UK Advertising Experts
DRTV Advertising
DRTV Advertising with One Day Agency
One Day Agency helps brands drive measurable response through DRTV advertising and direct response TV campaigns across the United Kingdom and international markets. DRTV advertising is a form of television advertising designed to prompt an immediate, trackable response from viewers, using on-screen mechanics such as phone numbers, vanity URLs, and QR codes to directly connect the broadcast impression to a measurable commercial outcome.
DRTV has quite a unique position in TV advertising because every pound spent can be tied to a business outcome. Each advertising spot carries a timestamp in the media schedule. Each DRTV response, whether a call, a URL visit, or a QR scan, can be matched back to that spot. That level of accountability sets DRTV apart from brand-focused TV, where the value is real but diffuse and slower to measure. DRTV operates across linear broadcast, BVOD, and addressable TV formats, giving brands a range of environments in which to deploy response-driving campaigns.
One Day Agency plans DRTV campaigns starting from the audience and the commercial objective, not from the available inventory. Where the brief calls for it, DRTV-generated traffic feeds digital retargeting and first-party data strategies, extending the value of each spot beyond the immediate response window. Our TV advertising and VOD advertising capabilities are planned together, so linear and on-demand environments can be activated in combination when that approach fits the brief.
A UK DRTV advertising agency with an international reach.
Why DRTV advertising works.
DRTV is one of the few advertising formats where the investment can be directly attributed to a specific business outcome. Each spot is timestamped in the media schedule. Each response, whether a call, a URL visit, or a QR scan, can be matched to it. This creates an optimisation loop that brand-focused TV cannot offer. You can see which channels, which dayparts, and which creative executions are generating the most efficient cost per response, and adjust the schedule accordingly.
TV advertising boosts the performance of other media channels used in a campaign by up to 54%, meaning DRTV spend is efficient beyond the direct response it generates alone. Source: Thinkbox Demand Generation (2019), Wavemaker / Gain Theory / Mediacom.
TV advertising (linear and BVOD combined) delivers an average full profit ROI of £5.61 for every pound spent when sustained effects are included, making it the highest returning media channel in the largest econometric study of UK advertising effectiveness. Source: Thinkbox Profit Ability 2 (2024), Ebiquity / EssenceMediacom / Gain Theory / Mindshare / Wavemaker UK.
The accountability of DRTV does not reduce its brand value. A viewer who calls a number or types in a URL after seeing a spot has been influenced by the creative, the programme environment, and the offer. Optimising for response does not require sacrificing the quality of the broadcast experience.
Why One Day Agency? DRTV campaigns.
One Day Agency's approach to DRTV planning starts with the audience profile most likely to respond and works backwards to channel selection, daypart, and creative requirements. We use media planning tools and broadcaster data to identify off-peak inventory that delivers strong response rates at efficient cost per acquisition. Off-peak airtime, where viewer engagement with programming is lower and attention is available to a compelling offer, typically outperforms primetime slots for direct response campaigns.
DRTV is not planned as a silo. Where the campaign brief requires it, DRTV-generated traffic feeds back into digital retargeting and first-party data strategies, extending the value of each spot past the immediate response window. We also handle ClearCast clearance as part of the planning process, ensuring creative meets broadcast compliance requirements without introducing delays to the airdate. Our integrated team covers all UK broadcasters and BVOD platforms, which means the right linear and on-demand mix can be identified for each brief rather than defaulting to available inventory.
DRTV advertising formats.
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![Short-form DRTV spots]()
Short-form DRTV spots
Short-form DRTV is the most common format in the UK. A standard TV spot, typically 30 or 60 seconds, carries a response mechanic embedded in the creative: a phone number, a URL, or a QR code. Short-form DRTV performs best in off-peak programming where viewer attention is not fixed on high-engagement content and is available to a compelling offer and a clear call to action. One Day Agency plans short-form DRTV across all major UK broadcast networks and digital terrestrial channels, selecting dayparts based on audience profile and response data.
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![Long-form DRTV / Infomercials]()
Long-form DRTV / Infomercials
Long-form DRTV runs from 10 to 30 minutes and suits products where the benefit requires demonstration before a purchase decision becomes realistic: financial products, health and wellness, technology hardware. Long-form slots run on lower-cost digital terrestrial channels and allow a sustained narrative that a 30-second spot cannot support. One Day Agency plans long-form DRTV for clients where the product's complexity or price point means a shorter format would not give the viewer enough reason to respond.
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![BVOD and VOD DRTV]()
BVOD and VOD DRTV
Broadcaster Video on Demand platforms including ITV X, Channel 4 streaming, and Sky Go offer a fundamentally different response mechanic from linear broadcast. The viewer can click directly from the ad unit to the advertiser's website or app without memorising a URL or dialling a number. Attribution is immediate and precise. One Day Agency plans BVOD DRTV alongside linear to capture response-oriented audiences across both viewing environments. For more on VOD advertising options across broadcaster platforms, see our VOD advertising page.
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![Addressable TV DRTV (Sky AdSmart)]()
Addressable TV DRTV (Sky AdSmart)
Sky AdSmart allows brands to run DRTV campaigns targeted to specific household profiles rather than buying broad daypart inventory. For products with a clearly defined target audience, addressable DRTV removes the waste inherent in traditional broad-reach buying and brings digital-level targeting precision to the television screen. One Day Agency plans and buys Sky AdSmart campaigns as part of DRTV strategies where audience efficiency is the primary objective.
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![QR code and vanity URL response mechanics]()
QR code and vanity URL response mechanics
The response mechanic is as important as the creative. One Day Agency advises on the right response format for each campaign: QR codes for audiences who are second-screening, vanity URLs for linear viewers who will type directly, and dedicated phone numbers for campaigns where voice response is part of the sales process. Each mechanic is tracked back to individual spots in the media schedule, enabling cost-per-response analysis at the spot level. This data feeds directly into schedule optimisation across the duration of the campaign.
Latest DRTV Campaigns.
See below our selected work in media planning and buying.
Sky AdSmart VOD. Sales activation campaign in the UK targeting a niche high-net-worth audience, using Sky's advanced audience segmentation to deliver the TV ad across Sky's VOD apps.
FMCG - Out-of-Home Campaign in Ireland.
Sky VOD. Direct response campaign to an affluent family audience, planned and bought from brief to ClearCast approval, run alongside out-of-home placements to build frequency and awareness.
Meet the Media Planning Team
Klaudia
Business Director
Shelby
Media Planning & Buying
Scott
Media Planning & Buying
"Most brands think of TV as a brand channel and DRTV as another version of it. That framing is wrong. DRTV is the most accountable form of television advertising ever built. Every spot, every day part, every response is attributable. What brands underestimate is that accountability does not mean it lacks brand value. A well-planned DRTV campaign builds trust and drives response at the same time.”
Ricardo Seixas, Founder and CEO, One Day Agency
Frequently Asked Questions.
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DRTV stands for Direct Response Television, a form of TV advertising specifically designed to prompt an immediate, measurable response from the viewer. Unlike brand advertising, which aims to build awareness or association over time, DRTV uses on-screen mechanics such as phone numbers, website URLs, and QR codes to drive viewers to take a specific action. The key distinction is attribution: every DRTV spot can be matched to the responses it generated, enabling cost-per-response analysis at the individual spot level.
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Standard TV advertising is primarily designed to build brand awareness, recall, and long-term purchase intent. DRTV advertising is designed to drive an immediate action from the viewer in the same session as watching. The two are not mutually exclusive: a well-executed DRTV campaign builds brand trust through association with premium TV content while simultaneously driving direct commercial response.
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DRTV ads use a range of response mechanics depending on the viewing context and campaign objective. Common formats include vanity URLs (a short, memorable web address used exclusively for the campaign), dedicated phone numbers (which log calls with timestamps for spot-level attribution), QR codes (which are scanned via smartphone for immediate click-through), and text codes. For BVOD campaigns, viewers can click directly from the ad unit to the advertiser's website, removing the need for a manually typed URL.
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DRTV performs best in programming where viewer engagement with the content is moderate rather than peak. Highly engaging live events and primetime drama create low-response environments because the viewer's attention is fixed on the programme. Off-peak and repeat programming, where viewers are watching more casually, creates better conditions for a response-driving ad to capture attention. This also makes off-peak inventory more cost-efficient for DRTV campaigns.
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A DRTV campaign is tracked by matching response data (calls, URL visits, QR scans) against the timestamped media schedule. Each spot that airs is logged with its broadcast time, channel, audience size, and daypart. By correlating response timestamps against this data, the campaign can attribute each response to a specific spot. This enables cost-per-response analysis by channel, daypart, day of week, and audience segment, creating an optimisation framework that improves efficiency over time.
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DRTV ROI measured in accountability. Off-peak airtime, which performs well for direct response campaigns, is more cost-efficient than primetime broadcast inventory. DRTV campaigns can be structured as test campaigns with a defined budget to validate response rates before scaling spend. For further reading on broadcast TV costs, see Sky AdSmart advertising costs and ITV advertising costs.
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A 30-second spot is the most commonly used length for DRTV in the UK, providing enough time to communicate the offer and the response mechanic without losing viewer attention. 60-second spots are used when the product benefit requires more explanation. Long-form DRTV (10 to 30 minutes) is a distinct format suited to high-consideration products. The right length depends on the product, the creative approach, and the response mechanic being used.
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DRTV is particularly well suited to ecommerce brands because the response mechanism aligns directly with online purchase behaviour. A DRTV spot drives the viewer to a website, where first-party data can be captured, retargeting activated, and the conversion journey continued across digital channels. For ecommerce brands with Shopify or other platform integrations, DRTV can serve as a top-of-funnel traffic driver that feeds a performance-optimised digital sales journey. For more on how TV advertising works for ecommerce brands, see How to Advertise in TV.
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