BSkyB is offering five tracks from the forthcoming Chemical Brothers album on a free "interactive jukebox" ahead of its official release in its latest strategy to boost subscriber numbers.
Subscribers who push the red button on their remote control from today can listen to five full tracks from the album, which just happens to be called Push the Button, before its official release on Monday.
The Chemical Brothers' website said that this would be "the first time in the world that a music advert is going to be interactive".
The advertising campaign will run on Sky One, Sky Sports, Channel 4 and E4 from tomorrow.
Record label EMI linked with Sky to provide the exclusive preview, which includes the current single Galvanize as well as live footage and interviews with the band members. The marketing tactic is common on the internet but it is the first time it has occurred on TV. Sky is also investigating launching an interactive music download service as part of a wider drive to boost revenues.
BSkyB is battling the surging popularity of the BBC-backed Freeview in a bid to meet its target of 8 million subscribers by the end of the year.
The satellite broadcaster said extending the advert to its Sky Active service would demonstrate how advertisers could use entertaining interactive content to engage consumers in their brand.
"We expect that one of this year's defining trends in interactive advertising will be a move for more brands to take advantage of interactive sponsorships and content creation," said Ian Shepherd, the managing director of Sky Interactive.
BSkyB, which had 7.42 million subscribers at the end of September, is under pressure to boost its subscriber numbers to meet the ambitious targets of its chief executive, James Murdoch.
But rival service Freeview, backed by the BBC, experienced a surge of subscribers during Christmas to brings its number to 5 million, up from 3.9 million in September.
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