following the activity awareness of Cadbury’s Olympic association increased from 63% to 72%.

32% of those exposed to the campaign said they felt actively encouraged to play.