Mattel launches Australia’s first fully shoppable TV ad
Mattel has released “a fully shoppable TVC that lets viewers explore and purchase featured products directly from their screen”, with help from UM, Vudoo, News Corp Australia and Yahoo.
The announcement:
Mattel has teamed up with Yahoo, News Corp Australia (via Tubi), Universal McCann (UM), and commerce technology company Vudoo to deliver a first-of-its-kind advertising campaign in Australia: a fully shoppable TVC that lets viewers explore and purchase featured products directly from their screen.
The campaign is the first time Mattel has launched a global commerce media activation of this kind. It uses Vudoo’s Commerce TV technology to make TV advertising more than just an awareness tool, turning it into a fully interactive experience that captures attention and drives immediate action.
The media rollout includes connected TV, rich media, and display across News Corp’s network. Yahoo’s DSP handles the media planning and buying, including Afterpay-powered audience targeting and in-ad tracking for retargeting, delivered within a premium inventory environment.
The ad appears on Tubi and includes a visual prompt in the form of a QR code, a format that audiences are now familiar with and increasingly comfortable using while watching TV. But while the QR code itself may be simple, what happens next is where the real innovation lies.
Rather than sending viewers to a generic product page or brand site, the campaign directs them to a Vudoo-powered, curated shopping experience designed specifically for this activation. This dedicated interface strips away unnecessary friction – no clutter, no distractions, just the featured Mattel products and a fast, mobile-first path to purchase.
It’s the layer behind the QR code that sets this campaign apart. By enhancing the post-scan journey, Vudoo enables first-party data capture, cross-channel attribution, and measurable outcomes that connect media exposure to commerce, creating a clearer picture of what drives conversion and how audiences move from interest to action.
Nick Morgan, founder and CEO of Vudoo, said: “TV advertising has always been about reach, but with this campaign, it’s also about action. We’re giving people the option to respond the moment they’re inspired, and giving brands the tools to track what happens next.”
Beyond convenience, the campaign also introduces stronger cross-channel measurement and attribution. With Vudoo’s technology underpinning the experience, Mattel is able to gather first-party data from across its media mix, something that’s been hard to do with traditional advertising. That means the brand can better understand how consumers behave, where they convert, and how to reach them again more effectively.
These insights don’t just improve reporting, they support smarter, more precise targeting over time. By tracking user behaviour across multiple touchpoints, the campaign opens the door to improved Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), and more importantly, incremental ROAS (iROAS) – helping the brand understand the true value of each media impression by measuring what would not have occurred without this creative and media combination.
Andrew Spence, ANZ eCommerce lead at Mattel, said: “At Mattel, we’re constantly seeking ways to reach families. This campaign shows how innovation can bring shopping and storytelling closer together than ever before. We’re excited to be part of such a strong collaboration.”
John McNerney, managing director at Yahoo Australia & SEA, added: “This highlights the true power when coupling creative commerce with Afterpay’s purchase behaviour and Yahoo’s DSP tech together for a seamless consumer experience across digital screens.”
While UM has led the media execution, the broader IPG Mediabrands network supported the campaign’s commerce innovation through KINESSO, its digital, data and commerce innovation division.
Andy Holford, chief product officer, KINESSO, said: “By collaborating across technology, media, and retail platforms, we’ve created a truly integrated, consumer-first experience. This campaign sets a new standard for what’s possible in commerce media.”
With viewers now multitasking across devices, this format meets audiences where they are, giving them the ability to go from interest to intent in seconds. Research from GWI shows that 86% of people use a second screen while watching TV, and 35% shop for products they see in shows or ads.
This campaign turns that behaviour into something measurable, and ultimately, shoppable.
Source: Vudoo
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
topics
Andrew Spence
Andy Holford
John McNerney
Kinesso
Mattel
News Corp Australia
Nick Morgan
Tubi
UM
Vudoo
Yahoo
Have your say