Welcome to the newest form of advertising. Rather than making short ads to play in between a movie to encourage people to buy stuff, Walmart has decided to just make the movie itself. That’s how it ended up sponsoring a Roku Original movie where you’ll be able to purchase products right from your TV set.
The retailer already tried something similar with a TV show last year called “Add to Heart,” a rom-com series with integrated shopping features. It wasn’t the biggest success though, with many people losing interest too quickly or complaining that the actual purchase process took too long. Walmart found that viewers are more likely to shop the longer they watch, hence a feature-length Christmas rom-com film.
The film will have two “shoppable moments” where viewers will be presented with overlays showing five Walmart products that are contextually relevant to the film. They will be able to link their Roku and Walmart accounts ahead of time so they can quickly purchase any of the products they desire during the movie. The film, “Jingle Bell Love,” is currently streaming on The Roku Channel.
