Cinematique Lets Brands Sell Directly Through Video

For years, we’ve heard whispers of shoppable video. Imagine watching your favorite TV show or a music video online and being able to instantly purchase an item that appeals to you, from a shade of lipstick to a particular pair of boots.

But it seems the trend is finally coming to fruition.

Interlude recently raised $18.2 million from MGM, Warner Music, Samsung, Sequoia Capital, Intel Capital and others, but they’re not alone. Cinematique, which has raised a total of $5.4 million, is also joining the mix with touchable video that lets users get direct links to anything shown in the video.

Users can click (or on touchscreens, touch) the video to choose what they’d like to learn more about. If a user clicks on a swim suit in this Victoria’s Secret video, they’ll get a direct buy link with price and description. The more the users click, the more items are stored in their queue at the end of (or during) the video.

If a user clicks on something that isn’t a sellable product, Cinematique allows brands to offer extra information around those items. With the Cinematique editor (in beta), brands can upload existing video and add tags, complete with product information and buy links, to whatever they want.

In the video above, you can see how Tag Heuer and Vox Media use an advertorial, portraying the life of a chef, to sell the new $1,500 Tag Heuer smart watch. But the food this chef cooks, his motorcycle, his running routine and New York City bridges are also clickable, giving you an extra look at all of the pieces of the video.

Publishers and brands alike can embed these videos on their sites, whether in an advertorial or on an ecommerce site.
Cinematique also acts as a platform for distribution. That said, Cinematique videos don’t work natively across all social media like Instagram or Twitter, nor do they live in their clickable state on YouTube. That said, Cinematique works natively with Facebook, letting users click directly in the feed.

High-end commerce brands make up the majority of Cinematique’s customer base, but it is easy to see how publishers could upcharge by offering brands clickable advertorial video content.

The company isn’t currently sharing its pricing model.