Systems and methods for coordinating interactive and passive advertisement and merchandising opportunities

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing enhanced advertising and merchandising opportunities are described. Advertisements may be provided for passive programming such as television programs, commercials, pay-per-view programs, passive video products, or other suitable passive programming. Interactive advertisements may be provided in interactive applications such as interactive television program guides, web browsers, home shopping applications, operating systems, or other suitable interactive applications.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for coordinating sponsorship and video programming, comprising:
 a display device;   a user input device configured to receive a user input;   a processor, configured to communicate with the display device and the user input device to:
 display a video segment, wherein the video segment is sponsored by a non-broadcaster advertiser and the video segment does not include an advertisement for the advertiser; 
 receive a user input; and 
 in response to receiving the user input,
 receive an advertiser identifier, and 
 display the video segment simultaneously with the advertiser identifier. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to display a selectable notice of the video segment. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the user input is a user selection of the selectable notice. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the selectable notice includes a second advertiser identifier. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the selectable notice is displayed by an interactive program guide application executed by the processor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a local memory, wherein the processor is coupled to the memory and wherein the advertiser identifier is displayed according to a time-based schedule stored in the memory. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a remote server and wherein the advertiser identifier is displayed according to a real-time flag in a signal transmitted from the remote server and received by the processor. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a memory, and further configured to:
 retrieve the advertiser identifier from the memory; and   integrate the advertiser identifier with the video segment to display the video segment simultaneously with the advertiser identifier.   
     
     
         10 . A system for coordinating sponsorship and video programming, comprising:
 a display device;   a user input device configured to receive a user input;   a processor, configured to communicate with the display device and the user input device to:
 display a first graphic identifier of a non-broadcaster advertiser, wherein the advertiser sponsors a video segment; 
 receive a user input; and 
 in response to receiving the user input,
 receive a second graphic identifier of the advertiser, 
 display the video segment simultaneously with the second graphic identifier. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first graphic identifier is displayed in an advertisement for the video segment. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the user input is a user selection of the advertisement. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first graphic identifier is displayed by an interactive program guide application executed by the processor. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a local memory, wherein the processor is coupled to the memory and wherein the first graphic identifier is displayed according to a time-based schedule stored in the memory. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a remote server and wherein the first graphic identifier is displayed according to a real-time flag in a signal transmitted from the remote server and received by the processor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a memory, and further configured to:
 retrieve the second graphic identifier from the memory; and   integrate the second graphic identifier with the video segment to display the video segment simultaneously with the second graphic identifier.   
     
     
         17 . A method for coordinating sponsorship and video programming, comprising:
 displaying, on a display device, a video segment, wherein the video segment is sponsored by an advertiser and the video segment does not include an advertisement for the advertiser;   receiving a user input from a user input device; and   in response to receiving the user input,
 receiving an advertiser identifier, and 
 displaying, on the display device, the video segment simultaneously with the advertiser identifier. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising displaying a selectable notice of the video segment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the user input is a selection of the selectable notice. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the selectable notice is displayed by an interactive program guide application executed by the processor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 retrieving the advertiser identifier from a memory; and   integrating the advertiser identifier with the video segment to display the video segment simultaneously with the advertiser identifier.