At the behest of retail giant Target, MTV Networks created a custom video player that allows advertisers -- in this case Target -- to insert brand or product icons into the playback timer, and tell a marketing story that unfolds over the course of the viewing experience.

Dubbed "The Scrubber," the unit is designed to be interactive, contextually relevant and non-interruptive to consumers.

"With Target, we've developed an entirely new way to deliver retail messages through short-form online video," said Jason Witt, senior vice president and general manager of Digital Fusion, MTV Networks.

Using what it calls "story engine" technology, the branded "Scrubber" scrolls from the left to the right, crossing over various product icons as a video plays. Each time the "Scrubber" intersects a product icon, a message overlay launches and invites consumers to play with, get more information about, or even purchase the item.

For Target, the unit was custom-designed to take on the retailer's classic red and white colors, and the actual "Scrubber" ball takes the shape of the iconic Target bullseye logo.

"The Scrubber" will be loaded with products relevant to each of MTV Networks' audiences. On MTV.com, for example, it will highlight Target's line of entertainment and fashion products.

Created by MTVN's Digital Fusion team -- an online advertising and marketing unit that works across all MTV Networks' properties -- "The Scrubber" was partly the result of a recent study in which MTV Networks identified ad packages and formats that rank high in audience likability and marketer effectiveness.

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