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Viewers watching the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games can now order food and drinks delivered directly to them from the comfort of their own homes.
Today, NBCUniversal launched Virtual Concessions, a new commerce-enabled ad feature that allows audiences to purchase food, drinks and other items on-demand while watching the Olympics via QR codes displayed on the screen. The company first announced the tool at its One24 technology conference in the spring.
NBCU teamed up with Instacart and Flowcode as its partners to bring the innovation to the screen. Customers can expect to see the ads on NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
“It’s a new experience that blends together custom, creative and technology to allow viewers to seamlessly purchase snacks, beverages and household items without missing a moment of action on TV,” Alison Levin, president of ad sales at NBCU, told ADWEEK. “We’re so excited to be launching this innovative new ad experience for the first time during the second week of the Olympics.”
Here’s how it works: When a consumer sees the ad on television, the ad will be surrounded by a frame that will show different items they can order, along with an offer for a discount on their first order and a QR code they can scan that will lead them to a landing page with the items. From there, the consumer can order and buy with a single click or add multiple items to their cart.
Purchased items will be delivered within 30 minutes to one hour, according to Instacart.
NBCU and Instacart have an ongoing partnership. Last year, Peacock became Instacart’s first streaming partner, which allowed Instacart+ customers to receive a free Peacock subscription.
Additionally, Instacart announced a new retail-powered media pilot where NBC advertisers could leverage the company’s first-party audience data to enhance their streaming campaigns and look at their campaign efficacy with closed-loop measurement.
Laura Jones, chief marketing officer of Instacart, said that despite the longstanding partnership between the two parties, the Virtual Concessions innovation is a first-of-its-kind experience for both sides.