Buying what we see on TV (and no, I’m not talking about commercials)

Fashion, Shopping

I was inspired by another great post from GetElastic, so today I want to talk about finding products through the television we watch.  Combining two great American pastimes - shopping and TV - seems like a brilliant idea.

On GetElastic, Linda was discussing “shopisodes.” A shopisode is something they do on SeenON!, a wonderful site that helps people figure out where to buy what they see people wearing or using on their favorite TV shows. A shopisode is a short video clip from a TV show that includes photos of and links to all the products in that particular clip. So you can buy what you see.

I love, love, love this idea. This is obviously very useful for the kinds of shows you see on TLC and HGTV, where someone is redecorating a house or helping people clean out their closets. These shows feature tons of products, usually with information about where you can purchase each item and how much that item will cost.  Showing a two-minute clip of these products in action is great. Potential customers can see the products in real homes; I think this is a great sales tool.

And it’s also quite useful for the scripted sitcoms and dramas many of us love.  I get lots of ideas for my own wardrobe from TV (and I’m sure I’m not alone).  Dozens (hundreds?) of blogs track celebrity style and pay close attention to what the characters on Gossip Girl wear, but they generally have to resort to photos or stills. I’d love to see more embedded video clips. Bluefly uses some video on their Flypaper blog, and though I’m sure there are others out there, I don’t know about many other style sites that use video in this way. (If you know of any, please share them in the comments!) Usually readers are stuck with photos.

I think this will become more prevalent as more entertainment content moves online and advertisers are forced to think of new ways to sell products. But personally, I welcome it. I’m always up for finding cool new stuff. Because really, wouldn’t it be great to know where we could buy the clothing characters on Mad Men wear?

Jenn @ August 14, 2008